The first one that came out a couple of weeks ago was “Tips on running through pregnancy.”

This is something that is very important to me and something that I have gotten many questions about.

Here are my tips:

1. Start an exercise regiment before you get pregnant. If you ask a doctor about exercise or any physical activity during pregnancy, they will almost always say “If you’ve done it before, you are safe to continue; but don’t start anything new.” Which brings me to my next point:

2. Consult with your OB. It is always best to get a good assessment from your doctor, if you are able to run. For some, due to complications and such, it is not possible; but for most, it is and is highly recommended.

3. Get a good sports bra. Need I say more.

4. Go to the bathroom before. Again, need I say more.

Now, the good stuff …

5. Pay attention to your body. Now is not the time to be breaking any records or setting any new personal best times. If it feels uncomfortable (and you be the judge), don’t be afraid to stop and walk. After all, walking is also a great source of exercise.

6. Ease into it. For the first few minutes of the run, you will feel a little bit “off.” For me, my belly is a little wobbly and feels different. I find that if I take the first few minutes slow and steady, that the baby finds a comfortable position, and I am able to continue the run without any problems.

7. Be careful. When I say this, I am referring to the clumsiness that is often associated with pregnancy. It is a fact that your gate will change, due to your hips shifting and also that you have added pressure right at the top of your hips and pelvic area.

You will find that you are not picking your feet up off the ground as high as you used to. Pay attention to this and be careful, as to prevent yourself from falling … especially if you frequent the trails like I do.

8. Try avoiding rocky terrain. This is one that I need to follow a little better than I do. I love running in the mountains near my house. If you must run on trails, again, be careful. Watch your step, and even walk over areas that are rockier.

9. Bring a phone. This is generally a good idea for anyone to do. During my first trimester (the lovely time that is packed full with yuckiness), I had a few runs where I felt nauseous after a few miles. It didn’t happen very often, but when it did, it was good to be able to call my husband to come pick me up.

10. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Fuel, fuel, fuel. When running, you are obviously burning more calories than normal, and a lot of your water is also going to the baby. It is extremely important to replenish your body buy bringing water and/or sport drinks and also fuel with (healthy) food. Which brings me to my final point:

11. Eat healthy. It is difficult enough running with a baby in your belly. Adding junk food to the mix, only makes things that much worse. By fueling with healthy fruits, vegetables, whole grains and other (food-pyramid-ish) stuff, you can avoid any unwanted sick stomach, and be able to get out there and enjoy a good run … not the bad kid (if you catch my drift). 

To read the article in its entirety, here’s the link.

The other article focused on running hills. I love hills; mostly the uphills. It has taken me a while to get here, but I am honestly at a place where, if I see a road (preferably rocky) veer up, I will always take the detour. There is just something about the climb that is so rewarding, exhilarating … everything!

Here are my tips for running hills:

• Take short strides and stay on the balls of your feet on the uphill. Staying on the balls of your feet will help you to lean into the hill, which is always a good thing (leaning away will create what I call a “Jack and Jill effect). The short strides will help with your posture and also, strangely enough, help you cover more ground.
• Keep your arms moving at the height of your hips, moving rhythmically with your legs. It may take a little focus at first, but keeping your arms low, rather than up high near your chest, will help open up your lungs, helping you to breath better. Which brings me to my next point:
• Breathe slowly and deeply. Going up hills, you will need more oxygen. The tendency for many is to breathe fast. This is also know as hyperventilating, and when done, creates an adverse affect. Taking in slow, deep breaths, helps you to relax and focus on the task at hand.

Now, for the downhill …

• Stride out, relax and let gravity do its job. Gravity is a wonderful thing if used correctly and not forced. Too often, downhills are pushed too hard, when in fact, if you have long, relaxed strides, and don’t force gravity, the downhill will be quite enjoyable and less of a pounding torture.

Here is the link to the entire article.

If you’re wondering if I combine the two (hills and pregnancy), the answer is, YES!

Here is a picture from this morning, after completing a 1700 ft climb up to View Benchmark on a trail called “Ann’s Trail.” So much fun!

When we got home that day, he looked up the race online and found that there was a trail 1/2 marathon that was tied to this race, that was set to take place the day before.

Adam and I have really only been training on trails, and so that race sounded much more appealing to him, so he signed up. I asked him if he was up to doing back-to-back 1/2′s, and he seemed to be fine with it. I knew, in the back of my mind, that there was a chance that I would end up needing to step in and do the 1/2 …

So, the night before the trail 1/2, 2 of my brothers, Rand (26) and Kett (12) came through on their way up to Ogden to help my grandma with some yard work. They decided that they would stay the night at our house.

here’s Kett a couple years ago, helping my kids on a hike.

Rand is the bearded one in the back. Another super cool uncle!

I was planning on bringing the kids to watch Adam finish, but thought that they would have more fun with their uncles, so I asked if it was OK if I went with Adam to the race in the morning, and they said no problem. I have the coolest brothers EVER!

Bright and early, Adam and I headed to the race. I knew that I would have a lot of time before  he ran. We had to be there at 6 a.m., the bus shuttled them up, and the race was set to start at 7:30. Being that the race had a steep climb (1600 ft in the first 2 miles to be exact), followed by a steep, rocky descent, I knew that it might be a while.

So, what did I do? What else? I went for a run!

I thought that I would end up running on the parkway, which I wasn’t excited about at all. But, about .6 of a mile up the parkway, I noticed a trail head. I decided to go exploring.

The trail ended up winding its way up a mountain. It took about 1.5 miles to get to the bottom of the mountain, and the ascent was just over a mile up. It was so, so pretty up there. I just loved it! The problem was, I didn’t bring my camera. The views were just so amazing, that I didn’t want to miss out. So, I ran back down to the car, got my camera, and headed back up … yeah, I just had to. Here are some pics.

Here’s kind of a side story: About halfway up, I heard some rustling in the bushes. I looked up to see a deer (this was on the first time, so I didn’t get a picture). I don’t see deer out where I run; I just see antelope.

