Finding My Stride

Running through my first trimester

When people say you body is “vocal” during pregnancy, they are not exaggerating. This is by design, since your body will tell you if something does not agree with you and your baby. It could be a food, a smell or, most importantly, physical activity. I mentioned in a previous post how my breathing got out of control during a run a few days before I found out I was expecting. I later learned that you need more oxygen during pregnancy.

The HoneyBadgers - Turkey Trot 10k (Unknowingly 3 weeks)

Doctors say if you were active before your pregnancy, it is safe to remain active during your pregnancy (with their blessing of course). It can even help during delivery. I was lucky to have fallen in love with running seven months before getting pregnant. I asked a few doctors at my practice about continuing to run, and their advice was simple: Listen to your body and your breathing. If you get out of breath, stop and walk. Using a heart rate monitor allows me to gage how much activity is too much for my body — giving me the opportunity to pace myself at boot camp, during spinning, while lifting and during my runs.

Before I found out our good news, I actually completed the Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot 10K with my running group, the Honey Badgers. I was about three weeks, so I felt no difference during our run. However, when I ran the Jingle Bell 5K knowingly five weeks pregnant with my friend Brea, we had to take a few breaks to walk.

Jingle Bell Run 5k - Brea was so sweet to cheer me on through my first long run knowingly expecting!

To my fellow mommies-to-be: If you are going to continue to run, I would like to share a few things that have kept me moving forward:

• H2O – Water is your best friend while pregnant, especially on your active days!
• Stretching – Due to your increased blood volume, stretching is CRUCIAL
• Warm up and cool down – Everything I read about remaining active during pregnancy recommended adding in a warm up and cool down. Pacing your self is key!
• Don’t run hungry – I used to always wake up, drink a cup of coffee and go for a run. Now I know I have to eat something beforehand. Doctors recommend an extra 300 calories per day while you are pregnant, more for the days you are planning on working out. Check with your doctor for how many calories. I have found whole grain toast with either light cream cheese or peanut butter to be a great snack, sometimes paired with a piece of fruit.
• The “talk test” – This is a great way to pace yourself. If you can carry on a conversation without huffing and puffing, that’s good. In order to be able to chat while running, my pace has gone from about a 9.3/10 minute mile to an 11.30/12 minute mile.
• Run with understanding friends – This has been my biggest blessing. My friend Brea not only understands when we need to stop and walk, but she can now hear it in my breathing before I have to say, “Can we slow down for a sec?”. This type of support has helped me find my stride and feel amazing!
• Last (and most importantly) – Don’t give up! Ninety percent of moms I talk to say they wish they had kept up their fitness routines during pregnancy  Bottom line, if you are looking for an excuse to skip your workout….you will find one. After all, the easiest way to get in shape is to not let yourself get out of shape to begin with. That may sound insensitive, but if you set a goal for yourself of working out three to five days a week and never letting yourself go less than those three days, you will be able to use the energy that you will find in your second trimester.

Edgewood Lights 4 Mile Fun Run - with my sweet friends Brea and Abby (aka BabblingAbby) 

As always, I ask if you are newly pregnant and looking for what you can and cannot do, start by checking with your doctor. They know your health, and knew your physical fitness level prior to becoming pregnant.

Thanks for reading, come back for more tips on how you can Live Energized!