Races #3 & 4

I know, I know...I've missed posts!! I also missed racing in the month of May due to moving, etc. so I had to make up for it by running two races this month. I kind of cheated by running two races from the same series, but I felt that it would be easy to knock two of the way that way. So...

On June 14th (Monday) I ran in the Stanley Park 3 Mile Cross Country Race Series held by Empire One Running Club in Westfield, MA. It was a last minute decision to run the race, but I had to get a race in (well, two actually) since I was behind by missing everything in May. Since I had just gotten my Internet working, I had found the race on the Web the night before & figured, "why not?"

It was a warm day, in the upper 70's, but the gun didn't go off until 6:30PM. I had not run very much the week leading up to race day, nor had I run a step during the whole weekend. It had been raining a whole lot & I didn't want to train with the baby in the rain...I know, poor excuse. I also didn't eat well that day. I thought perhaps I could make up for my unpreparedness by allowing myself a long warm-up run, but that back fired on me since I was tired out before I even hit the line.

My legs were very heavy and I suffered a lot of cramps near my diaphram. Even though the course was realativly easy, I still found myself slowing down to nearly a walk. I was quickly losing my place & had to just focus on finishing running & upright. At one point, far from the finish line, I glanced down at my watch. 18:52. I groaned. I could remember a time when I would have been finished already!! I finally hit the finish line with a time of 24:30, which made me 33rd over all and the 6th female. (It placed me 3rd in the 17-29 division). Needless to say, I was not at all pleased with this, 15 weeks pregnant or not! I vowed to do better next time...and that's when I told my husband that we would be back to run this course again. June 14th Results (Race #3/9).

My family was busy with my son's first birthday party & a quick holiday in New Hampshire, so we didn't run the very next week, but I did run two weeks after. (I told myself that as long as another race happened before July 1st, I would be on schedule.) I trained smart over the past two weeks & even did a little pace work on the track. That 8:10 race pace lingered over my head & pushed me through my workouts; it got me out the door, up the hills, and through the heat. And I must say that it DID pay off!

Last night I ran race #4 of 9 and felt much better. I was smart about eating before leaving for the race, and I didn't do nearly as long of a warm up. The only screw up I suffered from was forgetting to bring my water bottle. And that sucked.

The weather was very warm, about 90 degrees and 80% humidity. I was literally pouring sweat before I even started a warm up! I had to stretch a lot because I was getting hamstring cramps during the week, but I still felt pretty good and somewhat confident. For me, this wasn't going to be a "fun run".

When the gun went off, I held back a little. I already knew what this course had to offer & I saw no sense in going for it too soon. I pushed myself through by focusing on my breathing and letting my hips guide me through the woods. I was now 17 weeks along & noticed that my balance was a little off on the trails. There were a lot of roots & rocks, so I had to be extra careful of my footing...I do think that may have slowed me down a little. But, whenever my legs started to feel heavy, I would just meditate on my form, and count 10 perfect steps. Usually after that I was refocused on running "fast".

I didn't feel fast, but I did feel strong, and suprisingly beautiful. I ended up with fairly painful cramps from having to pee, but was able to keep a decent pace. My main goal was to make it under 24 mins. I wasn't even caring about place; I'm pregnant after all! I came through the finish line with a time of 23:51, which made me 24th overall and the second female (and the 1st in my age division)! This certainly pleased me. Not only was I happy to be faster (even though I was two weeks pregnanter), but I was releaved to have another race under my belt. Only 5 more to go! June 28th Race Results (Race #4/9).

So, what did I learn? Well, for one, I am certainly going to plan out my races a bit better from now on! Also, I need to stop slacking on my training & just get on with it. (I also have a rain cover now for my son's stroller.) I set out to RACE 9 races and that is exactly what I am going to do.

Slow and Steady...

I've been slacking on my writing, and I've been slacking on my running too. I haven't even gotten a race in this month! Between trying to move, schedual an emergency trip to Eurpoe and dealing with general pregnancy fatigue and quisiness, I've not been up to the task of training well for the past two weeks. I even took a whole week off - which, when you are pregnant, can feel like a month or more hiatus.

I forced myself back into gear this week by running every other day, and trying to tell myself that moving boxes would count as "cross training" on my off days. Becuase I had taken a full seven days off, I had to start out easy. I couldn't just set out and run my typical 5-7 miles, so I cut it down to about 3. But I made those three miles count. To do this, I headed for the hills.