I have found that antelope are smart creatures, and don’t scare easy. They will stand their ground and watch you until you are out of their way. Deer on the other hand, always get scared and clumsily try to get out of there. I think this is why I don’t see any dead antelope on the roads; just deer. That’s my two cents, for what it’s worth .

Anyhoo, back to Adam …

I figured that, being that the winner of the course last year, ran it in just shy of 2 hours, that Adam would be done at maybe 9:15-ish.

I got down just before 9, so that I would be there in plenty of time to get some good shots of him finishing, and even a video.

Nope.

I underestimated his awesome, super-human-ness. Just as I got out of the car, I heard the race director saying, “we have our first runner.”

I hustled to where the finish was, and here Adam comes, blazing  around the corner. I barely got a picture of his backside (not that that’s a bad thing ).

He ended up beating the course record by over 10 minutes and the second place guy came in 7 minutes later.

It was really funny, as he was finishing, there was a girl who was waiting, ready to take pictures of “the first finisher.” When Adam passed, she looked up, all peeved and said, “that’s not my husband!”

I almost said, “nope, it’s mine.” I just left it, but I could tell she was surprised. The guy who came in second was supposed to win it. Adam is very unassuming like that.

Here are some pictures of the race:

Here is a video I got of the awards ceremony. (Please disregard the annoying “Whoo’s.”

Here is a picture of the aftermath:

Your’e supposed to Band-aid those babies up BEFORE the race!

Not only did he get some nipple chaff-age, he had some major blisters on his feet.

I knew that he would have a hard time running the 1/2 the next day. I prepared myself to have to step in …

And, yup, by Friday evening, he was hobbling like crazy. I told him I would do it.

So, this morning I paced the 1/2.

Before the race, I met up with a friend, who I paced the SLC Marathon with, Ashley Poulson. She was doing what was called, the Oquirrhman Challenge. This is where you run the trail half, and then come back and run the MARATHON the next day. She won first place in the women’s 1/2 and did the same in the marathon. She did a little Ash Kickin’!

Here are some pics of her after the 1/2 on Friday:

The half was downhill for the first 8 miles … a KILLER downhill. It was so hard to keep it at 7:37 pace, but I really tried to slow things down.

I ran with a high school girl for a little while and did my best to encourage her to land softly on her feet on the downhill, but she really struggled with this. She  fell back at about mile 6.

As I got out of the canyon, I was about 1 minute ahead of pace. I wanted to make sure I banked some time, because we were told to come in 0-30 seconds under pace.

Starting at mile 8, the course was really flat, and I kept a consistent pace. I ran with a few women for a while, before they started to drop off on an uphill at about mile 9-10.

It went up for a while, then wound through some neighborhoods. At mile 11-12, it was a really steep uphill climb that I hadn’t expected. I was going at 8:30-9 minute pace up it; it was that steep.

All the time I had banked, I ended up losing on that, and more. I knew that I needed to pick it up significantly on the last mile, which was downhill, if I was going to come in on pace.

I did that, and ended up coming in 13 seconds under pace, at a 1:39.47. It wasn’t difficult at all and felt great! Here is a picture with me and another pacer after the race:

Just getting to the top of the hill

Being 6 months pregnant, there was not a single time where I felt uncomfortable, tired … anything. I feel really good about this.

All day he has been kickin’ like crazy! He’s definitely going to follow in the footsteps of his (wiggly) older siblings .

It was a great weekend, and I am so grateful to have been able to do it!

Welcome to the premier post on two and a bean – introducing our little bean “Baby A”. 

We are now 21 weeks into this pregnancy journey, which for the most part has been trucking along with only a few bumps.  I would love to tell you that I love being pregnant but I do have mixed feelings about it.

I miss being able to run whenever I want to. I don’t like that I have slowed down so much.  I would love to barrel down some single track but in the best interests of our baby, I have not put on my cycling shoes this year.

So here is a list of the amazing and not so fun parts of this journey:

Amazing!

• Hearing the heartbeat for the first time.
• Seeing the baby in the ultrasound.
• Feeling him kick and roll for the first time.
• Learning he will have a cousin born within about a week of him.
• Planning the nursery.
• Choosing names.
• Dreaming about buying him a pushbike.
• Prenatal yoga!

Blah : (

• A heart rate that climbs way faster than I am used to.
• Being tired for about 7 weeks straight.
• The sickness and nausea that left me mostly housebound for 6 weeks.
• Not being able to ride my mountain bike.
• Feeling much slower at everything.
• Feeling jealous of your partner who has no side effects at all!
• Anxiety about being prepared for the arrival.
• The body changes. While miraculous I am sure I am not the first woman who has not been overly thrilled by expanding hips, bloated legs and dry skin.

That said, we are so overjoyed that we have had no real medical concerns.  To date, this little bean has been growing at a healthy rate and we really could not ask for more. 

I am sure the next 4 months will continue to be an adventure and we can’t wait to share!

L

In the post, I described some lessons learned while pacing. It was a great experience, but kind of a shock because I didn’t know what to expect. I thought that because I was expecting, that slowing my pace way down, would make things easier, which it didn’t … at all.

I have wanted for a while, now to be able to redeem myself, prove myself and to more importantly, have that fulfilling pacing experience that I had heard pacers having and had hoped for.

So, when I was asked to pace the Utah Valley 1/2, for the Utah Race Pacers I jumped at the chance. I was asked to do the 1:45 (8 minute mile) pace, and Adam was asked to do the 1:35 (7:14) pace.

I was so excited to do this for so many reasons. I wanted to be careful and cautious because I am expecting. So, I signed up for the Alpine Classic 1/2, that I wrote about here. I thought that if I could keep a good pace on this hilly course, and do it comfortably, that I would feel good going into the UV 1/2, which is more of a downhill course.

