How Running Prepared Me for the Biggest Marathon of My Life

Since my first run at age 17, I have progressed greatly as a runner, of course, but more importantly, I have faced and overcome many challenges that have greatly improved the quality of my character. Running has given me more confidence and revealed within me a previously undiscovered inner strength. However, when I took those first steps in 1997, I never could have imagined that it would prepare me for the most important "marathon" of my life--natural labor and childbirth.

Although this marathon involved absolutely no running, running actually helped prepare me for this most spectacular event, which shares many similarities to the 26.2 mile footrace. Sure, there was no planned start time, no finish line, and no other competitive participants, but just as in running, a laboring woman must have endurance, focus and discipline to be successful.

Training: This is one of the most important aspects of any race, but especially the marathon distance. Most marathons require a fair amount of training--at least a few months. I "trained" for almost 9 months, making sure I took care of my body and ate nutritiously, just like a runner should!

I made the decision to ATTEMPT a natural birth during my sixth month of pregnancy, so I only had about 3 months of training in that area!

Packing the Bag: No Body Glide or GU in my hospital bag, but I did pack a Runnersworld Magazine and LOTS of other stuff--99% of which I didn't even end up using during the labor process.

I opened my eyes three times after my hospital arrival. I was too busy breathing through each contraction to even think about my fully loaded iPod, my aromatherapy lotion or the next Sudoku puzzle.

Race Day: Sure, I had no idea when this marathon would begin, but it had to start sometime. Start the clock!

I was in labor for about 16 hours--4 of which were at the hospital--and that's about how long it would probably take me to actually run a marathon. LOL

Hitting the Wall: It happens to the best of us. You reach a point where you think you just can't go anymore. During labor, it was at this point that I asked for an epidural. However, just like in running, you have to keep pushing through the discomfort...and that's what I managed to do--without the epidural.

Lack of Confidence: This is the mental aspect of hitting the wall. I think most runners reach a point during their race where they not only question their training, but themselves. (Will I reach my time goal? Am I going to have to stop and walk? Is that nagging injury starting to bother me? Why am I doing this to myself?)

When I reached 6-7cm dilation, my confidence wavered and I felt like I was not going to be able to continue laboring naturally. Not only was I in pain, but I had no idea how much longer labor would last and I desperately wanted to have strength and energy at the end to do the pushing.

Crowd Support: This is EXTREMELY important during any point of the race, but ESPECIALLY when you've hit the wall. Fortunately, I had a great nursing staff and an even more fantastic Husband and Mother to provide all of the mental, emotional and physical support that I could have ever needed to make it through the most difficult part of this event.

When I lacked confidence, my charge nurse was there to give me advice and positive reinforcement. My Husband provided non-stop support and gave me the courage to keep going!

Nearing the Finish: Something happens to a runner when she knows the finish is near. She has a feeling of pride that she has made it so far, and of course, she feels euphoria because it's almost over. Somehow, a runner nearing the finish usually finds that extra "kick" to speed up and look good (read: not dead) while crossing the finish. When the nurse told me I was 9 1/2 cm dilated, I knew that I had actually made it and luckily, didn't have far to go.

When the nurse told me I was almost fully dilated, I happily said, "Oh sh*t!" I was so excited--but the real turning point was at one point, I actually opened my eyes to look around and the population of a small village entered my room. It was then that I realized that I truly was nearing the finish and that alone gave me a little extra strength to make it.

Crossing the Finish: The first thing a runner does when he crosses the finish line is check the time! And no matter how long it took or how the race went, he feels great pride, as he should!

After only a few pushes, my little boy had entered the world and was lying on my chest. And of course, I was proud of myself, and happy to have him in my arms--but I wanted to know what time it was!

Race Swag: When you finish a race, there's usually some really good food and drink, and probably a finisher's medal! My finisher's medal was my healthy, precious son--no medal can top that!

The rest of my stay in the hospital allowed me some pretty good food, too. I think my favorite was the Hot Brown--not too shabby! Take a hint, race organizers!

Recovery: This, along with training, is the most important aspect of any race. It's important to take the time to rest your body from the stress of training and racing. A little rest does wonders for your mind, too. After pregnancy, recovery is super important and it takes a very long time.

Nobody warns pregnant women about the difficulties she will face during her recovery period. If every waking moment (and there are a LOT of waking moments) is devoted to this dependent baby, when will she have time to take care of herself? She must. I did the best that I could to follow all of my doctor's orders whenever I had time--and if I didn't have time, I tried to create time because it's just THAT important!

When I learned I was pregnant, I was fearful of the unknowns. In many ways, it was like my first race as a runner. I had a lot of doubts but with all of my research, planning and preparation, I learned that I could do it. Even if it wasn't fast, I most definitely could do it. Thanks to challenges like that, and realizing that I had been able to overcome most, if not all of them, I was able to have much more confidence that I could be strong and overcome in labor, too.

