Here is the write-up on my collegiate career:

“A graduate of St. Joseph High School in Baton Rouge, Legleu was named to the GCAC All-Conference Team all four years of her career. While competing for Loyola, the Wolfpack placed second in the GCAC Championships, and qualified for the NAIA National Meet three times.  Legleu holds the school record for 5000 meters (established at the McNeese State Invitational with a time of 19:35), the 2 mile race (established at the LSU Invitational with a time of 12:22), and the 3 mile race (established at the Tulane Invitational with a time of 20:04). Also during her career, she placed in the following meets: West Florida Invitational, Loyola Invitational, Auburn Invitational, ULL Invitational, Rhodes College Invitational, and the Mississippi College Invitational. She led the 2001 Wolfpack to the GCAC and NAIA Region 13 women’s team titles. She was a NAIA All-Region selection in 2001.  As a track athlete, Legleu holds Loyola records in the 1500m, 3000m, and 5000m. She was named Academic All American during her senior year.”

When I read this, I feel like such a running rock star! I’m so grateful for my collegiate experience and that I was able to experience the life of a student athlete where I could compete and participate in a sport but also focus on my grades.  I knew I would never have a professional career in running so I had to focus also focus grades, graduate school acceptance, etc while competing in cross country and track.  I am definitely grateful for having this opportunity to be a balanced student  athlete.

I loved my experience at Loyola, my teammates, my studies, and everything about living in New Orleans. I feel extremely honored to be included in the Hall of Fame and be included among so many talented athletes.

Since my birthday is next week (Tuesday!) I’m looking forward to birthday dinner celebration/date night with my husband, a group run Saturday morning, and the award ceremony in New Orleans Saturday evening. It is going to be a busy, but wonderful weekend.

Here are some old team pictures. I will post some more pictures next week from the award ceremony Saturday evening.

So, here is my weekly mileage:

Wednesday: 5 miles (8:22). Could not make myself get out of bed Monday and Tuesday so by Wednesday, I needed a run! Slept in once again and got in a run on the treadmill while my 2 year old napped. Usually by 1:30 or 2:00, I am ready to crash and burn but I felt pretty good on my afternoon run.

Thursday: 4 miles (8:22 pace) A little tired from just having run the afternoon before but got in four miles on the dreadmill.

Friday: 4 miles (8:24 pace)…ugh, lingering cold, toddler waking me up at 4:30 and my 5:15 alarm clock made for a difficult run.

Saturday: Decided to forgo my Saturday long run and enjoy the morning at home. Went for a run around the neighborhood at 5ish. 4 miles at 8:01 pace. I always run faster on the road.

Sunday: 9 miles (8:13 pace). The humidity has returned to South Louisiana and all I can say that was good about this run was I got my miles in. Had to make three stops for water/nuun and just felt ready to get this run over with the entire time. I know at some point my runs will slow down even more so I just stop for water when I need to and slow down the pace if I am feeling tired.

Total: 26 miles.

All in all, I still feel pretty good about getting 26 miles for the week at 12 weeks pregnant. I’m not sure how long I will be able to keep the 9-10 mile runs up but figured as long as I am feeling up to it, I’ll hold on to them as long as I can.

Pregnancy-wise, I am feeling pretty good. My food cravings have normalized and am eating my normal healthy foods (with the exception of my whole wheat bagel thins with cream cheese). Not the most filling breakfast but I can’t seem to give it up!

My toddler sleep routine has finally started to normalize. We tried giving up the nap but only found that she crashed and burned at 5:30 to 6:00 pm which meant for a very early morning. So, I think we will keep the naps for now and I can enjoy my mid-day break for just a LITTLE longer.

Overall, I am thankful for my health and for time to do something I love.  I’m thinking a family of four sounds perfect for us so given this could be my last pregnancy, I just want to enjoy every moment. Looking back on my first pregnancy, I ran very little during my first trimester and stopped running completely after that. I’m not sure how long I will be able to keep up my running but am thankful for feeling healthy and being able to stay active.

Anyway, I have an exciting trip to New Orleans this weekend. More news on the blog to come later….

A little background, this was the inaguraul year of the Louisiana Marathon. Before I found out I was pregnant, I wanted to run this race. We have another small, local race, the Baton Rouge Beach Marathon but it is on a much smaller scale. I was really excited about having a new flagship race in Baton Rouge complete with a scenic course, fun finish line festival, etc.

