7:00 AM: REST DAY – COMPLETED/IN PROGRESS
[Wednesday – 4.5-Mile Run – COMPLETED]
Yes, this entry is coming in on the late side. I’ve been so busy at work with this project that is a little on the annoying side. Hopefully it’ll be out of the way soon enough.
As the weeks start adding on and my belly begins to protrude outwards more, the comments are rolling in. “So, how long did your doctor tell you that you can continue running for?” and “Are you sure you’re supposed to be running still…?” There’s also the, “Is this safe for the baby for you to be bouncing around back and forth?” If I could have a million copies of Chris Lundgren’s book, Running & Pregnancy, I’d hand them out to each person that questions what I can or can’t be doing.
I’ve been reading this book a chapter at a time. Basically, as I enter the sixth month, I read the entire chapter. The last segment of Chapter 9 (The Fifth Month) talks about running with friends, safety, and racing non-competitively. I have two upcoming races; a 10-mile and a Half Marathon. I’ll be 26-weeks and 28-weeks respectively, but am not running to PR or race. I just want to have fun and maybe wear a shirt that says, “I’m not fat. I’m pregnant”. I’m just getting started on the sixth month – there’s a whole lot of details in this chapter. So I’ll have to introduce this in a future entry.
So far, this book has been nothing but informative and everything has been right on the button. A classic example that I tell everyone is, when I first had my consultation with my OB/GYN, I asked her about the whole, “having to keep your heart rate under 140bmp”. She responded back with, “It was never medically proven that a pregnant woman must keep her heart rate at 140 bpm and it’s impossible to run and keep your heart rate at 140 or lower. Simply just go with how you’re feeling. Don’t push yourself to run your normal pace.”
Chapter 1, under ‘Find Dr. Right’, paragraph 3, reads “At your consultation, assess whether your doctor will support your running and how well-informed she is about exercise during pregnancy. For starters, does she approve of your running through pregnancy? Can she point you to recent studies on exercise and pregnancy? Has she had other pregnant runners as patients, and if so, what advice did she give them? How does she recommend you measure whether you’re running too hard? Many doctors encourage their pregnant patients to run but are not up-to-date on the pertinent medical information. If the doctor focuses on maximum heart rate, she’s following outdated guidelines on exercise and pregnancy, and you should consider finding a different doctor.”
And that was why I left my OB/GYN of 11-years. For one, she was not supportive of my running. She not only urged me to immediately stop running while trying to get pregnant, but when I do get pregnant, I shouldn’t run altogether. It was definitely time to part ways with her and our differences.
My running has definitely toned down as far as pace. I’m not sad or depressed about this at all. I’m just happy to be out there running or wogging, whatever you want to call it. I am definitely not looking forward to swollen ankles — and am doing everything in my power to prevent them from happening now or soon. I wore my compression socks all day, but I still have to see if that is safe. I am definitely looking forward to having babies to play with and run with in a few years.
See, I’ve been practicing.
Wife Mom Runs 
🙂 Too cute! I’m sorry people are giving you a hard time about running while you are pregnant. I think I told you I have a friend that ran the morning she gave birth to her daughter! As long as you were a runner before pregnancy and are having a healthy, uncomplicated pregnancy (and you are), there is no problem with running as long as YOU are comfortable and the baby is doing well. People need to hush. LOL
Have a great day!
You did tell me about your girlfriend that ran the morning before she delivered. I had a friend that did spinning the day before she delivered. I think she stopped running at 27-weeks though. My other friend stopped running at 25-weeks. She had a problem w/ her pelvic bone. It wasn’t hurting the baby, nor did it hurt when she ran, but it hurt after. So the only thing they could recommend for her was to stop running. Interestingly enough, Chapter 9 of the book you gave me, 6-months – tells you to do the Pelvic Floor Dance. It appears to be a common problem when you enter your 6th month. Don’t think I won’t be doing this often. ;o)
love the pic of you with your niece. So so so cute. And I cant believe people are giving you such a hard time. Everyone I have talked to thinks its a miracle im still running. hah. But I have NO idea how you have the guts to do the 1/2 marathon at 28 weeks. I think my top milage right now is maaayyybbbeeee 10 miles. But i havent tried it in a while. After I do more than 7 i just get so so sore in my lower back that i even have a hard time sleeping. So I was like, forget the super long distances for how. ha ha.
So you are amazing. Ok, im about to go to your diary now.
My OB/GYN ran the Boston Marathon at 26-weeks and then she did trials the following week at 27-weeks. Crazy, right? I also just learned that she’s one of the only women in New Jersey to run consecutive days in 6-years. I find that insane since you know a lot of the times she’s up delivering babies. LOL
I don’t intend to run my half marathon fast, especially since there are hills, but after that race, I will be retiring long distances till after the baby. It’ll be shorter distances (w/ maybe the most at 7 with my other running friend. She’s 3-weeks behind me, so it’s definitely fun to run w/ her).