Something has been on my mind lately: Running. It's not new for me to be thinking about running, but I've been thinking lately how no one seems to really talk honestly about running while pregnant (or at least I haven't seen it). They either don't run or it's all sunshine and unicorns pissing rainbows when they talk about working out while pregnant.
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| I love the internet so much |
Here's a secret: Running when pregnant sucks. You know how some days you have a really crappy run when you're working SO HARD and still running SO SLOWLY? Imagine feeling like that every single day for weeks. Granted, everyone experiences pregnancy in their own special snowflake way, so this may not be true for other people, but this is my blog and it's all about me.
There a few things I could be doing to be less miserable about my running:
1. Reframe my definition of success. It's hard to not compare your pre-pregnancy running to your current pregnancy running. I feel like Gollum when I run because I'm constantly having internal arguments with myself.
Oh, this doesn't doesn't feel so bad!
What, a 11:15min/mile pace? THIS IS SO SLOW. I ran FIFTY MILES AT THIS PACE.
You're pregnant dummy, you're supposed to be slow.
Why does it feel SO HARD to run THIS SLOWLY?
I think I need to walk for a bit before I start dry heaving. Let's listen to my body!
Should I pause MY PRECIOUS when I walk?
NO. It counts.
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| Can't stop running until MY PRECIOUS is at an even mileage! |
2. Maybe try running less. Again, I'm having a hard time letting go of what I think is an acceptable weekly mileage as compared to my non-pregnant self. Here is a graph of my weekly mileage since I found out that I was pregnant:
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| Up and down and up and down |
There seems to be a pattern of having a good week of running and then a shitty week. I think if I reframed how I view a "good" week mileage, then I can stop kicking myself for stupid things like a 33 mile week. I just keep thinking I'm not pregnant enough to be this lame yet.
3. Drop my "Need to live it up!" attitude. I'll sometimes really want to nap during nap time instead of running, but I won't because I don't know if today is the last day I'll be allowed to run. I go to a practice of 3 doctors and they are generally understanding about wanting to stay active while pregnant, but none of them are pro-running. The nurse I saw for my first appointment was so anti-running that she told me that I should stop now and only walk and use the elliptical (for the ironclad reason of the fact that I didn't run through my first pregnancy). No offense to nurses out there, but I told her that unless a doctor told me I needed to stop for some more concrete reason, I was going to keep running in moderation. Apparently, 8 miles isn't considered a moderate weekday run and she just shook her head at me. I feel like if I have any complications at all, I won't be allowed to run anymore so I have this "Fat dude eating pizza and breadsticks the night before starting Atkins" attitude about running.
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| Taking this literally |
I've had a few really rough days in a row with the morning sickness and it's negatively effecting my outlook on life, but I know once I can eat a normal meal again that I'll cheer up. It's just bad enough to have a sad run and then not be able to eat dessert because you're too nauseous? Oh the humanity.
Even though I'm pretty sure the requests were sarcastic, I decided to include another picture so you can see my progress to getting Jessica Simpson big. Yes, I'm wearing the same outfit as the picture from over a week ago. These are the only pants that fit right now. My maternity stuff is too loose (I think I might have stretched it out too much with my last pregnancy?) and my normal pants just don't work, even with a hair tie holding them closed instead of buttoning. Well, it works unless I want to bend down or sit. I think I look ridiculous for being 10 weeks pregnant, but that's only compared to how I looked with Faith (i.e. didn't really show for a while).
Anyway, enjoy. My facial expression is pretty priceless, but my husband has patience to take one picture after being at work for 12 hours and I had a long day with a cranky toddler, so just don't look at my face:
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| Hair style courtesy of laying on the couch just before taking this picture |
Which do you think is worse? Missing a workout or missing dessert?
I love your look in that picture. Like it's the last thing you want to be doing.
ReplyDeleteFor me missing a workout is way more detrimentle to my existence than missing dessert (case-in-point: my current crappy workout schedule and my mood). Although I'm super excited that when I have my own place I can buy ice cream without worrying someone else is going to eat it. My life is about to get way more dessert-tastic.