The Expo:

I went to the race expo on Saturday for packet pickup. This was my fourth half marathon. With the exception of the Country Music Marathon (which has since been renamed the Rock N’ Roll series) this was the only other race expo I went to. The Rock N’ Roll expos are huge with many vendors, which is great but for me a little overwhelming! I loved the small expo, friendly staff, and being able to run in and out quickly to get my packet, shirt, etc.

While I was there, I stopped at the Gulf Coast Half Marathon Booth and had a chance to talk with Katie and @katierunsthis and Brenton @lsubeerunner!

The Race:

My in-laws were in town this weekend (well, they left Saturday evening), and we had a busy day Saturday so by the time I got home to finish watching the Saints game Saturday my husband was still at work and I was just too tired to cook. So, we ordered pizza. Definately not the best pre-race food but at least I got some carbs, right? I wasn’t going for a pr, I considered this more of a long training run so I took the chance.

My toddler never napped on Saturday so by 7:00 she crashed and was fast asleep. My in-laws headed back home and my husband headed back to work, so I had Saturday evening all to myself to read and watch the taped coverage of the Olympic trials. I rarely sit on the couch and watch tv so this was a treat.

By about 9:30, I was tired so I just decided to go to sleep. I set my alarm for 4:45 and was ready to go! I slept pretty well the first half of the night but the second half, my toddler woke up and needed some care to get back to bed and I just could never get back into a good sleep.

By 4:45 I was up, ready to get dressed, had my breakfast, hydrated and had a brief chat with my husband. He had a huge work deadline Monday morning so he never slept Saturday night. Yikes, he pulled an all nighter and still had to plan on working all day Sunday. So, I planned to run the race and head back home afterwards so that he could finish up his work.

I left the house at 5:45 and drove through a terrible fog to get to downtown Baton Rouge. All the parking garages were closed so I found a free spot on the street about a mile from the race. I made a quick trip to the restroom, checked my gear, and headed to the start to stretch.

At the start, I ran into some familiar faces, including @jamiecgary He was running the full marathon but we had done some long runs together with Varsity Sports so we ran the first couple of miles together, until about mile five or so when the marathoners split off from the halfers.  We lined up with the 3:25 marathon group and I was feeling great on the first couple of miles, running just under 8 minute/mile pace. The first few miles took us through downtown Baton Rouge, where we had to cross an overpass and into the LSU lakes area, a place where I do my weekly long runs.

After the marathoners split off, the crowds winded down and I knew I would be running the rest of the race solo. So, I turned up my tunes, took my first chot blox and enjoyed the race. We finished winding around the lakes and hit the “hills.” Miles 9 – 11 were a gentle incline through a neighborhood and on the other side of a golf course, just past the lakes. After I finished the race, everyone was ranting about how tough the “hills” were. I had run this neighborhood over and over again when we used to do mile repeats for my high school cross country/track team, so I guess they did not bother me. I knew they were coming so I just relaxed and focused on keeping my pace even and my breathing relaxed.

Finally, in the last mile, we hit the overpass again on our loop back to downtown towards the finish of the race. By this point, my legs were a little tired and I was feeling the incline more but still felt great. I did feel for the marathoners having to run this incline at mile 25-26 on dead legs. Another reason I’m glad I did not run the full!

I kept my pace easy and crossed the finish with a chip time of 1:42:55. My chip time was a little over my Garmin time because I stopped for a couple of seconds to attempt to drink water. I can’t run and drink out of a cup. I’m just not that coordinated.

So, here are the splits:

1. 7:51
2. 7:42
3. 7:48
4. 7:47
5. 77:52
6. 7:47
7. 7:55
8. 7:52
9. 7:56
10. 7:55
11. 7:47
12. 7:47
13. 7:44
14. 56.3 (last .12 at 7:31 pace)

Total: 1:42:43 

Yes, I think I am the queen of consistent pacing. I ran this without really looking at my Garmin (just checked it every now and then to see my mileage) because I was trying to focus on running by feel and not get wrapped up in the pace as I wanted to keep this run easy. And even with the “hills” every single mile was under 8 min/mile pace! My legs were tired at  the end but overall, I felt great for running this race at almost 12 weeks pregnant.

Plus, I could not ask for better crowd support/fans, weather, or course! I did not get to hang out for the finish line festival but it looked like a great after party. I loved this race so much, I went ahead and paid the early bird fee and registered for the race next year. I could not pass up a race for $35! I’m not sure what type of shape I will be five months post baby but I figured if I could not run, I could always give my entry to my day and he can race it for me.

