The Spokesman-Review from Spokane, Washington • 5

"AurNsit Spokane, Wash. Coeur d'Alene, Idaho Thursday, June 10, 2004 Page AS NATION Rampager was surprised his plans went unnoticed Doctors tell moms-to-be to put on gym shoes By Alicia Chang Associated Press Research shows activity during pregnancy doesnt Increase risk for woman or fetus Associated Press GRANBY, Colo. A man who spent months armoring a bulldozer before he went on a rampage through a small mountain town and then killed himself was surprised no one discovered his plans beforehand, according to notes found by investigators. Sheriffs deputies released the undated notes Tuesday after finding them in a shed where Marvin Hee-meyer installed bulletproof armor on the 53-ton bulldozer. Thirteen buildings were damaged or destroyed in the rampage.

Its interesting how I never got caught, Heemeyer wrote. This was a part-time project over a VA year time period. Investigators believe Heemeyer spent months building a steel-and-concrete box around the drivers cage of the bulldozer. Police fired hundreds of bullets at the bulldozer during Fridays attack and tried three times to blast through it, but nothing penetrated the armor. Heemeyer shot himself in the head shortly after the bulldozer ground to a halt in the wreckage of a warehouse.

Neighbors and acquaintances said Heemeyer was furious with town officials after fighting with them over zoning rules and town code violations at his muffler-repair business. In the notes, Heemeyer expressed surprise that three men who visited the shed last fall did not discover the bulldozer work, "especially with the lb. lift fully exposed. Somehow their vision was clouded, he wrote. Heemeyer, 52, refers in the notes to a dispute over a concrete plant he opposed because he worried it would ruin his neighboring business.

He claimed four people, including himself, had died prematurely since the plqnt was approved. The list included the former mayor, his son and the daughter of the cement plant owners. Undersheriff Glen Trainor said authorities believe all three died of natural causes, and Heemeyer was not suspected in their deaths. I guess he was a lot more deranged than I ever thought," Sheriff Rod Johnson said. "I've had conversations with him, and I never thought he was this obsessed with this.

The notes suggested Heemeyer nursed grudges over the zoning issue. I was always willing to be reasonable until I had to be unreasonable, Heemeyer scribbled. Sometimes reasonable men must do unreasonable things. For Pisciotta, who gave birth to son Joseph in April 2003, working out relieved the stress of impending motherhood and made her feel in control of her inevitable weight gain. I was terrified that if I went from exercising a lot to doing nothing, Id blow up to a very large size, said Pisciotta, who works at the University of Rochester Medical Center in upstate New York.

After her son was born, she took up running again to lose the 38 pounds she gained. A year later, her fitness is close to her pre-pregnancy level. She ran a half-marathon in May, her first major competition in 13 months. Two years ago, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists revised its guidelines to relax previous restrictions on how much exercise mothers-to-be should get. Healthy, active women who are pregnant are now encouraged to follow the federal guidelines for adults, which calls for at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise a day several times a week.

Women who never regularly worked out, but who want to start during pregnancy should talk to their doctors first. Fitness centers around the country are increasingly recognizing this change in attitude. Community gyms are adding new exercise programs designed for pregnant and postpartum women. Their popularity has also spurred the opening of specialty gyms that focus on prenatal exercises such as yoga. Raul Artal, who heads the department of obstetrics, gynecology and womens health at St.

Louis University School of Medicine, noted that pregnancy is a good time to introduce lifestyle changes such ALBANY, N.Y. -The last thing Rachel Pisciotta wanted was to be a couch potato during her pregnancy. So with her doctors support, the three-time marathon runner tweaked her workout routine to accommodate her growing belly. Pisciotta scaled back on her running to avoid overheating, but competed in two 5K races during the first trimester. When the jerky motions of running were too uncomfortable, she switched to brisk walking during the last three months.

She also weight trained and exercised on an elliptical trainer. Not so long ago, many doctors took a conservative approach on recommending physical activity for expectant mothers. There were fears about the unknown effects of exercise and concern that overexertion might cause a miscarriage or harm the fetus. In the late 1980s, research forced the medical community to rethink old notions. Scientists found that active pregnant women often had trouble-free pregnancies and did not increase their or their babys risk for health problems.

Some studies found that women who exercised regularly endured labor better, although exercise did not shorten time spent in labor. Even more recent research has further pointed to the growing benefits of physical activity during pregnancy, most notably the finding that exercise may reduce by half a womans risk for a type of diabetes known as gestational diabetes mellitus. Rachel Pisciotta runs with her 1-year-old son, Joey, In Victor, N.Y., on May 24. Pisciotta kept fit throughout her pregnancy by continuing to exercise. as increased exercise to otherwise sedentary women.

Pregnancy should not be a state of confinement. Its a unique time for behavior modification, said Artal, who helped draft the exercise guidelines Despite the boom in fitness, pregnant women are still advised to avoid contact sports like basketball and hockey. Activities such as horseback riding and downhill skiing are also discouraged because of the risk of falling and possible injury. While swimming is generally safe, expectant mothers are warned against scuba diving because it may create gas bubbles in the fetus circulatory system. They should also take into account altitude sickness and avoid activities at higher than 6, (XX) feet.

While swimming is generally safe, expectant mothers are warned against scuba diving because it may create gas bubbles in the fetus circulatory system. They should also take into account altitude sickness and avoid activities higher than 6,000 feet. savings values in progress REGULAR ANDOR ORIGINAL PRICES ARE OFFERING PRICES AND MAY NOT HAVE RESULTED IN ACTUAL SALES. Items on this page are imported. Selection may vary by store.

Sale ends June 20, 2004. MWMiWiMWWA-XlifiNtWKi. Silver Lake Mall 208-772-8708 For many of our fashion, home and gift choices. Mon -Sat: 10am 9pm, Sun: 11 am 6pm NorthTown Mall 482-6800 Mon -Sat: 10am 9pm Sun: 11am 6pm Spokane Valley Mall 893-6000 Mon -Sat: 10am 9pm Sun: 1 1am 6pm Downtown Spokane 626-6000 Mon-Wed: iOam 8pm, Thurs-Fri: 10am 9pm Sat: 10am 8pm, Sun: Noon 6pm 2J4.