After the Alpine Classic 1/2

I have run this course many times before. I took 5th at it last year, if I remember right.  I am really comfortable with the course, and just love it!

The plans for the weekend were still up in the air.  (One of my many) younger brothers, Joel, is going to school at BYU, and due to the recent “girl droughtage” due to moving the LDS mission age to 19 for girls, his weekends are not nearly as busy as they would have been otherwise. So, I called him to ask if he could watch our kids overnight while we went to stay at a hotel and then run the race.

He (excitedly) said he would. He is such a great brother/uncle! I can’t think of many other 22-year-old guys who would gladly watch his sister’s 5 kids overnight. I’m guessing he won’t be so eligible after this post! Nothing is more attractive than that .

Because I don’t have pictures from the race right now (I am a bad picture-taker), here are some pictures of Joel and my other brothers that prove what cool uncles they are!…

We will take as much of him as we can get, because he has accepted a scholarship to play basketball in Nebraska for the next couple of years. We are so proud of all his hard work and for him accomplishments, but Nebraska is a long way away .

Anyhoo, Adam and I stayed at a hotel and were able to get to the buses bright and early (4 am to be exact).

At 6 am we lined up for the start.

I had quite a good group with me for the first little bit, then it started to thin out. I ended up running with two older gentleman for the bulk of the race. One was a BYU professor and the other was a man who worked for an oil company in Texas. I had others in my group, but most of them had earphones in, and were just following me, which was fine.

It was good to have those two men to talk to, though.

It was a really comfortable pace, and I did find that I had to hold back a lot, but it really wasn’t all that bad at all.

I got to mile 11 and was a little over a minute ahead of pace, so I decided to slow down. The two men went ahead because they were feeling good. They both thanked me and went on their way.

I was met at about mile 12 with another wave or people who were wanting to beat 1:45. I encouraged them and pushed them for a little while, but then realized my pace was creeping up, so I held way back.

I didn’t want to come in too soon and found myself alone for the home stretch. There were a couple of runners who were behind me, struggling a bit, so I turned back to bring them in.

I finished at 1:45.07. Even though we were supposed to come in right at or slightly under 1:45, I feel better not having finished the race alone, but with someone else. Adam came in at about 1:34. It was so great to have him at the finish line waiting for me .

It was such a great experience this time around. It was such an easy run and I attribute most of that to having the focus be on helping others reach their goals. When you take the focus off yourself and serve others, things just don’t seem as difficult.

I am now 24 weeks along, and still plan on keeping some good mileage up, but I think this will be my last race to pace until after the baby is born. I may do another 5k or 10k, though. We’ll see …

Adam will be doing a trail half marathon this Friday and then pacing another half on Saturday. We’re excited to watch him!

A lot has happened since then. It hasn’t been that I haven’t wanted to; life has just happened … oh, that and WINTER.

I got a lot of running done this winter, but there really aren’t all that many races going on in northern Utah during those months, and I am not at the point in my married/mothering life to justify travelling for a race.

Also, there is another (little) reason why I have been laying low, and that (little) reason is because we are expecting another baby! I am 22 weeks along, due the end of September and we are so excited to be adding another boy to the family!

This time around has been a lot better than last time. We feel very blessed.

If you know me, though, pregnancy has never been a reason for me to stop running. I have run through all 5 of my pregnancies, and have found that I have felt great, my deliveries (so far) have been so easy and recovery has been so fast. I actually found out we were expecting our first child in the middle of my last cross country season at SUU. I raced until 12 weeks, and even got faster. Imagine that?!

Here is a blog I did when I was expecting our 5th, about being a pregnant runner.

A few weeks back, my husband and I were asked to pace the Utah Valley 1/2, this coming June 8. When we were asked, I really just wanted to do it so badly, especially going with Adam. He was asked to do the 1:35 pace and me the 1:45 slot. It is a downhill race (not too bad of a downhill, though).

I really wanted to get a run in at that pace or faster, at least 2 weeks before, so that I could feel comfortable about pacing the race. When I heard about a new race in our area, called the Alpine Classic 1/2, I thought that this would be the perfect one to sign up for.

I looked over the course and saw that it had some pretty steep uphills with an overall 345 foot gain in elevation. Course map here.

I love hills and thought that it would be so much fun. I figured that if I was able to keep a solid and easy 8 minute pace for a tough course, that the downhill one would be nothing.

When I got to the race, I  saw the man who is in charge of my pacing team, Jonathan at the start. He told me that I should win the race, and I told him that I wasn’t planning on it because I was pregnant. He gave me a good vote of confidence, though, which was much appreciated. I still had no intentions of doing anything but running my 1:45.

Funny side note: I was standing in the port-a-potty line, when a lady turned to me and said “look at all the runner bling!” She was referring to all the flashy shoes, compression socks, bright-colored clothes the people had on. She then said, you can tell the fast ones by how nice their shoes are. Feeling a little self-conscious, I looked down at my red and white adidas manas, that I got for $35 on clearance on Zappos, that I have run 4 marathons and countless halves in. They are beat up to who knows what level. She then looked at them, and we had an awkward moment … followed by another one, when I had to go in the port-a-potty after her. I was about to say “you know how nervous a person is by how smelly … ” … just kidding .

Here is proof of my (over) used shoes:

Anyway, so at the start, I didn’t line up at the front; I just stayed a little in the middle of the pack. It wasn’t a huge race,  by any means, but I did not want to be the pregnant lady at the front.

When I started out, I saw two girls go out fast. Instinctively, I wanted to go out with them, but then I remembered what I was there for, and it was not to go out fast.

Because I am expecting, I wanted to make sure that I kept that in mind, and pay attention to my body. So, I stayed a good distance behind them and just kept my pace at about a 7:30-7:45 and felt really comfortable.

I passed the first girl at about mile 2. The other girl who was in front of me had on bright pink clothes from her head down to her shoes, so it was really easy to keep track of her.