Alright, so this post is way too long and sorry I don’t have pictures to share. I never seem to remember to take pictures post-race. I guess I may have to breakdown and buy at least one of the sport photos from the race as a remembrance of my first half marathon as a mama to be! I’m sure baby #2 will be proud to know he/she participated in this race with me!

A little background, this was the inaugural year of the Louisiana Marathon. Before I found out I was pregnant, I wanted to run this race. We have another local marathon, the Baton Rouge Beach Marathon but it is on a much smaller scale. I was really excited about having a new flagship race in Baton Rouge complete with a scenic course, fun finish line festival, etc.

The Expo:

I went to the race expo on Saturday for packet pickup. This was my fourth half marathon. With the exception of the Country Music Marathon (which has since been renamed the Rock N’ Roll series) this was the only other race expo I went to. The Rock N’ Roll expos are huge with many vendors, which is great but for me a little overwhelming! I loved the small expo, friendly staff, and being able to run in and out quickly to get my packet, shirt, etc.

While I was there, I stopped at the Gulf Coast Half Marathon booth (another local race series)  and had a chance to talk with Katie and @katierunsthis and Brenton @lsubeerunner

The Race:

My in-laws were in town this weekend (well, they left Saturday evening), and we had a busy day Saturday so by the time I got home to finish watching the Saints game Saturday my husband was still at work and I was just too tired to cook. So, we ordered pizza. Definitely not the best pre-race food but at least I got some carbs, right? I wasn’t going for a pr, I considered this more of a long training run so I took the chance.

My toddler never napped on Saturday so by 7:00 she crashed and was fast asleep. My in-laws headed back home and my husband headed back to work, so I had Saturday evening all to myself to read and watch the taped coverage of the Olympic trials. I rarely sit on the couch and watch tv so this was a treat.

By about 9:30, I was tired so I just decided to go to sleep. I set my alarm for 4:45 and was ready to go! I slept pretty well the first half of the night but the second half, my toddler woke up and needed some care to get back to bed and I just could never get back into a good sleep.

By 4:45 I was up, ready to get dressed, had my breakfast, hydrated and had a brief chat with my husband. He had a huge work deadline Monday morning so he never slept Saturday night. Yikes, he pulled an all nighter and still had to plan on working all day Sunday. So, I planned to run the race and head back home afterwards so that he could finish up his work.

I left the house at 5:45 and drove through a terrible fog to get to downtown Baton Rouge. All the parking garages were closed so I found a free spot on the street about a mile from the race. I made a quick trip to the restroom, checked my gear, and headed to the start to stretch.

At the start, I ran into some familiar faces, including @jamiecgary. He was running the full marathon but we had done some long runs together with Varsity Sports so we ran the first couple of miles together, until about mile five or so when the marathoners split off from the half marathoners.  We lined up with the 3:25 marathon group and I was feeling great on the first couple of miles, running just under 8 minute/mile pace. The first few miles took us through downtown Baton Rouge, where we had to cross an overpass and into the LSU lakes area, a place where I do my weekly long runs.

After the marathoners split off, the crowds winded down and I knew I would be running the rest of the race solo. So, I turned up my tunes, took my first chot blox and enjoyed the race. We finished winding around the lakes and hit the “hills.” Miles 9 – 11 were a gentle incline through a neighborhood and on the other side of a golf course, just past the lakes. After I finished the race, everyone was ranting about how tough the “hills” were. I had run this neighborhood over and over again when we used to do mile repeats for my high school cross country/track team, so I guess they did not bother me. I knew they were coming so I just relaxed and focused on keeping my pace even and my breathing relaxed.

Finally, in the last mile, we hit the overpass again on our loop back to downtown towards the finish of the race. By this point, my legs were a little tired and I was feeling the incline more but still felt great. I did feel for the marathoners having to run this incline at mile 25-26 on dead legs. Another reason I’m glad I did not run the full!

I kept my pace easy and crossed the finish with a chip time of 1:42:55. My chip time was a little over my Garmin time because I stopped for a couple of seconds to attempt to drink water. I can’t run and drink out of a cup. I’m just not that coordinated.

