Sanity is a reason in and of itself to exercise, right?

You know those women who don't even look pregnant until they are 6 months along and even then it's just a teeny little bump, like they might have just had one serving of too much pasta?

I'm not one of those women.

I am, and have been for several months, very very "knocked up" looking, with a giant, distended belly, heaving bosom and waddling walk. Despite exercising 3-5 days a week, I have gained a lot of weight, perhaps not enough to trouble my OB, but enough to make me a little bit annoyed at this body of mine--which apparently likes to pack on the same (substantial) number of pounds during pregnancy whether I don't exercise (pregnancy #1), exercise moderately with step aerobics and walks (pregnancy #2), or run, spin and elliptical myself into a tizzy (this third pregnancy.)

Anyway, I never ran to lose weight, precisely. You can lose weight by eating a lot of salad and broccoli and grapefruit sections--you don't need to rack up the miles for that. I ran to clear my brain, enjoy the outdoors and my 'tunes...and yes, to get away with more pizza than someone my age and metabolism should be able to eat. But honestly, if the number on the scale were all that had concerned me, I would have found a method that didn't involve oozing blisters, shin splints, the consumption of gross sports drinks, a gimpy knee, "runner's trot," expensive races, pace anxiety and all that jazz.

So I guess I shouldn't be that upset by the fact that running (and now lower-friction versions of cardio like walking on inclines and the elliptical) hasn't given me a Hollywood-esque maternity silhouette.

Because cardio has allowed me to maintain my sanity.

That in and of itself is a reason to keep at it, right?

Plus, I keep reading this statistic that babies of moms who exercised during pregnancy have higher IQs and leaner muscle mass than babies of couch potato mamas. So hopefully one day my clever, sinewy son will kiss his mama with gratitude and say, "Thanks for all those miles you clocked for me back when I was a fetus. I know I wouldn't have made the honor roll without you..."

Time for the spin shoes to collect some dust.

At first I could make it the full hour without needing a bathroom break. Then, about a month ago, I could get away with going once. But today I needed to get up three times. And the third time I slipped on my own sweat, wearing cleats, in the bathroom, and came pretty close to a bad fall.

The dismount/remount has gotten to be a hilariously difficult feat, too. Plus, todays's class featured a lot of jumps, which Baby clearly didn't like, as he kept kicking me in the pelvis every time I sat back in the saddle.

I have to say my spin teacher seemed really relieved when I told her goodbye till November. She probably saw me as a walking--or waddling--liability. "You'd be better off walking on a treadmill," she said, placing her hand to her heart.

Mmmm, let's not go overboard. If Biggest Loser contestants can amble themselves on top of an elliptical, I think I can handle that for another few months. Even during today's awkward and slightly dangerous session, I still feel great after cardio. And while it might not be keeping me slim or even holding back the pounds from piling on, having done this twice before, I know training my heart will mean a much faster postpartum recovery and a quicker return to the road and the spin studio.