No one ever touches my desserts. My husband values his life too much. :)
DeleteSame here. Even if he asks and I say yes he still usually doesn't because he doesn't feel it's safe.
Delete33 mile weeks are really good for me, so cut yourself some slack! I can't empathize but if every run was a slow, miserable run I don't know if I could cut it.
ReplyDeleteThere are no pictures of Faith OR Peanut here. I demand a new post. Although that unicorn almost makes up for it.
ReplyDeleteSeconded. Well, I would second it, but the look on your face suggests that you might start tearing spines out of people, so I'm gonna keep my mouth shut.
DeleteThat unicorn is hysterical! Missing a workout or missing dessert? Eh - depends on the day. I missed you were pregnant- i fell off the Internet for a few days. Congratulations!
ReplyDeleteThat unicorn pic is ridiculous!! :) You should somehow photoshop a pic of you with that face and a unicorn with rainbows...it could be awesome.
ReplyDeleteOh man, I wish I had photoshop skills!
DeleteSkip one of your crappy runs and learn!
DeleteI think I stopped running at 16 weeks because I couldn't handle the round ligament pain. It felt like I was being kicked in the crotch with every stride. I didn't get this pain when I did other exercises so I stuck with those.
ReplyDeleteI love the picture of the unicorn but also upset that there are no Faith pictures.
The RLP is the worst. Luckily I haven't had too much yet!
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThat tight assed unicorn wizzing a rainbow is my new favorite picture ever. I am going to get it tattooed as a tramp stamp on my back!
ReplyDeleteOn a serious note, I hope you can continute to safely run as long as possible. I can't imagine having a toddler, feeling like crap and then being told I can't run. gah!
That would be the most awesome tattoo of all time.
DeleteWow, you're looking horrible. Maybe you should stop running.
ReplyDeleteYeah, that'll fix it.
DeleteOh, stop trying to cheer her up. But that does like like an fu in the picture if my limited lip reading skills are on par.
DeleteShouldn't you be putting horizontal growth marks on the wall, like they do for kids vertically as they grow up? :p
Seriously, you look like a high-school kid who had to drop out because she got pregnant.
ReplyDeleteDo you think I can get a show on MTV?
DeleteJumping Jehosophat. I thought you were kidding when you said one more bad day and you were gonna trade Faith away early.
ReplyDeleteMan.
Isn't it weird with no dog and no kid?
Well, yeah, you're preggers, so you're all confused by hormones and have no idea what normal is.
But let me tell you, it's not normal to trade away the dog AND the kid in less than four weeks.
Hurry up and pick out a replacement dog. I understand you can't pick out a replacement kid because you're busy trying (slowly) to grow one.
If I actually had gotten rid of Faith and Peanut, I wouldn't be so tired. :)
DeleteI'd have to say missing dessert & a workout rank right up there at the top. And that unicorn picture has changed my life.
ReplyDeleteLOVE the unicorn picture. Also, your bitchiness is what I like about you. I have no pregnancy tips/advice to share. I wouldn't listen to that RN, she would think you were crazy for running 8 miles a day if you weren't pregnant. Most people that don't run long distance just don't get it.
ReplyDeleteI do understand how it feels to have several crappy runs in a row. Just went through 2-3 weeks of it.
The RN kept saying "You know that most people don't even WALK a mile a day right?" but I didn't see how that applied at all. :)
DeleteYou should have said 'Have you SEEN most people?!?' It's soooo healthy to be completely sedentary. Thanks, healthcare "professional."
DeleteMost people don't walk a mile a day...true. And maybe part of the reason 40% of this country is obese!
DeleteI agree, a 33 mile week would be awesome if I could ever do that. And missing a workout is usually worse than missing dessert.
ReplyDeleteBlog with running during pregnancy...(http://www.hungryrunnergirl.com/category/hrgbaby)
ReplyDeleteYeah, her unicorn pisses some serious rainbows.
DeleteAll her runs are totally unicorns and rainbows though!
DeleteYeah, that's the only other pregnancy running blog I've read recently. Hope the runs get better for you!
DeleteTotally. Understand.