So, here are the splits:

1. 7:51
2. 7:42
3. 7:48
4. 7:47
5. 77:52
6. 7:47
7. 7:55
8. 7:52
9. 7:56
10. 7:55
11. 7:47
12. 7:47
13. 7:44
14. 56.3 (last .12 at 7:31 pace)

Total: 1:42:43

Yes, I think I am the queen of consistent pacing. I ran this without really looking at my Garmin (just checked it every now and then to see my mileage) because I was trying to focus on running by feel and not get wrapped up in the pace as I wanted to keep this run easy. And even with the “hills” every single mile was under 8 min/mile pace! My legs were tired at  the end but overall, I felt great for running this race at almost 12 weeks pregnant.

Plus, I could not ask for better crowd support/fans, weather, or course! I did not get to hang out for the finish line festival but it looked like a great after party. I loved this race so much, I went ahead and paid the early bird fee and registered for the race next year. I could not pass up a race for $35! I’m not sure what type of shape I will be five months post baby but I figured if I could not run, I could always give my entry to my day and he can race it for me.

Alright, so this post is way too long and sorry I don’t have pictures to share. I never seem to remember to take pictures post-race. I guess I may have to buy at least one of the sport photos from the race as a remembrance of my first half marathon as a mama to be! I’m sure baby #2 will be proud to know he/she participated in this race with me!

Here is my mileage for the week:

Monday: Easy 4 mile treadmill run (8:22) pace. Up a lot the night before with my sick toddler, so getting this run in was tough.

Wednesday: Still feeling sick/tired, so slept in and went for a run around the lakes with the jogging stroller. It was windy but got in an easy four miles and averaged 8:13 pace.

Friday: 3.5 miles on the treadmill (8:24 pace). Thankfully, feeling better but had an easy run.

Sunday: 13.12 miles (1:42:55) and averaged 7:50 pace. Felt great, beautiful weather, great course, etc.

Total: 24.62 miles

Thankfully, I am feeling less tired this week but with the extra rest from my cold, I slept as much as I cold this week and felt great by the weekend. I went to the doctor on Friday for a checkup and got to hear the heartbeat again! I was up three pounds (yikes!) but the baby’s heartbeat was strong and everything looks great. I got my flu shot, bloodwork, and the clearance from the doctor to run.

Last weekend, I had my in-laws in town which was a blessing because my husband ended up having to work the entire weekend. They were able to stay with Little Miss while I got my hair cut and ran to the expo. They left Saturday evening and my poor husband pulled an all nighter Saturday night and did not sleep at all from work. I came home Sunday after the race and he headed to work and I quickly transitioned from runner to mom.

I’m feeling much better this week but my toddler seems to be wanting to drop her naps. She is only 28 months and I feel like this is really early but if she naps, she is up until at least 9:00 at night. So, sometimes, rather than fight her on nap, I prefer to maybe just let her stay up during the day and got to bed early rather (7ish) than fight for a nap and fight again at night for bedtime.  But wow, it is hard to keep a toddler busy all day. I’m worn out by bedtime!

How did you know when your toddlers were ready to give up their nap? Any tips? I’m a little wary of giving up the nap because it is really helpful to have some downtime during the day!

Okay, I still want to do a Louisiana Half Marathon race recap. But that is another post for another day.

I never thought I had a problem with the taper. I always thought it was nice to step back, log some easy miles, and rest/relax before the big race.

Until I realized that before every race during the week of my taper, I get sick!

Is it the taper? I can’t help but blame it on this. Or perhaps it is the lack of quality sleep I get. I tend to sleep better when I exercise so when I don’t sleep well, any type of cold or bug my toddler is carrying from preschool seems to get to me. Or perhaps some sore of mental self sabotage.

So, now at 11 weeks, almost 12 weeks pregnant, I have a scratchy throat, am hoarse, and feeling a little run down. I took it easy and slept in yesterday and today but can’t help wondering if it is okay for me to run Sunday since I am pregnant and have a slight cold. I certainly don’t want to jeopardize the health of my baby.  I have a doctor’s appointment tomorrow so I will discuss this with her and be certain to get the clear from her regarding this weekend.

Do you hate the taper? Do you race even when you are sick? I will if it is a minor cold but no racing if I have fever, body aches, or a stomach bug.

Monday: 5 miles (8:23 pace) with some inclines mixed in. Increased the incline .5 every quater of a mile until I hit 4.0.

