Run Throo the Zoo 5K Race Report

Today was another great Throo the Zoo 5K! This is my fourth time doing this event and it's always a fun, no pressure time, but this year, the changes on the course made the race much more pleasurable. Sure, there was still a lot of weaving in and out between strollers and walkers at the start BUT there was room to do so! In the last few years, the congestion has been unbearable, and just when you feel like you found an opening, you were headed right back into a narrow path that forced people into a slow walk. That's all changed and the new course that includes Poplar Level was great!

Some of the highlights of today's race:

The smells! I'm running into the back portion of the zoo and the strong smell of grilled food hits my nose! I think, "Mmmm, that smells fantastic!" And before I could even finish the thought, the smell of animal poo also hits my nose! What a let down! On a positive note, I smelled lots of refreshing honeysuckle along the way!

A mother taunting her son (he was about 7 or 8 years old). "You're not going to let a GIRL beat you, are you? And your MOM? You're going to have to go tell all of your friends that your MOM beat you today!" Needless to say, after he saw me laughing, he took off running again! LOL

Seeing my own mom at a couple of places along the course! She came out to support me and take pregnant running pictures!

The little guy that was really having a tough time but kept plugging away. I tried to talk him through it and he really had a strong determination. I hope he did well and finished strong. I know he had it in him!

I finished under 45 minutes, which was really all I wanted. Clock time was 42:48, but technically, I was probably sub-42:00. I'm surprised I was even THAT fast because my heart rate monitor felt like it was beeping incessantly on this hilly course!

At 27 1/2 weeks pregnant, this was Little One's fifth official race! He's been quite active today and I feel like recovery will be easy enough. I'm sore but it's nothing a little stretching and rest can't cure!

It was nice to see some friends at the end of the race, too! I just felt bad that I had to leave them so abruptly to utilize the facilities--but what can you expect from an overly-hydrated pregnant runner? LOL

Happy Running everyone!

Annoyed Pregnant Lady Rant

Guess what? I am pregnant and I still run.

*gasp*

Are you going to call the police on me because my running is "putting the baby at risk for shaken baby syndrome?"

Do you think I'm a terrible mother because I'm out there running and being healthy instead of eating Twinkies and Doritos? I bet you think I should stay home because of my "delicate condition."

Is my running "obsessive exercise behavior" that I should avoid and perhaps see a psychologist about?

These are all things I've recently read and angrily re-read. Are you serious? Many people who know that I'm a runner and recently found out that I'm pregnant have asked me one important question, "Are you still running?" And everytime I answer, I do so with an emphatic "Yes, of course!" And about 60% of those people look at me with shock and disapproval. I'm sure they are thinking all of the things that I've read about us crazy, mean, selfish running expectant mothers.

Here's the deal. I am pregnant, not disabled. I run safely, not with risk. I hydrate more than ever before. My diet has become even more healthy and I eat plenty, just not too much. I'm a healthy woman who happens to be pregnant and so far, I have a low risk pregnancy. My doctors have told me to keep doing what I have always done--and that includes running. I've decreased my intensity and listen to my body before I even go out to run, and even more when I'm out running. My body knows how to run because it has for almost 14 years (even more if you count my childhood!) and my body knows how to grow a baby because it's a natural, amazing and normal thing. So guess what? My body knows how to run with a growing baby inside.

And my baby will not have shaken baby syndrome because I run. Ever heard of implantation and amniotic fluid? Look them up.

Lots of women run for multiple reasons--not just to lose weight. Some of us run to maintain a healthy weight, keep our hearts strong and healthy, and for overall mental well-being. Running doesn't mean I'm a weight-obsessed, selfish, bad person. It means I want to continue to live a healthy life for myself and my baby.

While I understand that running is definitely not an activity that everyone enjoys, it is something that I enjoy. And I have enjoyed running for many, many years. If that's what my body knows, my body can handle it now that I'm pregnant because my body handled it well before I was pregnant. If you are pregnant or trying to become pregnant, do not let negative, uninformed and ill-informed people have any effect on you and your doctor's decision. Only you and your doctor will know what's best for you and your baby, and that should be your only concern. Be confident in your decisions and be in touch with your baby and your body.

First Trail Run as a Prego!

Since being pregnant, running has become a totally different sport for me. No more care and concern for times, no competitive racing, no worries about increasing distance. This more laid back approach, which is what my body is telling me it needs right now (and also what the doctor ordered), has been difficult to get used to. Quite frankly, it's been a little boring. But I keep getting out there because I know how important this is to me and my growing baby.

To switch things up, though, I decided to go for a trail run today. This is the first time I've hit the trails since being pregnant--I was honestly a little apprehensive about hitting the trails because of the uneven footing and hilly terrain on some of my favorite trails. I figured, though, that I needed a change of scenery, literally and figuratively.

I ended up at Jefferson Memorial Forest, which is one of my favorite places to trail run. There are trails of varying distances and terrain which really make it more exciting. And with the opening of the semi-new Yost Ridge Trail, they really opened up the possibilities for increased distance and adventure, if you desire. And that's where I started. The trail begins with a gradual incline that doesn't let up for several hundred feet or more--it's always a good place to warmup before your workout. About 1 mile in (I may be off on the distance a little) there's a fork in the trail where you can either go left to the Paul Yost area of the Forest or right toward the Horine reservation area. However, each of the times I've been on this trail in the past, the trail to Yost was not complete and therefore not open. This morning it was! So I excitedly ran the trail to the Yost area and met a huge friend--a beastly Pyrenees! She was very interested in me and decided that I needed a running buddy. She stayed with me for about 2 miles, even as I ran over to the Mitchell Hill Lake trail at the Horine side. She made me feel very guilty for not bringing my own dog out, but I was also grateful that I had not because I don't know how these two would have gotten along!

All in all, I had a great, safe and fun run. But trail running is SO MUCH harder now. Talk about having to take walking breaks--and lots of them--to keep my heart rate in the appropriate range. But it was definitely worth it. It was just great to get out and get into something different--I bet the LO was bouncing around a lot and probably wonders WTF I was doing!

Happy Running, folks!