Thinking Out Loud Thursday: Pregnancy Running So Far & My Plans Going Forward

Oh, hello there! I know that I’ve been an awful blogger the past few months… during first trimester fog I fell out of my routine and it’s been hard to get back into it but I promise I’m trying my best.

I finally finished my spring semester and surprisingly came out of it with A’s in all of my classes. (Thank you professors who grade on a curve!)

Today I thought that I would link up with Amanda for some thinking out loud to share my thoughts on pregnancy running. 

Up until really recently it was recommended that women keep their heart rate below 140bpm while exercising during pregnancy. Luckily, this is no longer the case and women with healthy pregnancies are told to continue their pre-pregnancy workouts and go by feel when determining effort.

When I first found out I was pregnant I made a few decisions regarding my running…

• I wanted to continue running as far into my pregnancy as possible.
• In order to do this I preemptively decreased my daily/weekly mileage and just focused on quality over quantity.

• I added strength training and stability exercises to my routine to stay strong and running with good form even with my growing bump.

• I would listen to my body and be proactive about reducing injury risks – take extra rest days when I needed, get regular massages, see a chiropractor if my recurring hip problems popped up again.

• I would enjoy every step and mile I got to run during my pregnancy because I never know when my last (pre-baby) run will be! 

Luckily, these decisions have helped me get to nearly 28 weeks still running healthy and strong! Up until this point my runs have felt great, they are much shorter than my pre-pregnancy runs but my pace is still there and every once in awhile I’ll through in a workout to keep things fun. 

Recently, my pace has started to slip a bit and I’ve been feeling a little bit of pain in my lower back and left hip. So I went to the chiropractor and confirmed that that pesky left hip of mine is out of alignment again and we are working to get everything back where it should be. This past week I’ve just been running by time and I think I may keep it that way until after Lavinia’s arrival.

So what are my running plans going forward? I would LOVE to run as long as possible in the upcoming 12 weeks before my due date and that is the plan if I can get my hip feeling good and baby and I are still safe to continue (I check in with my midwife about my running at every appointment). 

This weekend I am running the OC Half Marathon and plan to soak it all in and enjoy myself since it will probably be my longest run for awhile! And I definitely will not be PRing like I did at the same race last year… haha

IMPORTANT THINGS TO REMEMBER WHEN RUNNING WHILE PREGNANT:

• Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! 
• Plan routes that pass a lot of public restrooms – some days you will have to make MULTIPLE bathrooms stops
• Don’t run in hot/humid weather… even if you used to pre-pregnancy. It’s not safe for you or your baby!
• Your body is changing so make sure to stretch/be proactive about any aches and pains you develop.
• Listen to your body when deciding what pace to go… now is not the time to gain fitness, just maintain!
• HAVE FUN and enjoy every run you get to go on – things will be a LOT different after baby arrives! 🙂

Mamas – did you run while pregnant? What tips do you have for other active moms?

Take today to do some thinking out loud of your own – tell me something random!