At about mile 6 or 7, there was a really steep climb (one of many). I saw that she was struggling, and so I decided that I would pass her.

At about mile 8, the photographer passed me on his 4-wheeler. He asked if I was expecting (yes, he did ).

I told him that I was, and that I was expecting my 6th. He then rode beside me for a little while, snapping away. The driver even told him that he needed to get a shot of my shadow … I agree it’s probably my best feature .

I’m excited to see the pictures! And best of all, they are free! I will post them when I get them.

From then, on I coasted in, finishing 2nd overall and first place female with a time of 1:33.47. –Not a spectacular time, but for a hilly course and being pregnant, I’ll take it! Results here.

Not a single time in the race did I feel like I was pushing it. It felt so good. When I got in the truck to drive home, I felt him kicking like crazy. It was kind of like a little “good job, Mom!”

I got some comments from friends on how they couldn’t believe I ran it pregnant, and my response was this: “I kind of think I cheated a little. After all, I was running with 4 legs!”

It was a great race that I will for sure put on the calendar for next year!

Baby #2

You’ll just have to wait a few more months… We think it’s a boy, but what do I know?!? I thought Lili was a boy until the day she was born. All those wives tales are a bunch of bull.

Baby Feet, looks so Sweet

So why do we think boy? Just the features — the femur looked huge and the arms? They looked muscular. And I kid you not, the baby was doing crunches. No really… already an athlete.

Thumb Sucking?!?

Everything looks good and baby appears to be healthy. We’re moving right along and we’re half way there (are you all singing the Bon Jovi song now?).

Onto non-baby news, the Brooklyn Half is in 3-days. Eek. Coach Vinny is going to pick up my packet and I’m not sure if I’ll be riding in with him (at freaking 4:30 in the AM) or if I’ll be riding with Kristina. I’ll have to firm things up by Friday. Kristina and I were supposed to run today but she forgot she had a potential new client, so I decided to run solo. I haven’t ran alone (outside) in months… Pedro doesn’t allow me to run alone since I’m pregnant. I get it though. Not only can something happen but pregnant women are target for crime. So he freaks out about that stuff. The route I run though pretty busy — filled with restaurants, shops, a school, etc. In fact, 3 delivery guys know me on a regular and the local fed-ex guy. Every time we get a food or fed-ex delivery, they always say, “Have a great run today!”. HA.

Some tips (pregnant or not pregnant): Always be alert, give eye-contact (you want people to know that you’re confident), don’t run too fast that you’re out of breath just in case you do need to sprint and run with some basic necessities:

Must-Haves

Road ID, license, water bottle, pepper-spray and cell phone!!!! (Pre-pregnancy, I never ran with water if I was doing 3-5 miles, but now, I always STAY HYDRATED!!!)

What do you always carry when you’re out for a run?!?

Now the birth day is approaching and I find it all so hard to believe. Hard to believe this little right foot protruding past my ribs is just about the best feeling ever. Hard to believe my sewing machine has withstood the heat I’ve pumped through its foot feed in the past six months, toiling with me to create: one play quilt, a diaper bag, a “boppy” pillow, two newborn snugglers, two pair of 12m pants out of my old pants (and a turmeric tie-dyed 3m top)…

… fifteen cloth diapers, four maternity shirts, and most recently a suped-up car seat and matching tabbed security blanket. Had it not been for thirty-five hours of the Anna Karenina audio book mixed in with a little James Herriot to lighten Anna’s woes, these projects would probably still be mere thoughts.

Still what is hardest to believe is how prepared I feel.

I started blogging to counter my tendency to craft in the kitchen with no recipe. I confess I still love to be in the kitchen sans my multicolored note pad (i.e. recipe recording system).  …Ahh… to just create something, something I have no idea of how to duplicate… But most of my crafting I do the same, no recipe. For instance, with the car seat head supporter, I spent five minutes staring at Graco’s version at Wal-Mart, taking mental pictures of how I could get around my own cuter and more cuddly version. Inspired enough, I went home; voilà. A far cry cuter than Graco’s and matches the strap covers and security blanket, both with ribbons recycled from a sweet diaper cake.

When a couple of weeks ago when my good friend said, “Wow, you’re really prepared for this baby,” it was a huge praise. I knew she didn’t mean, “Wow, you really have your crib and nappy bucket at the ready” but rather that we’ve done our research and are truly prepared. At her remark I realized that, nope, this pregnancy thing isn’t something I wanted to do without a recipe. To understand my options and feel knowledgeable about labor and delivery seems like a better plan than to just wing it and do what the midwife or doctor tells me.  So I have read, studied, and trained physically and mentally for this baby’s birth day. While, no, things probably won’t go as planned and, yes, there are times to just do as the medical staff instructs, it’s really important to know our options.

This planning reminds me of the marathon. I used to take the no formula approach to marathon training and ran some pretty pathetic marathons without a “recipe.” I’d go out and just run a little or lots with no progression or real plan. Now I approach marathon training with serious focus. Training plans inevitably change with injuries and life events, but never again I would race a marathon without doing my homework and my best to follow a plan.

So why do fears lurk? We have our ducks in a row. All of us are just waiting for this baby.

It’s similar again to a marathon. I always arrive at a marathon start with “healthy fears” and trepidation. Sure part of me wonders if I’ll hit my paces, get a PR, or place well, but deep down what it is, I think, is that I know just how much it’s going to hurt. After running over a dozen marathons, I’ve learned that the pain is fleeting and quickly I’m taken with the sense of accomplishment and satisfaction of a race well run.

So though the approaching birth day may cause me a little angst, I agree, I’m prepared for it. I can’t wait to hold our vernix-covered little one for the first time. When the time comes post-postpartum, I look forward to another round of marathon training. Who knows, I might have just a little less fear for the next 26.2?