Hill work is great when you are pregnant. Going up, even if you have to slow down or walk, is great for your legs, butt, and abs. And going down (as long as you don't let your belly lead the way!) is great for your posture. I do suggest going down hill very easy...it is okay to walk when dealing with hills. Do becareful on the hills. Stop when you have to, watch your form (a belly is no excuse for starting bad habits), stay in control, and don't over do it. Contractions during hill work can be normal, but if they become painful, stop immediatly.

If you have to take some time off from running, you don't have to stop completely just because you are pregnant! But do ease yourself back into it once you do start again, even if that time off was just a week or so. There are great changes happening to your body every day, so even just a couple of days will do a lot to you...slow and steady and keep moving!

2 Month Check In

I've been dutifully logging away my miles, but I must say that I am in a bit of a rut. I have been running the same 5 mile course every day for the past month and a half. I know it's because I'm just familiar with it and am trying to avoid the hills, but it's time I sought out some new places to leave tracks.

The past two weeks took me by complete surprise with the morning sickness. All along running has helped my ill feelings and a nice jog seems to vanquish them. But the last two weeks or so seemed to bring it on, which I didn't like at all. I would run maybe 2.5-3 miles or so and have to go dry heave in the bushes. Not cool. I was also getting really bad cotton mouth & water was making me gag. Plus, I'm at that stage where sudden movement makes me have to pee.

It all means that I have to take some extra steps before I head out the door. I eat a string cheese or yogurt as I'm getting ready, I grab a juice box, and pee just before I head out the door. At the half way point I stop to stretch, drink my juice, and possibly look for some bushes. And maybe that's why I am stuck in this 5 mile rut. I have an excellent half way point, lots of shade, trash receptacles for juice boxes, and some prime bush locations; I just can't risk trying out another route.

Race 2 of 9

On Sunday, 25 April, I ran my second race of the Pregnant Lady Running Series. It was another chilly day, but this time it was raining. I would say it was about mid 40s and the rain wasn't heavy, but constant. The course its self took me by suprise. There were a lot more hills than I expected. Since it was a road race, it was all pavement. I had a horrible cramp in the middle of my chest because of a mistake that I knew I shouldn't have done. On one of the hills I stopped to walk for only four steps, but it threw off my pace and my breathing, which resulted in a pretty bad cramp and really hard breathing for the rest of the race.

Despite some of the pain, I performed much better than the last time. I was over a minute faster, finishing in 21:52. I was nervous because my training over the week had been next to none due to a lot of rain and nausea. But, I must say that I was pleased with my outcome. I was 14th overall and 3rd place female. I won my age group, so I took home another trophy (heat/cold colour changing water bottle and Dunkin Donuts $10 gift card).

I'm actually on a roll with this & really can't wait until Race #3!
Race results are here.

Race 1 of 9

So, my goal during this pregnancy is to run 9 races; one for each month of the pregnancy. However, I will have to double up on races this month since I didn't know I was pregnant in March & I will probably have to double up near the end as well since I am due at the beginning of December.

I ran my first race of the series on Saturday, 10 April 2010 at 9AM. It was held in Mansfield, CT and was a delightful cross-country 5k. It ended up being a lot colder than I expected, but was still nice. The weather was over-cast, about 50 degrees, but very blustery. The course its self was a bit slow due to some large puddles, rocks & roots, but a nice one. The hills weren't too extreme, which was nice since I had enough trouble with them as it was! The finnish was a flat field around a backstop, which made for a nice kick.

After all the race announcments at the finnish line, the field of runners (110 of them) walked together across to the starting line. Everyone mingled around for a minute or so while the officials were trying to get people to come to the starting line. No one wanted to toe the line! I noticed that a lot of people were hanging back & saying "No, I'll let the fast people go first", and "I don't want to be in front!" So I stepped up, right in the middle. The gun went off & I took off. At first I felt kind of silly running in front with a bunch of guys and half expected to be over taken by the end of the field. But I kept my place & my pace.

I felt pretty good through the first mile and a half, but at the half way mark I hit a wall. My body desperately wanted to walk, but my mind was actually terrified of being passed! I was still in first and wanted to keep it. That's when my personality split. One part of me kept saying "It's okay to ease up. It's okay to come in second; you're pregnant & everyone will understand. In fact, they will be impressed!" But then the other part of me was screaming back, "No! You are making a point! You don't need to back down just because you are pregnant...that's why you're running in the first place!" The second part of me ended up winning out. When I came out of the woods, I was still in first place.

