By: Abby Lowell on June 19, 2012 - 9:43am - Add new comment
By Abby Lowell
Timber to tideline
It was one of those days that felt perpetually bathed in twilight — clouds moved easily on a breeze and hung so low they seemed to surf the tree tops. Rain fell in short bursts. It is June; but summer felt like a world away.
Despite this, our family was out amid it all. The kids were layered up, waterproofed and snuggled down in the double-jogger. One slept, while the other chattered away, like a busy (and slightly ruffled) red squirrel.
By: Abby Lowell on August 5, 2011 - 10:57am - Add new comment
As soon as I think I’ve heard it all, I’m proven wrong.
“You’re still running?” many have said.
“You ran how many miles yesterday?” is what I’ve heard from others.
Or, one of my personal favorites, “Did you know running causes premature labor?”
It’s questions like these that play on like a skipping CD through my weekly conversations.
I just smile and nod. Or, to the premature labor inquiry, I laugh outright and rebut with a probe on where they got their information.
By: Abby Lowell on August 3, 2011 - 10:04am - Add new comment
I ran five miles yesterday, bringing my week’s tally to around 17 miles. It’s a far cry from the 35 to 45 miles I was tallying this fall. But my body deserves a break. I am, after all, nearly 20 weeks pregnant.
This all may shock some. In fact, I think the sight of me and my burgeoning belly bopping down the road has turned more than a few heads. Some friends call me crazy. My mom urges me to take it easy. At my friends I just smile, to my mom I send assurances.
By: Abby Lowell on August 3, 2011 - 10:17am - Add new comment
Ultrasounds. Scientifically speaking, they’re a procedure in which sound waves are passed into the human body to produce a reflection signature, which can reveal details about the inner structure. In pregnancy, they’re handy for revealing major physical abnormalities in the fetus or potential complications for the mother. On a personal level, it’s really just a chance for the doting parents to catch a glimpse of their new baby.
By: Abby Lowell on August 3, 2011 - 10:22am - Add new comment
… the baby, that is.
Despite the imagery a jogging mom and her belly may conjure, the baby inside is, in fact, not jostled around like clothes in a dryer.
Friends and relatives, those more forward than most, have inquired about what the baby must be experiencing as I’m running up and down mountain trails around town.
“It must feel so weird! Doesn’t it just bounce all over the place?”
Nah. It’s a myth. And like many myths this one deserves to be de-bunked.
By: Abby Lowell on August 3, 2011 - 10:42am - Add new comment
There are many folks who find going for a run about as exciting as watching a week’s worth of Power Point presentations.
I understand.
The thought of forcing yourself to move at a moderate slog from point A to point B “just … because” elicits chills of nausea and drums up the same fear associated with being trapped in tight spaces.
It’s OK. There is hope.
By: Abby Lowell on August 3, 2011 - 11:21am - Add new comment
The stitch low in my side radiated down and around my belly. It was too low to be a traditional side ache, too high to be a muscle cramp and it wasn’t the first time I’d felt the tell-tale pinch.
But I kept jogging. The day was glorious. It was one of those spring days bathed in sunshine and fragrant with the smell of damp earth. My legs felt strong and the cool breeze wiped the sweat off my brow. Each turn of the trail seemed to reveal a path more beautiful than the one before. Those who live in Juneau will truly understand when I say, it was just one of those days ...
By: Abby Lowell on August 3, 2011 - 11:41am - Add new comment
Gaining weight during pregnancy is like the flab that comes with old age — it’s inevitable.
But there’s another side to this coin. Dads-to-be and significant others seem to suffer from a phenomenon commonly referred to as “sympathy weight.” Think the “freshman fifteen” in college — it’s absurdly common yet totally avoidable.
By: Abby Lowell on August 3, 2011 - 11:35am - Add new comment
The mid-point of anything is not always easy. It’s like the middle of a long road trip. There’s sure to be a lot of pretty country, but there comes a time when the “are we there yet?” mentality sets in.
That’s how I feel about this point in my pregnancy. “Are we there yet?”
Nope. With just over three months left, the biggest moments are still to come. Literally.
I’m finding it harder and harder to hike up the hills on my favorite trails. I can feel the extra weight taking its toll on my joints and the baby is making its presence known more with each stride.
By: Abby Lowell on August 3, 2011 - 11:52am - Add new comment
Fueled by the heat of a solstice sun on my back, I climbed higher into the muskeg. The boardwalk was dry and the moist meadow in full bloom. Bog violets and pink shooting stars stood out polka-dotted against the green of sedges, mosses and low-growing bushes. Closer to the trail, dwarf dogwood (or bunchberry) huddled close to the wooden planks and bog laurel bloomed in bright fuschia every few feet.
I’d parked my car at the top of Blueberry Hill and run up to the Treadwell Trail before taking the turn toward Dan Moller cabin.