Relaxin, the hormone, does what it implies but only it works on ligaments, arteries and the musculoskeletal system, unfortunately not on stress reduction. It’s present in both males and females but is most effective in pregnant women. During pregnancy, it relaxes intrauterine ligaments and increases arterial capacity preventing the boosted blood supply from sending blood pressure off the chart; it gives more flexible joints and more curvature in the back to prepare for carrying and delivering a baby.

At week 17 relaxin hit me like a Mack truck. This gave me the feeling that my pelvis was falling to pieces. Sneezing was especially interesting. Feeling a sneeze coming, I’d try to grab a hold of something thinking that would help, but each sneeze felt like a small explosion in my low back, sacrum and pelvis. Standing up straight was nearly impossible and no position: sitting, standing, lying down, or turned upside down brought relief. I started to think that if I keep up at this rate this baby will walk out of the womb in March.

With running derailed, a week of pain while moving, sneezing, and just generally doing life started to make me think that another ultra marathon sounds sort of, well… “Fun!” Not exactly what I was thinking during the latter part of this California 50-miler.

I ran two ultras in 2007. The first was just to say, “I did.” The second was only because I happened to win the first one, including: flights, hotel, free race entry and a chauffeur. As I’m pretty sure the only flatlander on an extremely hilly route, I was highly unprepared. The last 20 miles (of 50) my face took on this constant grizzled-looking scrunch, and I remember there being lots of tears. Around the final mile I stretched my arms out, I don’t know why but I guess to look “loose” at the finish. Upon doing this, my nervous system went berserk, causing sort of a feeling of electrocution from my fingertips up to my shoulders. “Fun” was not crossing my mind here or thereafter, as evidenced by my face in the picture below. (That’s my dad with his binocs, not sure what to say to encourage me in this state).

Yet after two weeks, things are truly relaxing, and I’m feeling a little more myself. Today I took to the treadmill and put in five miles running followed by some sweet drills. Running doesn’t necessarily feel good but these treadmill drills do. I picked these up from Beau at Rocky Mountain Performance in Trinidad, CO. He’s a master athletic trainer and a brilliant sprint trainer.

As a warm up or cool down, start walking forward with an incline of about 7.5 +/- (this will remain constant, the pace will change); start with the pace set to about 3.5. Walk for 2-4 minutes. Next, decrease the pace to about 2.2 – 2.5 and carefully turn to the side.

Keep your toes and knees pointing forward.

Think: step-reach, step-reach instead of hopping.

If you feel like you need to hop then slow the pace. Step-reach with nice long strides on this side for 2 minutes (and increase time as you progress or need). Next, turn backwards, walk backwards with nice long, reaching strides for 2-4 minutes.

Finally, turn to the opposite side and do the same step-reach for equal time.

These drills build hip stability which many runners lack but need. Sprinters become more efficient in form with more hip stability and thus faster. Distance runners are no different. My theory is that if you suffer from sciatica, sacroiliitis, or an increase in relaxin (not a theory) this may be a nice workout for you. Or if you’re perfectly well, then this will only develop your hip strength and make you an even meaner machine.

Run Fast!

Why did I shut up?  Well, I had lots of posts I wanted to write but then decided to save them.  This is because, 7 weeks and  1 day ago I became a Mum or, as they call it in my country, a Mom.

Currently the light of my life is squeaking lightly in his incredibly cool Mamaroo (more on that some other time).  He’s squeaking, because, well, he lives with a dog and the dog squeaks so he squeaks instead of cries.  (The blog is called Orange Squeaky for more than one reason.)  I found out I was having a baby the same time I found out about my entrance into the London Marathon.  Considering that I’m not as hard core as most I medically deferred and decided instead to just run a Half Marathon.

That’s right, people, I wrote “just run a Half Marathon.”

I’m only 1/2 Hard Core.  The request of me is made up of soft squishy fondant.  I’m the Cadbury Creme Egg of runners.

Fact is (really, it is a fact) if you ran BEFORE you got pregnant you can run AFTER you get pregnant.  Some people can run more than others, some taper it down, some walk.  And, so long as you aren’t pitching yourself into logs, jumping fire pits or ravenous alligators (amongst other dangers) – YOU CAN RUN WHILST PREGNANT*.

*Disclaimer Time:

I am not a doctor, sports medicine expert, or other credenialed individual.  I have a BA in Classics and took up running at 26 because I wanted a big Disney medal.  Pretty, pretty Disney medals of which four are in my possession.. If you have any questions at all about whether or not you can or cannot run – GO SEE YOUR DOCTOR.  I found that, like snowflakes, every pregnancy is unique.  Some people have no issues, others have lots.  But if there is one thing I do know exercise in pregnancy of any kind is good – I will write about my experiences so long as you realize they are my experiences and not your experiences.  We aren’t Being John Malkovich here.

So I ran a Half Marathon at 17 weeks in my pregnancy.  It’s the perfect time, as I vomited and was ill the first bit, and then reached that lovely point in the middle where I wasn’t too big and I wasn’t ill.  I ran with my husband who carried about 10x more food and drink than normal, and accepted that I wasn’t going to break any records.  I did my normal run commuting to and fro as training.  I Made no list of expectations except to finish. Had there been a point where I didn’t want to I would’ve stopped.  But, as most runners will tell you, once you start you finish. We finished in under 3 hours, which, as a sloth runner that I am, is pretty darn good.

Plus I can tell the kiddo that he earned his first medal in utero.

Running continued for me until week 20, when I realised I was just doing  glorified walking. After that I switched to biking, which ended at 28 weeks due to illness and overall concern that I was potentially pushing my luck and some car, somewhere, would wack me. I finished off with yoga.

Now that London is less than a year away the running shoes are starting to call out to me again. Because I worked hard to be in shape I have already lost quite a bit of the baby fat, though I still have to learn how to balance working, baby, and training over this next year. For instance, I am typing this one handed on an iPad and completely understand why the site Damn You Autocorrect now exists. Babies require balance. And nappy changes. Lots of nappy changes.