ReplyDeleteGirl you have my sympathies, all the way. What's also weird is that you'll have a string of days where you're seriously doubting your abilities as a runner, but then out of nowhere you'll have an amazing 'pre-pregnancy' kind of run where you take back everything negative you've said in the past few weeks about running during pregnancy. ... longest sentence ever.
PS - at like, 20 weeks your hips will feel like they're grinding together after every run, so that's fun.
PSS - I can get away with saying this because A) I know what you're going through B) I'm getting you back for the smartass comments you leave on my posts :)
Yeah I remember the hip thing when you start getting big. That's why I'm planning on stopping running by 20 weeks :)
DeleteKara actually has been pregnant before. That's why there's pictures of that little kid all over her blog :)
DeleteDepending on where you are in your pregnancy EVERYTHING IS HARDER! I didn't workout when I was pregnant. Infact I cancelled my gym membership at 20 weeks because I was so overweight and just getting to they gym, and then up the 20 stairs to the cardio room would take all my energy out. So yea I am not help. Just know with everything some weeks we be good and other will be worse. Listen to your body.....just as you would with everything else. I you are to tired to go to the store then you are to tired to workout. :) Best of luck!
ReplyDeleteMy old running buddy, Natalie (nannersbread.wordpress.com), is now at the tail end of her third pregnancy and has blogged about the highs and lows of running through all three. More of a kid/food blog at this point but she still does talk about running, if you're interested in commiserating.
ReplyDeleteThanks for this. I'm terrified...well, of getting pregnant in general...but also of how my running would fare if it ever happens.
ReplyDeleteSorry about how much it sucks though. I even hate post-race recovery because I'm constantly comparing my recovery paces to peak week paces. Pregnant running would drive me nuts too. Just remember, as my dad always says "this too shall pass." Hang in there. Is the second trimester supposed to be better?
Yeah, you feel better in the second trimester, but then you're getting bigger and have growing pains. The hardest part of pregnant running is not being allowed to push yourself...like, at all. It makes you feel super lazy!
DeleteThat unicorn picture is priceless.
ReplyDeleteAnd I had to really redefine a "good" week of exercise when pregnant. I wasn't running but still wanted to do the same intensity but couldn't. It was no fun but I still made myself do it because I knew my attitude without it would be even less fun. You're still running amazing amounts - even the 33 miles!
Oh Slouchy McSloucherson, you're so whiny.
ReplyDeleteWhat does it say about me that I didn't think that unicorn was peeing?
It says that you are one sick puppy.
DeleteI think it may help if you use my approach and don't pay any attention to your weekly mileage. Even drawstring sweatpants don't fit?
ReplyDeleteI need to invest in more (any?) sweatpants. That's the lesson here.
DeleteHoly smokes! I must have missed a post last week. CONGRATS!!!! That unicorn picture is a riot. God love the internet.
ReplyDeleteI love this post. It's so hard. I think you are still getting in a lot of miles! In fact I was looking at the "what to expect when you are expecting"... and it said it was NOT safe to jog more than 2 miles! LOL! Guess they didn't hear about the girl that just ran a marathon at 9 months...
ReplyDeleteThat "What to expect" book is full of so many gems like "Don't workout if you're getting sweaty"
DeleteI ran through all of my first tri and about half of my second, but I definitely cut a lot back. My dr said that running in moderation and/or about what you ran pre-pg is fine - I have no idea why your nurse is being so anti running. Mine said it's a myth...hope they're right :) seems like opinions of what's good/bad for you in general change every 10 minutes.
ReplyDeleteI can't believe how big the belly is (not the fat chick kinda way but the aww there's a baby in there kinda way).
all my pregnant runner friends have told me that it sucks. a lot. pretty much exactly what you said. i know what i'm in for but it will still suck.
ReplyDeleteI don't have the slightest clue what it would be like to try to run while pregnant or what being pregnant is like but I certainly wouldn't think it would be easy. Missing dessert is way worse than missing a workout...even though I'll still bitch about how lazy I am with missing a workout.
ReplyDeleteSo unicorns piss rainbows...interesting...I always thought they pooped glitter, too.