Tuesday: easy 3 miles (8:23 pace) mixed some small inclines in to keep it interesting

Wednesday: 5 miles (8:16 pace). Ran 1 mile warmup, a quarter at 7.5 (8:00 min pace), followed by 200 meters at 7.0 (8:30 pace) for a total of 10X400s.

Thursday: rest

Friday: 5 miles (8:19 pace)

Saturday: 8.5 miles (8:11) pace on the road. Got in an early morning run so I could spend Saturday morning with the family.

Sunday: rest. Love my Sunday rest days for church and relaxing at home!

Total: 27 miles

This is my last week before the Louisiana Half Marathon next Sunday. I go to the doctor on Friday so if I get the clear, I will run the half just for fun, making sure to keep the pace easy and just enjoy the race! This week the naseau has died down and I feel good enough to eat vegetables again and have had a salad every day! Yeah for eating my veggies. Now if only my toddler would get her taste back for fruits and vegetables, all would be right in the world:)

But despite my desire to eat healthy foods agian, last Friday was the Epiphany, or what we refer to in South Louisiana as the beginning of Mardi Gras/Carnival season. So, bring on the king cakes. Just what I need to bring on the prego weight gain, ugh. King Cakes are the delicious cinnamon roll tasting cakes covered with frosting and filled with all kinds of yummy fillings, my personal favorite is the cream cheese. But with a win by the Saints last night in the playoffs, LSU playing Alabama in the national championship Monday evening, and the beginning of Mardi Gras season, it is a good time to be in Louisiana!

As much as I love Christmas, I am always happy when the holidays are over and I can return to my normal routine and get ready for a new year! The feasting is over and I can get back on track without the busyness of holiday parties, family gatherings, etc. Don’t get me wrong, I love this time but my stomach can only handle so much indulgence!

Here is my week 10 of running during my pregnancy:

Tuesday: 5.5 miles (45:27) mixed up the pace to keep it interesting (between 7.0 – 7.5 on the treadmill)

Wednesday: 5 miles at 8:23 pace. Threw in some inclines/ladders to keep me from getting bored!

Thursday: 5 miles at 8:23 pace. Kept the pace steady on this run. Needed it after a very rich meal with my family Wednesday night.

Friday: 3.59 miles at 8:20 pace.

Saturday: 10 miles at 7:57 pace with the Varsity Sports group run. Really enjoyed running with a group today and kept me motivated to finish up my run!

Total: 29 miles

This week, despite feeling tired, I have felt really great. The nausea is much better but now I just feel hungry all the time. Nothing sounds good to me and then I will have a crazy craving that comes from out of nowhere and that is all that I can think about to satisfy my craving! Last week it was a shrimp po-boy, the week before, a loaded bake potato. Today, I was desperate for a Subway Veggie delite sub. I am not very rational about food when it comes to pregnancy! Overall, though, feeling good despite being more tired. I had this week off of work so I’ve enjoyed being home during the week and taking some time off for the holidays.  We had a quiet NYE this year and cooked steaks at home. I did not make it to midnight on New Year’s. I guess there is always next year to celebrate and bring in the New Year with a bang!

Hope everyone has a blessed, and happy New Year!

2011 Races:

Mardi Gras Mambo 10k – 44:14 (2/5/11) – my first 10k in over 10 years!

Brother Eldon 5k – 21:03 (3/18) – I won! I nice local 5k supporting my dad’s high school

Corporate Cup 5k– 20:06 (4/2) – overall female winner and new personal record. Won this race despite taking over a month off due to injuries!

Fat Boy 5k – 21:50 (4/9) – I was sick for this race and my leg still hurt from racing the weekend before/injuries so just ran this one for fun!

Club South Runners 2 miler– 13:42 (7/28) – a trail race, it was hot, muddy, and challenging but fun to run on the old high school cross country course.

Twilight Classic 5k 21:16 – (8/13) – an evening race, I knew when I saw the temperature read 96 degrees (not including humidity that this would be tough for a race) but still a fun run and always good to get a 5k under your belt.

Loyola Invitational 5k – 20:35 (9/10) ran this as part of an alumni team. Ugh, hills and cross country races are hard but loving racing with my old teammates again!

Jazz Half Marathon – 1:37 (10/22) – first half marathon in over four years. Felt great and set a new pr. My teammate tells me I can run faster. I think I can do better next time.

Sticker Stampede 3 miler – 20:48 (11/4) – a fun alumni race for my high school. Ran this for fun as part of my long run as was the overall female winner. Great race prizes!!