So if you have stumbled across this blog when searching for “Can I run when pregnant” the answer is YES. If you still aren’t sure talk to your medical professional. If you aren’t sure after that I really don’t know what to tell you. Perhaps something witty or rude will pop up in your autocorrect and solve all your problems.

You see, a couple of weeks ago I took the dog for a walk and decided to wear my old ASICS GT 2160 because it was kind of muddy on the trail and I normally don’t like to walk too much in my running shoes.

Almost immediately after the walk my ankle started to ache and my IT Band flared up. Being the running shoe expert* that I am, I concluded that my feet had become accustomed to my Saucony ProGrid Kinvara 2 (a minimalist running shoe) and therefore the added support from my ASICS was causing my feet to move abnormally, hence they hurt.

I mentioned this to my husband.

I mentioned this to a good friend while on a walk (wearing my Kinvaras) and even offered to give her my old running shoes because I was convinced they were no good for me.

Thankfully I did not mention it on the blog because it turns out I was wrong.

The evening after my walk with my friend I went for a short 3 mile run. I wore my Kinvaras like I normally do. Unfortunately, something was not right. My feet immediately started to ache and my arches felt like they were on fire.

It was not fun.

I stretched and foam rolled and wished I had a massage stick because foam rolling has become significantly more difficult with a belly.

The only way I could describe how my feet felt to my husband was that they needed more cushioning (or something).

In an effort to work out a knot in my calve I got the rolling-pin and massaged the night away.

Side note: I have never used a real massage stick before but the rolling-pin was a great (and cheap) substitute.

Fast forward to Saturday when I was getting ready for my 8 mile run.

I decided at the last-minute to wear my ASICS knowing I had the option to change them when I looped back to the house to pee.

My feet immediately felt great.

Much different from the walk I had gone on.

I ended up wearing them for the entire run and had no problems, aches or pains during or after my run.

Hmmmmm.

This led to a google search on foot changes during pregnancy.

Turns out a woman’s feet can be more prone to pronating during pregnancy and may require more support as their bodies grown and change. I also think that because our centre of gravity changes during pregnancy so does our running form. Running in a minimalist type shoe requires its own changes in form so the combination of the two was not working out for me personally. I had basically written off ever going back to running in a shoe other than my Kinvaras. It’s amazing how things can change once you vocalize something. For now I will continue to wear my ASICS and save my Kinvaras until after the baby is born.

Because I really do love them.

And they have treated me well up until now.

But at 22 weeks it’s time for a little more foot support, especially since the half-marathon is in less than 4 weeks.

I wore these same ASICS for my first half-marathon and now I will wear them for my second.

The only difference is this time I’m wearing them for two.

* ha, ha. Not even close.

My husband is training for a ten-mile adventure race, which involves, among other things, scaling towering obstacles, commando crawling under barbed wire, jumping into an ice-cold vat of Jell-O, and carrying a 30 pound log for three miles.  The race is called the Tough Mudder. I’m not so impressed by this set of challenges. I would like to see a race called the Tough Mother in which men get to experience third trimester pregnancy while sprinting for a connecting flight through Dallas as they push a sweating toddler strapped into a stroller with a broken wheel while carrying a sticky car seat on their head and a gigantic diaper bag slung over their shoulders filled with leaking juice boxes and stale snacks. At the end of it they get to fold laundry, clean out a refrigerator and then give birth while reading “Horton Hears A Who” with all the voices and accents to the aforementioned toddler.

Having been through pregnancy and early motherhood myself more than once, I now know what I wish I knew then: this is something a person should think about training for.

Motherhood and certainly labor itself is nothing if not a test of strength, courage and endurance, so maintaining your fitness program, or even starting one sometime well before the doctor says, “Push!” may be in your best interest. But many women find safely navigating the challenges a fitness regime for a body that, at times, can seem alien (or like it’s growing one) can be confusing and overwhelming. Should you give up those Zumba classes and switch to yoga? Or is it best to stay off your feet and catch up on “Lost” for the next few months?

Megan Anderson was one of those tentative people during her first pregnancy. Despite the fact that she was a seasoned competitive runner who knew her body pretty darn well, she was so unsure of what she should or shouldn’t do during her pregnancy she erred on the side of caution. “My doctor’s recommendations were the basis for my workouts. By the end of my first trimester I’d given up running and resistance training and would try to walk outside three to four times a week. I didn’t enjoy my pregnancy and often felt uncomfortable and lethargic.”

Three months after her daughter was born, Megan was downsized from a job she didn’t really love, which allowed her to shift gears and meld her interest in athletics into a new career. She went back to school and became an Advanced Certified Personal Trainer. A short while after landing a position at Fitness Together in Westborough, she took on the challenge of studying for her prenatal/postnatal certification, all while continuing to work as a trainer, caring for her toddler and navigating her second pregnancy.

She credits her education in personal training with giving her the wherewithal to surmount such a daunting set of challenges. “If I hadn’t continued my cardio, resistance, and flexibility training throughout my second pregnancy, then I would not have had the energy or motivation to juggle it all!  But I was able to complete all the required reading and studying and complete the exam to send it in two weeks before my second child was born!”

The experience galvanized Megan’s commitment to help other women by guiding them through an appropriate fitness regime before, during and after pregnancy.  “I am excited to use my knowledge and personal experience to help others, especially moms-to-be, to maintain a fit and healthy lifestyle and to enjoy it at the same time!”

There is certainly a lot to know about exercising safely during pregnancy, so finding an experienced trainer like Megan Anderson with knowledge of pre and postnatal exercise is a great way to go, and the payoff will certainly be worth it. The right amount and the right kind of exercise during pregnancy can keep your energy up and your weight gain to normal levels. It can also mean a shorter and less complicated labor and a quicker recovery, which will let you be the best mother you can be.