ReplyDeleteI wasn't a runner when I was pregnant but I was refereeing (sp??) soccer at the time so that did involve some running. I was 10-15 weeks preggo and it was hard. I was having lots of morning sickness that lasted the whole day. So I guess you just call that sickness.... anyhoo, I think you are doing awesome and don't be so hard on yourself. That belly is not fat, it's a baby and they take up room.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure why your nurse said you need to stop running completely--but maybe you should just take it easy. Don't worry--you'll be able to run again! With a double stroller! oh joy!! Think of how awesome your arms will be then!! :)
PS--you do look like a teenager who got knocked up.
Thank you for your honesty!
ReplyDeleteI am having the same issues re-framing my definition of success, but mine are with my pre-injury self vs. my post-injury self. It's hard to cut yourself slack sometimes!
Your pregnant running puts my non-pregnant running to shame. Look up neverhomemaker (Ashley). Her daughter is 4 or 5 months old now, she blogged throughout pregnancy about how much running pregnant sucked and readjusting her expectations. Sarah at theshubox just had a baby and ran throughout but cut her mileage down to like 10 mi/week toward the end and admitted that it was slow and with much walking and only on the treadmill.
ReplyDeleteThat nurse annoys me. I thought physical activity while pregnant should be based on your pre-pregnancy fitness. Not your previous-pregnancy fitness level. The people who have told me I shouldn't run (I'll destroy my knees, I'll have a sudden heart attack) are out of shape and not pictures of good health themselves. I'll bet that nurse is fat.
You're running more miles pregnant than I am not. Wanna be on my relay team!?
ReplyDeleteWhen I ran my half marathon 2 weeks ago, there was a girl much farther along than you who did it in about 2:40. She was soo happy! I ran a marathon about 2 years ago where two women that looked about 8 months along ran the half. They jogged / walked it but you could tell they stayed fit the entire time! This'll be you! Tell that nurse to suck it.
Wait a minute is this blog now about you? I thought it was about Faith and the hound dog. ;-)
ReplyDeleteSeriously I love your honest take on things. So refreshing.
Why is it so hard to redefine things? I am so gonna crash and burn at this 50 and don't even mention the 100 because I simply can not stop freakin' running so flipping much. I know, I know what a dumb problem to have. But I go out to just run a few miles and then I end up thinking I have to run double digits. I have a serious problem. At least you are gonna get a baby. I'm just gonna die on some remote mountain trail when my legs, heart and lungs finally tell me to F-off.
Don't you know that you are not supposed to blog about what is real? Then you are just too negative, and will lose readers? Yeah, that's what someone told me once - like I care about the number of readers, or people that think you have to fake happy all the time. Anyway - your mileage is still more than I can muster, but I get it on putting in effort and a slow pace somehow feeling hard (maybe I'm pregnant?) No, I'm not. You look totally cute. I'm not trying to be bitchy at all, but I know it will come off that way - have you thought maybe it could be twins this time? :)
ReplyDeleteI seriously think you are amazing for running as much as you are. I didn't run while pregnant with Zain so I have no experience in this department. It seems like from other pregnant running bloggers (katierunsthis.com and nycrunningmama.com come to mind) that it gets better in the second trimester. Although, in the second tri, you start to get bigger so that might make it harder too. Anyway, I think you're doing awesome!
ReplyDeleteMy experience running pregnant was just like your description (except I had NO weeks with that kind of mileage--I was so nauseous I was lucky to get out the door). That said, since I was "high-risk" with twins, I wasn't allowed to run as soon as that little surprise was revealed in week 9. I wish I had tried harder to do something else (exercise bike or pool), but I was just so hormonal and nervous literally the whole time.
ReplyDeleteI *love* the unicorn pissing rainbows picture.
I felt the same way running in my first trimester... it did get a little better, but I didn't manage the high mileage that you do! I don't think you're as big as you think you are, for what it's worth. :)
ReplyDeleteI read this on my phone the other day and about died with that unicorn picture.
ReplyDeleteI got much slower when I was pregnant, and considering I start out slower than you are now...I might as well have been walking, which I did at my last race. I blogged about it, but I wasn't cool enough to know you at that point in time. ;)