Read this featured fit “mom-to-be” blog written by Emily. Emily is an avid runner and has competed in countless races, and she is currently exercising her way through pregnancy. To read more about Emily, visit her blog and subscribe for updates.

Fitness, or rather physical activity has always been a part of my life. As a child I was enrolled in dance (ballet and then Ukrainian), swimming lessons, tae kwon do, and I participated in every team sport I was allowed to join. I lived in a small, rural community, so we didn’t really have “try-outs” it was more like, “please come and join our team so that we qualify to play against other teams”-outs. I played basketball, volleyball, soccer and did all the track and field events that I was allowed to.

Emily, fit “mom-to-be” and featured guest blogger.

I was never overly competitive, and my parents were never fanatical about anything we did. It was just about having fun and not being inside with the TV on. I don’t know how my parents kept up with my schedule, as well as my brother’s tee-ball, hockey, etc. schedule. They did a lot of divide and conquer with the car-pooling and taxing us around, and I never remember them complaining about any of it. They were happy that we were active and it’s instilled in me the desire to stay active and keep physically fit. I hope to be that type of mom to my kids.Going to the gym, attending a yoga class, or lacing up my runners for a run has been a part of my daily routine for at least the last 14 years. I feel off when it’s been a few days away from the gym, or if my schedule keeps me away from certain classes that I love to take part in, such as kettle bell, TRX or a solid yin yoga class. I have been able to keep active, and after taking a few years off from running, since 2007 I have completed 8 half-marathons, two full marathons and more 5k and 10k’s than I can remember! Running has been a constant companion that has not only kept me fit, but kept me sane!

Of course, I turned 31 this year and decided to do a pretty crazy thing…I got pregnant!

My fiancé and I decided that we would start trying to have a baby. We didn’t want to wait any longer, as I know that “it doesn’t get any easier with age and wisdom” and I didn’t want to find out at 32, or 33 that we’d need to look at alternative options. Well, less than 30 days later and we received the happy news from my doctor that all was very well in reproductive land and that by mid-January 2013; we could expect our lives to be turned upside down!

This will be our first child, so pregnancy is something that is foreign to me. It is not like walking into a new fitness class, like step-aerobics and picking it up within the first 10 minutes or so…this “state” that I am in is in constant flux, changing, and offering very little consistency. One minute I am dead tired and need to sleep for two hours after work, totally negating a work-out, and the next day I am full of energy, ready to tackle the treadmill. It’s hard to schedule around a body that doesn’t want to follow a schedule.

As someone who has trained for long-distance events, I relate to this 40 week journey well. While it’s a little different from setting out a running program, where I would plan how many miles I need to do a week or how many calories I need to consume day to stay energized, I still have to think about my food and water consumption, my sleep routine and exercise, while modified, still needs to be a part of my daily routine. I am looking at this, like I would any other road race, or new fitness regime, I am gathering as much information as I possibly can, listening to my body and keeping my eye on the finish line. However, I am really looking forward to the “medal” that comes at the end of this race!