Now, the only thing that is left is to actually RUN a marathon. During my pregnancy, I determined that if I could successfully have a natural childbirth, I could run a marathon. And you know what, I KNOW that's true. But I still have to prove it.

Walk, run, or waddle--who cares!

Full disclosure: for a very long time, I looked at run/walking as a lame activity. It was something a person did when they didn't feel like pushing themselves. Or maybe they were trying to be something they weren't yet. (I said "yet!") And yeah, I've run/walked many times (even before pregnancy) and I still had the same thoughts about it. In an earlier post from December 28, 2010, I discuss my feelings on walking during a "run:"

I've been following that advice for a little over two weeks now and it's amazing how much more PHYSICALLY enjoyable my workouts have been. Yes, I'm still facing many MENTAL hurdles out there. I find myself wanting to scream to other runners and walkers that pass me, "I'm PREGNANT! That's why I have water in 17 degree temps and that's why I'm so sloooooow!" It's hard for me to get used to this whole having-to-stop-and-walk-when-I-get-short-of-breath thing. I'm so accustomed to pushing past the discomfort and making myself better and faster. Hills? No problem. I would race up them as fast as I could so that I would get stronger. Not anymore. Hills? No problem. Walk it, girl!

Do I still feel that way? Maybe a little bit--but it's the runner in me. I have a hard time letting go of the notion that runner's run, period. End of story. The ironic thing is that there are runner's out there that look at my fastest running pace and would probably laugh. Honestly, there are walkers out there that could outpace me. And I think they rock. But I'm hard on myself--and that's not a bad thing. It's what keeps me progressing.

At the beginning of this post, I warned you that I was going to be honest, so please try not to fault me for my silly little thoughts. Besides, I've matured. Perhaps this will help--having been forced into run/walking during the last several months, I've discovered the strength in it. Strength to not care (as much) what people think of me when I'm out there. Strength to care more for the growing baby boy inside of me than for myself. Strength to continue tough workouts by sprinkling in a balanced, solid activity like walking. How can that be lame? Walking has increased the duration of my running "life" during pregnancy, just as it can increase the health, strength and duration of actual life. So now, instead of feeling like walking during my run is weakness, I am thankful to have walking as an option. And I'm just as proud of myself!

Keeping Moving!

It's been quite a (hot) summer for me so far and the bigger I get, the more difficult it is to run! Fortunately, my last day of work was Friday so I've been working out first thing in the morning! With temperatures in the high 60's to 70's and high humidity, it's still a little uncomfortable but bearable and just what I need to continue to get out and do this for me and Baby!

Today, I took my Chassis, my dog, for a hike at Bernheim Forest to celebrate her birthday! She loves trails (like me!) and we had a blast! Nowadays, a simple hike can leave me feeling pretty sore and lately, running has been a chore. I do what I can, when I can. And more importantly, I try not to feel guilty. After all, as good as exercise is for me, listening to my body and doing only as much as I can is even better for me--and for him! :)

So for now, the goal is lots of long walks and run/walks--just to stay strong and have endurance for the big day...and it's approaching! 41 days and counting!

Happy Waddling, everyone!!

Too hot to run outside!

It's been HOT! Now, if you're into 95 degrees and humid, this is for you. But if you're like me, this is 20 degrees too much. Running NEVER sounds like fun to me in this heat but even less so now that I'm pg. It's just too hard on the body. I'm trying to be creative, though, by finding other activities that keep me comfortable. I ran on a treadmill for the first time in years just a couple of weeks ago. It wasn't as bad as I remembered, but I would get sick of it quickly. Yesterday, I ran in the pool. That was a lot of fun! And just last weekend, DH and I were on our "Babymoon (a trip, similar to a Honeymoon, that couples take before the birth of their baby)" and our hotel's fitness center had a Natural Runner.

This was a cool machine, but it was beastly. It boasts of a "biomechanically correct stride pattern to minimize joint and muscle strain." The two ramps you see above both have "skates," so as you move your legs, you simulate running, but without the impact.

I thought this would be fun but it wasn't at all. It hurt. I last all of 1:xx my first attempt and I wanted to call a fireman to put out the flames in my quads. I eventually conquered a full 5 minutes on this thing, and while I was extremely wobbly afterwards, I lived to tell about it. Now I want one! I know I said I hated it but really, what better way to stay or get in shape than to do something that hands your ass to you? :)

Happy Running, guys and gals!

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!

Update!

I'm still running! I get out anytime I feel good enough to do so, and now, if a mile sounds like the most I can manage, I do a mile and I don't feel guilty about it! Most of my runs, however, are in the 2-4 mile range.

On Thursday, DH and I went to Swag's (my favorite LRS) and visited the Brooks Run Happy Tour. The Arcade of Oddities was twisted and fun, featuring concept shoes like my favorite, the running dress shoe!