To schedule an appointment with Megan Anderson at Fitness Together in Westborough call 508-366-0099 or go to FTWestborough

To find a Fitness Together training expert near you go to FTGetsResults.com

Megan has suggested some additional articles mothers, or mothers-to-be, or even those, ahem, Tough Mudders, might want to check out:

Happier Smarter Babies
Running While Pregnant
Running Goals During Pregnancy

Thankfully I can still wear most of my pre-pregnancy pants with the help of a belly band (or t-shirt extender as we like to call them, this way I can still wear them when I’m not pregnant and want a little extra coverage) and although my tops are tighter in the stomach area I can still wear them.

But not everything is fitting the way it should including my running tops. They are getting too tight and have a tendency to ride up my belly while I a running. Thankfully, I solved this problem with a little help from my friend online shopping.

I stumbled upon runningskirts.com while searching for maternity running clothes. I didn’t want to spend a lot of money since I won’t be wearing them for too long but I knew I needed something. I had tried just buying larger sizes in regular running clothes but the bottom line is that maternity clothes are made for a growing belly (long length, more belly room) and that’s what I needed.

I chose the Pool Maternity Performance Long Sleeve.

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The thumbs holes, and the sale price, sold me on this particular shirt.

It arrived on the weekend and I love the light weight material. It is going to be perfect for the upcoming months while the weather is still cool and will be perfect for when I retreat to my basement for a treadmill run when the weather gets too hot. I bought it a size up so there is room to grow and I don’t mind the looser fit right now. I’ve been wearing it on my runs this week and it is super comfortable and stays in place without riding up. If you’re anything like me then you know there are few things more annoying than tugging on a shirt while you run.

I also bought my first pair of compression socks at the same time.

I tried running with them on but quickly learned that was not going to work for me. My calves felt really tight and I had to roll them down about a mile into my run. I put them back on after my run and wore them at work for the rest of the afternoon and love them as a recovery tool. My only complaint is I wish they went up over my knees because I feel like I could use a bit of compression in that area. Needless to say this won’t be my last piece of compression wear.

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runningskirts also has some fabulous customer service. I originally ordered the compression socks in blue but they were all out when they were processing my order. They contacted me right away and then sent out the purple socks via priority post so I got them in record time. I love companies that not only ship to Canada from the States but that also offer reasonable shipping.

I don’t have the guts to try out a running skirt yet but maybe after the baby arrives.

I’m in no way affiliated with runningskirts but highly recommend them if you are looking for quality running gear, especially if you are pregnant and have reached that point where your normal clothes just don’t fit right.

The office’s white tile was cold. The nurse practitioner sat on a rolling stool and pronounced me “officially” pregnant. My first question?

“Can I run still?”

Literally, the day before, I had enjoyed a five-mile run with my Siberian Husky and felt great. I was regularly running and my body didn’t feel any different, I explained.

Her response?

“Oh, no, honey. You need to reduce the pounding and do the eliptical or walking instead.”

All I could think was “but I’ve heard from other people whose doctors told them they could keep exercising the way they always had,” but I didn’t mention it.

I went home, the ever-concerned, first-time mother and sat on the couch. And, it was pretty much that way for nine months (it didn’t help that I was pregnant for the hottest months of that year though!).

Fast forward to 2011: Round 2.

Marathon training has taken a backseat since I discovered I was pregnant in September. As soon as I found out, all I wanted to do was get cleared by my doctor to keep running. I asked my doctor immediately (and if you’re pregnant or think you might be and considering this, you should,  too!) and she replied that I just needed to keep my heart rate between 140 and 150 beats per minute to ensure my baby’s heart rate didn’t get too high.

I was slightly crestfallen. My energy was up and I was feeling awesome on my regular runs. Now I had to slow down. But, I’ve accepted it and decided it’s better than becoming a couch potato again.

So, my runs are now more like granny shuffle jogs. The speed demon in me is going a tad crazy because I KNOW I can go faster! But, ultimately, my baby and his/her health is more important, so I’m taking it easy for now.

Bottom line: Unless you’re dealing with physical challenges, if you’ve been running consistently up until the point that you became pregnant, your doctor should clear you for some running. (I will tell you, however, that it is slightly freeing to take a break and even walk without feeling guilty for once!)

It can be a frustrating time, but take it easy, enjoy the views of your neighborhood and stay as active as possible. Your activity is awesome for the health of your baby and will reduce the likelihood of you developing gestational diabetes, which can increase your risk for Type 2 diabetes.

Stay active, my friends, and enjoy the down time while  you can!

Before beginning any running or exercise regime, check with your doctor first to be sure it is safe for your pregnancy. If the OB says it is ok, here are some pregnancy running tips:

Stay Hydrated- Hydration is always important when running but you’re going to need it even more when you are pregnant. Be sure to drink plenty of water before, during and after the run. Dehydration can decrease blood flow to the uterus and this can lead to premature contractions.

Plan your Potty Breaks- Another symptom of pregnancy that many women get right from the beginning is increased urination. When you’re drinking a lot of water, you’re going to have to go a lot. Add to that your expanding uterus pressing on your bladder and the fact that you are pounding the pavement and you’re probably going to need a potty stop or two on your run. I would run laps around my block rather than run several blocks away so that if I had to get to the bathroom, it was right there for me.

Read more at Yahoo! Voices

Well, that was the plan anyway. My reasoning was that, I know for a fact that a big chunk of the field always walks, so I thought, “why can’t I do the same thing?”

So Sunday morning of the 23rd, 2:00 am to be exact, Dan and I woke up and took a long drive from Subic to Global City in Taguig since he participated in the Bike United races on Friday and Saturday. I was more chipper than he was, as his legs were smashed from doing three bike races in two days!  He was a real trouper though, as he managed to get us to the start line way ahead of time.  Our race packets were organized for us by JM and Vima at the Adidas Information Tent and shortly after, Dan ran off in the 16.8km race. I waited a few more minutes for the 5km wave. I positioned myself on the far right so I would not get squished, as I was really only planning to walk.

