Super Straighforward Steps for Pregnancy Fitness

Back to School!
 
It's that time of year again--Summer is winding down, kiddos are back at their books, and the rest of us are once again renewing resolutions of fitness and health. 


22 and a half weeks pregnant (and still taking silly selfies, but who could resist??) with a BOY (yippee!). A few weeks ago, at the sweet nudging of my Hubster, I realized that walks, even long, frequent ones, were not cutting it as my pregnancy fitness plan. About this same time, my Mama bought me a fabulous pair of maternity jeans, and I wanted to look and feel great in them. 

I hadn't gained any shocking amounts of weight or anything like that, after all, I'm growing a whole other person, but John could tell I was lethargic and losing confidence about how I looked and felt. So to the Y he sent me (side note: It takes a special man to tell his wife that she needs to get her backside out to the gym and be able to do it in a way that makes her feel encouraged and confident, not fat or criticized). 

So, in light of the last couple of weeks, here are my very straightforward 

Tips for Staying Fit and Feeling Great 

During Pregnancy:

1) Talk to your OB or midwife. Really, don't skip this step, especially if you don't have a history of being active. If you are fortunate, you'll get a green light like me, "Anything that you can do that you are able to do, do it." If they have guidelines, listen to them. You can always ask them to reevaluate your condition later after you make some progress, etc. 

2) Just do it. Really, do it. Put on your big girl yoga pants and your sneakers, and do something. Cant think of anything but walking? Walk. Start somewhere, anywhere. 

3) Shake it up. Fresh out of ideas? Shake it literally (Zumba class, baby! I'm in love!), or figuratively--try an Expresso bike or the elliptical instead of just walking. Keeping your mind engaged is also important when working out. Boredom busts good intentions. Find ways to make exercise fun.

4) Don't forget to hydrate and eat well. Hydrate means water, and plenty of it. Also, don't interpret that as "eat perfectly." I'm definitely pro-ice cream. ;-) But pay attention to what goes in your body. Don't undermine your workout with crummy eating. 

5) Look good. Choose flattering maternity clothes. Budget busted? I've found some lovely steals on Old Navy's clearance rack. Knowing that you're rocking a fun outfit will add bounce to your step and serve as both reward and motivation for staying active. 


Keep it simple. Keep it fun. :-)

Adventure well; Live fully.
HAK

2014 Tour de Cure

We did it; we did it; we really, really did it!!

After two+ months of training, fundraising, and then wondering if I could bike that far with morning sickness, the Tour is complete! All 28 miles!

Before anything else, THANK YOU to our wonderful sponsors and supporters for your financial gifts, encouragement, and prayers. You were behind us all the way! 

Now, the story. 
Yesterday was rainy. Like, really, REALLY rainy. And all we could think as we drove to Douglasville through the downpour was, "Wow, this is going to be miserable." 

We got there and suited up for the worst (at least as best you can when you're going to be on a bike...).  

We registered, and pinned our numbers on our coats. John even got a super cool bike jersey because he's a "red rider," meaning, he rides with diabetes. He kind of got special treatment like that all day. ;-) 

 It wasn't raining at the starting line, so off we went. The ride was gorgeous--through the woods and farms of south west Atlanta. The air was cool and fresh, but the roads were hardly wet, and the rain, and my nausea, held of the whole ride. God is so good! Every 7ish miles there was a pit stop--with water, gatorade, granola bars, and the.best.oranges.ever., so we refueled often and took our time. We rode 28 miles in 2.25 hours (plus stopped time).  The hills were challenging, but we really did enjoy it (probably me most of all. ;-) ). Yippee!

Perhaps the best surprise was that not just Stuart, but April, Anna, Adam, AND Chester were all waiting for us at the finish line with cameras and cheers. What a welcome!

It was an awesome experience. Yesterday's riders collectively have raised $400K to STOP DIABETES! And, as our lives are daily impacted by the disease, the thought that better treatments and maybe even a cure can be found is an awesome thought. 

 (Photo from the Tour de Cure Atlanta Facebook page)

Adventure well; Live fully. 
HAK

A Month's Adventures

Happy April 1st!

It has been over a month since I blogged, y'all, which is just nuts to me.  In some ways, I suppose my life has been too full of living and has left little room from writing about living. 

I've been on Instagram, so those who follow there have seen all that I've been up to. Two things on that:
1) FOLLOW ME! @MesAventureHAK 
I definitely Insta more than anything else because I love sharing snapshots of daily life.  
2) Look up^^^ I added that cool, scrolling bar of photos this morning. Those are my Instagram pictures via SnapWidget. So, if you click a picture it will take you to SnapWidget, but you can link to Insta from there. Fun stuff. 


There will be more stories on all of the below soon, but for now let me give you a fly by of the last month:

1) Moby Gimli Bat-Cat. He's that silly black cat in so many of my photos. He has quite a story all by himself, but the gist of it is that we have the best cat in the world!

2) Biking. With only 7 weeks till the Tour de Cure, training is in full swing. Audrey has been a trooper as I challenge her day after day to push her mind and body just a little further in the saddle. To climb one more hill, pedal one more mile, practice riding on the roads and in the rain, etc. 

3) Drawing. I won't be so bold as to say that I'm doing a drawing a day, but I'm trying to do several a week. Some are just quick sketches inspired by a verse in my morning devotions, and others are exercises in my sketchbook. I tend to be a bit pencil shy--strongly preferring my paintbrushes-- but the time has come for me to develop my drawing skills. 

4) Reading. I.love.reading. But I've done less and less of it in my spare time over the last few years as college work has dominated my reading energies. With just a month of university left, I am being more intentional about building "fun reading" back into my life. I recently finished Demon Fish and Ender's Game and am now tackling Atlas Shrugged. Good stuff. :-) 

Remember, I always love to hear about your adventures in the comments or on any of my social media outlets! Be in touch!

Adventure well; Live fully. 
HAK   
 

Atlanta Tour de Cure: We Need Your Help!

Good Morning! 

I've actually been quite productive in my studio lately, but I'll write more on that later. For now, I need to fill you in on a new adventure:
The American Diabetes Association's Tour de Cure Bike Ride. 

The Hubster, Audrey, the sweet 7th grader I nanny, and I are joining Audrey's Aunt Stacey and some friends in the Atlanta 2014 Ride. 

Who: John & HollyAnne Knight and Audrey Sylvester

What: The American Diabetes Association's Tour de Cure 28 mile Atlanta ride.
 
When: May 18, 2014
 
Why: To raise money for diabetes research, raise awareness about all types of diabetes, and celebrate the champions who live with diabetes every day (Like my Hubster, who has had Type 1 for 13+ years).
 
How Can You Help: 

• We need prayer: for safety in training and riding, for this ride as a whole to raise lots of money for research, and for that research to find new and better ways to fight, prevent, and CURE diabetes. 
• We are FUNDRAISING. We need to raise a minimum of $200 each in order to ride, and we'd like to go above and beyond that. The fastest way to donate is by going online. Follow these links!

Donate to HOLLYANNE 
Donate to JOHN 
Donate to AUDREY     


THANK YOU!!

Adventure well; Live fully.
HAK