Running While Preggo: 3rd Trimester

Finishing up the 2^nd trimester was great.  I was feeling really good and still enjoying running up to 5 miles, about 5 times a week. Once I hit about 7 months I got shin splints. It was strange because I have never had shin splints. After doing a little research I realized that it isn’t uncommon for pregnant runners to get them because of the quick increase in weight. That would make sense as I began to get bigger! So, I took some advice from livestrong.com (which is a great resource for athletes btw) and took a week off. After that I gradually got back to 3-5mi runs, but I had to start out really slow to warm up my legs. In April I did the Walker Johns 5K. My goal was to keep my mile times around or slower than 10min.  For the most part, I succeeded. It was nice to feel “back in the game”. Dustin kicked booty at that race. It was a 2 loop course and he took 1^st place overall in the 10K by a long shot!!! On his first loop, he ran by as the 2^nd runner overall in the 5K. People were trying to get him to go through the finishing shoot, but he had to tell them that he still had another lap!!!  Such a stud :)

The past few weeks (starting around pregnancy week 32) it has been tougher to get my calves and shins warmed up enough to where I can continually run. I still felt great overall, but my legs below the knee weren’t very interested.  It would take about 2 miles before I could run continually and hills seemed to aggravate it more so I substituted the HS track for my running group. I miss running with the girls, but I didn’t want to make them stop to walk. Dustin was sweet enough to still want to run with me, especially since he seems to frequently be either recovering or tapering from his Marathon Maniac quest.

This week I hit 35 weeks. As I went out to the track on Monday I realized my body felt tired. I just wasn’t in to it anymore.  I had to go up a notch on my baby belt so it felt a little loose. Finals were over and I was no longer in need of my trusty de-stressor. I thought, “Why am I doing this?” So, I decided to stop.

Since January I have been going with Dustin to the pool to swim laps with him on off days.  I enjoy swimming because it doesn’t seem like pregnancy has too much affect on it.  I just make sure to stop to rest and get a drink after every 12 lengths or so, since I have a difficult time being able to tell if I am tired or not. Now that I am not running I will alternate between swimming, walking, and resting. :)

I feel so blessed that I have been able to run for this long. I hope that other pregnant women realize this isn’t the norm and that other dads-to-be don’t expect their wives to continue running, even in the first trimester. Pregnancy is different for each woman and so is how much they can exercise. But if you CAN do it, I would highly suggest it! For me it helped ward off the typical pregnancy “symptoms” and I’ve been told it leads to an easier delivery (and a smarter, healthier baby)- which I would love to happen!

I’m sad to see my running end for now, but it will be nice to take some time off. If I would have had to quit during the school year, I think it would have been really tough. But, now it’s time to sit back, relax, and get ready for Basil’s arrival.  Less than 5 weeks til due date! Things are about to really change in our running world :) And, I think it involves a jogging stoller!