Happy August! This is officially the fastest slowest year I've ever lived. On one hand I can't believe it's already August and on the other, I can't believe it's only August. This has been a strange year to say the least...
Monday's announcement about the mandatory use of masks at all times outdoors from Wednesday onwards definitely threw a loop into our schedules. Given the unrelenting heat and humidity not too many clients were too keen to continue to train outdoors. That meant that on Monday our entire second half of the week had to be reshuffled and reconfigured.
PSA time: Team, please think about each other in this time. We all agree that this sucks. We all want to be able to travel to see family, we want to stop wearing masks, we want to gather in large groups, we want to celebrate big moments, but now is not the time. The more we play by the rules, the sooner we can get back to real life. Don't skirt around the rules and don't find loopholes. We do all owe it to each other to get this virus under control so we can all get back to a new normal. This means that we all have to: wear a mask (it sucks, we all know), wash your hands, and be clean. When you think you've just about had it with all these restrictions just remember, you aren't doing this for you - you're doing this for everyone else.
Now that the COVID talk is out of the way - let's get to the fun stuff!
Fudge had her first full check up in 2 months on Friday. The doctor was a bit skeptical at first as I've only gained 0.5kg, but then we found out Fudge has packed on some serious weight (she's more than doubled in weight since last month) he then said "don't worry about your weight, she's growing perfectly."
As for mum...I got my whooping cough/pertussis vaccine and, after telling the doctor I was experiencing quite frequent calf cramps, I'm also on a calcium supplement. Apart from that, all is well and Fudge just has to keep on growing! We'll check in again with the midwife in 3 weeks and with the OB in 5 weeks.
Training was definitely a bit of an issue this week. Fudge was not keen for me to do much at all but I'll share with you what little I did manage to do.
Training
For the first time in maybe my whole life I had 3 days in a row where I definitely averaged less that 10,000 steps per day. My energy levels weren't there, I had no will power to move, and I didn't even care! I got a lot of other life admin, work admin, and reading done which was probably exactly what I needed - a slower week.
Monday
After a morning of offsite clients in Clearwater Bay and an afternoon of studio cleaning up, I was done and dusted and ready to sleep by about 4pm. I managed to stay awake until 9pm but passed out quite hard after that.
Tuesday
Last day of non-essential mask wearing freedom! I made the most of it by taking my time on a nice long, very sweaty walk from Pokfulam to Repulse Bay. Popped in a podcast and took my time to savour the ability to breathe. It took me just over 2 hours as I ambled and took the long way. I went into an air conditioned environment from 1-3pm and then went back outside to train some clients outdoors in Happy Valley.
Wednesday
And the Zoom sessions are back! I only had one client today which actually worked out wonderfully as I didn't have the energy to do much else. I forced myself to get out of the house at about 1pm but after 45min of walking I'd had it. I came home, showered, and retired to the sofa of an afternoon of literally nothing. My body was tired, my mind was tired, I was tired. Some days all you need is a good TV show and a sofa.
Thursday
Was slightly more optimistic that I'd do something today but still couldn't muster up the will power to do much. I was still tired and I wasn't feeling super comfortable. I did go out for a 80min walk in the late morning but that was about all I was willing to do. Fudge just wasn't having it.
Friday
I did manage a light, very fast training session today in-between clients. Not because I really wanted to, more because I was bored and didn't want to sit down any longer. Snuck into the studio for 30min for an easy session:
3 sets each:
A1. 20 Walking Lunges
A2. 10 Kneeling Shoulder Presses
A3. 12 Standing T-Pulls
B1. 12 Swiss Ball Squats
B2. 12 Straight Arm Pulldowns
B3. 45s Swiss Ball Plank
Saturday
Today Jack and I decided to go for a hike in the rain. We packed stuff into a waterproof bag, donned our masks, and set off into the mountains behind our place for a bit of exploring.
The rain was lovely because it meant hardly anyone was out, the wind was great because it kept the temperature down, and we just walked. We were exploring the area in and around Aberdeen country park/reservoir. The only place I knew I didn't want to end up was the Peak so we just made sure to explore away from there. 3 hours later we popped out by South Island School, drenched but spirits high.
Having hit the 20k+ step count by 1pm we'd earned an afternoon of reading - which is exactly what we did.
Sunday
Felt super energised after the hike yesterday and my motivation levels to go train were super high so I spent the morning in the studio:
4 sets each
A1. 12 Incline Chest Presses
A2. 15 Hip Thrusts with Adductor Squeeze
B1. 8 Kettlebell Complex: Bicep, Tricep, Traps, Squat
B2. 15 Fire Hydrants
C1. 10 Kettlebell Deadlift to Bent over Rows
C2. 45s Side Planks
30min stretch
Spent the afternoon with friends before returning home for dinner and a quiet night.
Life in general
I was definitely feeling some growing discomforts on Wednesday and Thursday. Much like last time my body noticeably expanded, my energy levels were non-existent, and my torso felt like it wanted to expand but had nowhere to expand to. Not a pleasant feeling but nothing painful. I spent a majority of those days reclined at about a 45 degree angle not doing too much at all.
The bloating sensation still hasn't subsided but it's definitely much better today (Sunday) than it was on Wednesday and at this stage, I'll take any win - no matter how small!
On Thursday I noticed my body has started to secrete a few drops of colostrum which is a good sign! I've joined the HK Breastfeeding Facebook group which is actually proving to be a pretty decent source of knowledge and advice. I definitely do need to start accumulating some breastfeeding knowledge...The current plan is to breastfeed through the first 6 months, and then slowly start to wean with the intention of a full wean by 9-12 months. Plans change though!
Appetite-wise, nothing new to report here! I guess I haven't been able to hit my daily calcium requirements though which means I'm on a calcium supplement in addition to the pre-natal I already take. Other than that, all is as it was!
Fudge is doing super well. As I mentioned, she's packing on some weight (currently 1.35kg) which is exactly what she needs to do. Her femur length, stomach size, and head circumference are perfectly average. Her head diameter is skewing slightly larger than average though, here's hoping she gets that back down to just average in the next 9-12 weeks. She has also increasingly become a fan of the rib punch (I think she wants more space) which is adorable and not at all annoying.
I'm at the stage in pregnancy where many women complain of swollen feet and hands. I haven't experienced that yet but I'll definitely let you know if I do! The only other weird pregnancy symptom that I've definitely experienced is a stuffy nose (increased estrogen and progesterone levels lead to an increase in blood flow to the mucous membranes in the nose, which means you get a stuffy nose). I suppose in normal times that would be a perfectly boring symptom but in light of COVID it's not a good one to have. I sneeze quite often (and have since week 1 of pregnancy) which does not put strangers around me at ease...
Aside from all that, I think that's about it for this week!
As always, stay clean, stay safe, stay happy, and stay sane!