As I headed onto the field to come around the backstop, I realized that there was an older woman running ahead of me and the loud speakers were saying "Here comes our first female finisher!" I knew this was wrong--that she must have missed the second loop of the course. But still...what if they didn't catch the mistake & gave her the win?! I decided to kick early, just in case. I took off & passed her easily. "The first woman is now the second women..." the loud speakers called out. I hurried around the backstop & did what I could to "sprint" to the finnish line. I dashed through the tape & they pronouced my name (correctly!)

I finished with a 22:59 time, 24th overall (out of 95 finishers), and I was the first female finisher by a full 40 seconds. A small Agusta Pine Tree was my trophy (because of the Earth Day theme). I was quite pleased with myself :) (You can find the full race results here.)

I know I'm not that pregnant right now (five weeks on race day), but I still think this just goes to show that you can still push a little & do great things!
Keep pounding that pavement & go be a Champion!

Setting Goals & Losing the Diet Plan

At the very beginning of your pregnancy it is a good idea to set some goals. But make sure they are realistic and be honest with yourself. Now is not the time to be losing weight, pulling a minute off your 5K, or completing your first marathon. Running is an excellent activity while pregnant, but our ideas on why we run needs to shift a little bit.

Step number one, go calculate your Body Mass Index. It will help you determine if you are underweight, normal, or over weight. Granted, this is very limited & does not take many, many factors into account. If you are a seasoned runner, you don't even need to worry about it, but if you are just starting a running routine, it is a good starting point.

If you are on any kind of diet or diet supplement, stop now. A well balanced diet is recommended, and yes, it is okay to eat some carbs (and some meat). About 300 extra calories a day is needed while pregnant. However, don't let pregnancy become an excuse for gaining too much weight. Remember, a "normal" BMI person should be gaining approximately 1 to 5 pounds in the first trimester and about a pound a week after that (which comes out to 25-35 pounds total). If you were already on a weight-loss diet, don't worry about the numbers since all of those pounds will come back off after birth.

My BMI when I was pregnant with my first was 16.5. I was "underweight" at 5'4" and 96 pounds. I gained a total of 65 pounds by labor day! I was horrified at myself for gaining so much weight, even though I was careful about eating and ran every day. But it was what my body, and more importantly, what my baby needed. 95% of the weight came off by the time I was pregnant with my second, almost exactly 9 months later. Now I am considered "normal range" at 20.6, which means I should only be about 150 pounds by labor day...let's see how good I am!

Second, focus on a pregnancy goal. My pregnancy goal is to run (at least) three races in the first trimester, two races in the second, and one race in the third. I would like to do one a month, but I live up North and the baby is due in December, and I fear that running in the winter could be a little dangerous with such a big belly, so we'll just stick with per trimester for now. I'm not going to be too concerned with placement or timing; just staying strong & keeping a good pace. Other good goals could be maintaining a good weight for your pregnancy progress. This is especially helpful to those who are considered over weight or who tend to gain weight quickly.

Third, write it down. Keep up your running log, but modify it to count pregnancy symptoms, weight gain, miles, etc. I like to make a graph of my miles at the end of the month just to make sure I stay on track. However, while pregnant, it's okay if this graph takes a bit of a dip, especially in the last trimester. Again, there is no need to obsess over the numbers! You may need to adjust your weekly average, and that's okay.

Always listen to your belly! Run when it feels good, stop when it doesn't. Do an extra mile if you can, but slow down & even walk if you have to. Running while pregnant is a glorious feeling, and starting off right from the beginning will keep you running all 9 months long!

I'm Pregnant!

Okay, so I've known for a few days that we have another wee one on the way! We have been trying for a couple of months now, and success! My period was due on Tuesday the 23rd, and that morning I had a negative PT. I tested again that coming Friday morning, and it was questionable. I figured I had a faulty test since all the lines were messed up, even in the test window. But, that evening, with the aid of an easy to use digital PT, I came up positive.

We have calculated that the baby is due December 6th, though it will probably come a wee bit later than that. This is exactly 6 months after Ander, my first born's, due date. Coincidence? Great! A summer baby & a winter baby!

I have decided that I will run without fear during this pregnancy. I will workout, train, weight lift & even race without a second thought. While I was pregnant with Ander, I got a lot of negativity from a lot of people regarding working out & being with child. While you're pregnant you are urged to "keep fit", to go for walks, swim, etc. But if they find out that you participate in cross country running or sign up for a 5k, everyone throws a fit!

I am writing this blog as a testimony to hard core runners out there who want to run while pregnant. Ladies, there is NOTHING wrong with pounding the pavement while pregnant! In fact, I think that by doing so I had a much easier pregnancy and labor, and both my child & I stayed super healthy. I will be logging my miles, thoughts, and experiences on here in an attempt to dispell any myths about working out and having a baby.