Peak's Island 5 Miler

Oh my gosh, a race report! I haven't written one of these since last October! I bet it will all come back to me, just like my race morning routine did.

I had my oatmeal and peanut butter, drank a bunch of water, foam rolled, and of course took a selfie in my race outfit. Spandits for the win!

I've done this race for the past 8 years because it is such a fun summer day. I mean any race that involves a ferry ride wins in my book! We took the 9:15 ferry this year, instead of the 8:30, because I knew I'd want to sleep in after working 12 hour shifts the two days before. It was crowded, but we got on, and still had plenty of time once we got to the island. 

The race was a lot bigger than it has been in past years- more than 700 runners. This presented a problem for this pregnant lady. The lines for the bathroom were crazy- so I only got to go once, which was not enough! I had to go before the race even started and it only got worse as the race went on. I was so uncomfortable that I kept looking for places to pull over into the woods- but never found a good one!

This year I convinced my friend Gillian and her husband Al and my friend Brad and his girlfriend Dana to do the race. I love getting more of my friends involved in my running life!

Although I've done this race many times before, I knew this year would be different with a baby on board. Plus my feet were super tired from working the days before and it was hot. So it was not the year to set a PR. I was just there for fun!

But of course, once the race started my competitive side kicked in. Especially since Gillian was just in front of me the whole race! But I kept reminding myself that the health of my baby is way more important than my time! So I did hold myself back, ran through all the hoses to cool off, and walked some sections of the biggest hills. 

I ended up finishing in 45:35, which is a good 7 miles slower than my fastest time. But, I'm totally okay with that! Since I've been running 10 min/miles in training, 9 min/miles felt like flying!

My race number totally hides my baby bump

I wasn't able to enjoy the free Sebago beer after the race (my friends were more than happy to drink mine for me), but I thoroughly enjoyed the basket of sweet potato fries and onion rings we all shared at lunch lately. In fact they might have been the highlight of my day!

Is there a race that you do year after year? Why do you keep returning? 

Life Update

Hello!

I graduate nursing school in 3 weeks!

I really can't believe it. These past 15 months have been long and intense, but at the same time I can't believe I am already almost done. I have learned SO much. It is also a little scary because the real world is rushing back in. I've been living week to week, just trying to get all my homework done, and ignoring everything else. Now I have to start applying for jobs and thinking about the future again.

I am running a race this weekend!

I haven't done a race since October! I'm pretty sure that is the longest I've ever gone without racing since I started running. Obviously, since I'm pregnant and not supposed to really push it, I'll just be doing it for fun. Plus, it is supposed to be really hot. It will feel a little strange though to be in a race and not racing.

I finally have a baby bump!

It's pretty tiny, but I'm happy to have something to show for all the months I felt totally miserable. Now that I'm into the second trimester I am feeling much better. I'm even eating vegetables again!



What's new in your life?

Spandits!

This announcement is long overdue, because you know, life.

I promise this blog isn't going to become one giant advertisement. I've definitely stopped reading blogs because it was all just sponsored posts and no real content. However, I am also proud to represent a few products that I really love. Spandits! is one of those products, and so I am so excited to announce that I have been selected as a Spandits ambassador!

WHY I LOVE SPANDITS

1. They are made in Maine! That means high quality and they support the local economy. 

2. The fabrics are so fun! And they are constantly adding new ones. Even more exciting is that you can make custom Spandits! and choose a different pattern for each leg!

3. They are so comfortable! They have become my go-to summer clothing because they are so lightweight and breathable. So much more so than my other athletic stuff. I'll really be testing out the 4 way stretch as my baby bump grows!

4. They have a style for every body! I like my shorts long and my capris short! I definitely don't have a thigh gap, so I need a longer short to keep my inner thighs from chafing. The boardies  style short is the perfect length. (But if you prefer to show off you booty, they have a boy short too!) On the other hand, I have super short legs so a lot of capri style pants are way too long. They hit right above my ankle and look silly! The over the knee capri style is perfect. (But if you are tall or like a longer style, they also have a 3/4 tight and full length tight). 

Starry Night running skirt!

Have I convinced you yet how amazing these are? Head over to Spandits.com and use the code SPANDITSLOVE at checkout at to save 10%. Tell them Kiersten sent you.

You never realize how much you eat in a day......

You never realize how much you eat in a day...... until you need to pack it all in one bag! I'm in my last 7 weeks of nursing school (whoot, whoot!) and doing my practicum. I'm doing 12 hour shifts with a nurse in the maternity ward at Maine Med.

This means I leave my house at 6 am and don't get home until 8 pm. So breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks are all at the hospital. That's a lot of planning. And a lot of food. I need a bigger lunch box!

How many meals a day do you eat away from home? Do you pack food or buy it out?

Big News!

Hi Friends!

I realize that it has been pretty quiet around here. Well, I have been super busy with my last semester of nursing school and some other family stuff.

But I've also just been too darn sick and tired to do much of anything. Luckily, that was for a very exciting reason......... I'm pregnant!

A friend pointed out that the dogs are looking at each other like "Did you know about this?"

We are, obviously, super excited! I've had a really rough first trimester, but I finally ended up on Zofran, and since then I've been feeling a lot more human. The baby and I have been even been back to regular running. I can't wait to see what the second trimester brings!

Mother runners- any pregnancy running tips?