6 Months To Go... And Still Pregnant.

The 118th Boston Marathon is in exactly 6 months. 

That's 181 days. 

My current training plan includes the following:

Leg Lifts - I occasionally lift my legs from the floor onto a pillow onto my coffee table.

Scissor Kicks - I must perform said move to get out of bed, off the couch, out of a chair, etc.

Sprints - Every 45 minutes I move very quickly to the ladies room.

Runs at Midnight - or rather, midnight runs to my pantry for mini powdered donuts.

Squats - Any sitting requires a low seat with knees facing outward. 

It's a tough workout, and it involves a lot of grunting.

I'm a relatively small person carrying around a 30-pound melon.

Not that I'm some sort of special case, 

but this is a lot of harder than it looks:

So my training is not exactly Hal Higdon approved, but I'm 9 months pregnant. 

I had a dream of running up until the day I delivered, but that ship has sailed. 

And I felt bad about it for about 2 seconds. 

Which brings me to a few frequently asked questions:

Q: Are you seriously running the Boston Marathon this year?

A: Yes.

Q: (more like statement): But, you're pregnant.

A: Interesting fact; pregnancy is not a permanent condition. 

Q: Won't you have a newborn baby?

A: Yes. I'll likely strap said child to my back during training runs.

(silence)

Just kidding - I have a jogging stroller with awesome new fabric and a weather cover. 

Q: Are you going to have enough time to train?

A: Um, I have no idea. I hope so. 

Q: But aren't you worried about your uterus exploding?

A: Not really. I feel I have a strong uterus. 

Q: Don't newborn babies take up a lot of time?

A: Yes. So do husbands, four-year-olds, jobs... We'll be busy. Are you not busy?

I hope this clears up a lot of confusion. 

Bottom line: I have no idea how this will turn out. 

My goals include:

Birth baby

Begin walking soon after birthing baby

Eventually begin jogging

At some point begin running

Feel comfortable enough to start training

Run Boston Marathon. 

That may or may not happen as planned. 

And I'm totally OK with that. 

A few things to keep in mind:

(I really like lists these days, as I have severe pregnancy brain and it's the only way I communicate)

I am not addicted to running like most runners. 

I have run this race before.

I am running this race for my brother, 

so if I have to walk it and finish well past the time that they actually close down the course, 

I will be completely satisfied with that. 

This is my race, and I'm really excited about it. 

I'm also really excited to have this baby,

and finding a way to balance the two, plus a husband and four-year-old,

well, it's just going to have to be Team Gowen's newest challenge. 

We're tough people.

Thanks again to everyone for their support the past 5 months. 

This is going to be one hell of an emotional roller coaster for me personally,

but per usual, I'm ready to take on what I feel will be another great learning experience.