This morning's run was in the rain and it was a feel-good run! I'm not feeling too uncomfortable as far as bouncing or stability is concerned, but I do get round ligament pain around halfway into the run. It's manageable but uncomfortable. The good thing is that it does go away relatively quickly after I stretch out and rest.

My pregnant running goal is still to keep this thing going as long as possible. I'm running conservatively to make sure that I CAN continue. I sure hope the Little Boy enjoys it! :)

Boobs, Bump and Gear...

First, whenever I look at the picture I have on this page, I think "wow, I don't look like that now!" LOL I can't wait to get a little bigger and post a picture of me running with my big prego belly! I'm thinking about planning a photo shoot--I want LOTS of pregnant belly running pictures!!

Despite feeling a little tired and having some round ligament discomfort all day at work, I decided to get out and get moving a little after work. I knew I didn't have a lot to give so I told myself, "Go out and do 20 minutes, girl! You can do that!" And I did a little more than 20 minutes. But it was rough out there. It was the warmest day this year by far--not sure of the exact temp but it had to be in the lower to mid 80's. I ended up doing a lot more walking than normal just to feel comfortable but even when I walked, I pushed it hard. My butt could feel it!

So some things have changed now that I'm a little further along in the pregnancy--tomorrow I will be at 20 weeks! It's amazing and I'm so very excited! But it's hard to get used to all of the changes that my body has gone through. First of all, my breasts are HEAVY. I have NEVER had this problem in my life. I've always been on the smaller side up that way and to have these --things--up there that I've never had before is a new and dreadful experience. They bounce more, they hang more, they just ARE more. Weird.

The belly bump--it's like I'm carrying a fanny pack with a 5 pound weight in there or something. I find myself wanting to hold it from the bottom while I run. And at this stage in my pregnancy, I think I still look like I had *too many donuts and beer* and it's all just settling in up front. Perhaps by six months, I may look truly pregnant. But then I'll just feel like I have a bigger dumbbell hanging out in my fanny pack. I really need to look into buying a support belt for my workouts.

And for the most recent change with which I've been dealing--my running wardrobe is failing me. I've always had just enough of the right kinds of running clothes, and I've been happy with that fact. Now, though, I can't quite enjoy much of what I own. First of all, the things that DO fit just aren't flattering anymore! But the truth is, some of it just doesn't fit well enough to wear anymore. I've been shopping online for maternity running gear and I've discovered two things about it. One--if it's reasonably priced, it's cotton. COME ON! Two--if it's not cotton, it's not reasonably priced. What is the deal, people? Why is there not a line of reasonably priced, decent looking running gear made out of a wicking fabric for PREGNANT WOMEN?

I'm getting irritable and it's NOT because I'm pregnant! I had my run today, so I'm good!

Happy Running, folks!

Tough 2 Miler

Today was the first day I've run since last Saturday--and while it was nice to get out, it was a pretty horrendous 2 miler. I don't know what the issue was but I do know that everyone has bad days, pregnancy causes more bad running days for me, and I've gained almost 5 pounds in 7 days. So I guess it all makes sense now. LOL

I'm glad I got out there today even though it was a rough one--but I wanted to share even these experiences. As amazing as pregnancy is, and as good as I've been feeling lately, there are still tough days! We're only human!

Happy Running!

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.

Polar Bear Grand Prix Recap

Today was last leg of the Polar Bear Grand Prix racing series--the Snowman Shuffle 4 Miler. Prior to that, there was the Reindeer Romp 4K (which had to be rescheduled twice due to weather conditions) and the Frostbite 5K. These are always a fun series of short distance races, and they always help keep me motivated through the coldest months to keep running!

As a reminder, I wasn't aware that I was pregnant when I registered for the series, but I couldn't have asked for a better racing series to have signed up for--the distances have been quite manageable for me during the early part of my pregnancy. I cringe when I think that I could have registered for the Triple Crown and/or the KDF Mini-Marathon without knowing I was pregnant! Luckily, I was in the perfect running shape prior to becoming pregnant to complete the Polar Bear Grand Prix!

Each of the three races were very similar in our execution--my wonderful Husband ran all three with me to keep me company and keep my speed in check, though I did have my HR monitor during all three races. The series is a lot of fun and to add to the enjoyment, I will be able to tell our child that it ran and won at least the last two races--my belly popped quite a bit for those and we're assuming the baby crossed the finish line first!

Though these are absolutely nothing to brag about, here are my very slow and pregnant finish times, with average pace included in parentheses:

Frostbite 5K - 42:51 (14:17/mile)

Reindeer Romp 4K - 33:59 (13:40/mile)

Snowman Shuffle 4 Miler - 53:55 (13:28/mile)

As you can see, I did set some PR's--PR's for slowest race times!

On a positive note, though, there are two good things to come out of those races. First, I got out there and did something healthy and fun for me, Hubby and baby and second, if you look at my average pace for each race, I got progressively faster. That means I'm learning how to be a better pregnant runner, huh?

Happy Running everyone!