When the gun went off, I found myself moving forward at what seemed like a run–yes, it probably looked more like a waddle, but at 35weeks of pregnancy that was a run for me. I laughed at myself because I just threw my walking plan out the window once the race started- it was the competitor in me I guess.  I eventually settled into a routine of something like a 5min waddle/run and 2min walk. It worked out well, and I crossed the line in 42min and 5seconds.  I was just gunning for a sub-hour walk! Haha. I had loads of fun, and soon after I met up with Dan and our friends Melvin and Saffry who came all they way from Singapore.

Great race, good organization: Kudos to Adidas and Runrio!!!

“For me, it wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. I was running up until that point anyway,” Miller told The Associated Press in an interview from the hospital where she was recovering Monday. “I am crazy about running.”

Sunday’s marathon was the eighth for the 27-year-old, who has been running for more than a dozen years. She found out she was pregnant with her second child days after signing up for the Chicago race and decided to play it by ear on whether or not she would run.

When the baby hadn’t been born by Sunday, she got clearance from her doctor to run half. She completed it with a with a half-run half-walk approach, drinking lots of fluids and eating a lot along the way. She finished in 6:25:50, much slower than her usual marathon time, but still content.

“Lots of people were cheering me on: `Go pregnant lady!”‘ she said. “I was expecting some negative comments. I don’t remember anything.”

It was not Miller’s first marathon while pregnant.

In May, the Westchester woman ran the Wisconsin Marathon in 4:23:07 while 17 weeks pregnant with her daughter. In 2009, she ran the Indianapolis Marathon in 4:30:27 while she was 18 weeks pregnant with her son Caleb, who’s 1.

Elite runners have trained while pregnant, but doctors say Miller is a rarity. She was 38 weeks and five days pregnant. Full-term is typically defined as 40 weeks.

Marathon world-record holder Paula Radcliffe ran 14 miles a day while pregnant and resumed training weeks after the birth of her first child. She won the New York City Marathon in 2007 just 10 months after delivery. American marathoner Kara Goucher, who gave birth to her son last year, also trained while pregnant, running 80 miles a week at times.

“It’s probably the rare woman who is in good enough shape to run a marathon while pregnant. It’s probably the exception more than the rule,” said Dr. Priya Rajan, an assistant professor in obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago.

Medical guidelines generally say that if a woman was a runner and healthy before she got pregnant, running during pregnancy is fine. Doctors even recommend exercise for low-risk pregnancies. However, medical experts agree that pregnancy is not the time to begin any exercise endeavors, such as starting marathon training for the first time. For pregnant runners, close monitoring by a doctor is recommended.

Miller who was looking forward to getting rest, said she the only effects she felt from the marathon, which she finished around 3:30 p.m., were blisters on her feet. She was just happy to see her daughter June, who was born at 10:29 p.m. at 7 pounds, 13 ounces with no complications.

* Instant cure for morning sickness, seriously

* You can feel a LOT less guilty about all of those junk food cravings when you know you’ll be running it off

* Hormone balancing. Thanks to SERIOUS hormone imbalances, pregnant women tend to get a little.. umm… crazy. Nothing is more mind clearing/stabilizing than pounding the pavement with some great music blasting.

* Builds some serious confidence ” look what I can do !”

* Easy Peezy labor and recovery time, there is no way in HELL I could have ran 2 weeks post labor if it wasn’t for staying active the entire pregnancy.

This list could go on for days but you get the gist. IT’s a CURE ALL I swear.

Of course there is a lovely peanut gallery of un-educated ” super moms” that will say it’s dangerous. Wake Up! It’s 2011. Doctors everywhere, and fit moms alike, have proven that it is completely safe. Women run marathons pregnant.

The most important thing to remember,  running with bump or 6 pack, is knowing your body. When you know the limits that your body can reach it is important to never push those limits when you are PG. If you have never ran a day in your life, now is NOT the time to start a crazy training program. But staying healthy can be as easy as daily walks with your dog or a low key yoga class. Whether you are running 8 miles or walking around your block, always stop or slow down if your heart rate seems too high or you are out of breath. ALWAYS drink lots of water. It’s important normally ( I say this but I choose to not even sip h20 on a 13.1 mile race because I get side cramps. Do as I say NOT as I do) but with a bump AND these insane heat warnings across the country DRINK UP. If you are like me and would rather run naked than wear one of those crazy water bottle packs, try a camelbak. Most are big and bulky for women on the move but I found a small model at a good price and can’t WAIT to try it out.

Bottom line: Stay hydrated, don’t push your limits, ask your doctor first, and only do what is enjoyable.

( all of these tips are a hodge-podge of info from my doctors, news articles, AFPA fitness books, etc)

All of this being said, I have definitely pushed my limits. Pushed them like a college freshman claiming to know his alcohol limits yet pukes on himself at his first fraternity party. Seriously, I pushed it enough to be embarrassed and angry with myself.

M and I were walking to the Disney half marathon ( yes walking, there is a 30 minute WALK from the parking lot to the starting line… another reason to NEVER run disney)  when we saw a cute chick sporting her mid sized baby bump. HOW COOL IS THAT? She passed us and M says ” that could be you. You could do that.” Even if she says it jokingly… which most of the time it is… I take bets like that seriously. I convinced myself that for baby #2, my LAST pregnancy, I will run a half marathon with bump. Technically I was pg when I ran our first but 4 weeks doesn’t count since I didn’t even know yet. I love a good challenge so as soon as I found out we were expecting I had to figure out which race would fall at an ideal time. Montgomery Half Marathon on October 1st happens to be at exactly 20 weeks which is mid 2nd trimester and couldn’t be an easier or safer time. The only down fall being that training has to start in August which means NASTY heat and humidity. I had to tell myself to Suck it up Buttercup and make it work. Which I have, for the past couple weeks.Running either at sunrise with 97% humidity but lower temps or at sunset with high temps and low humidity was really working out. It has been fun, made me feel GREAT even during the first trimester blaaahhss, and I was actually following through with walking when my body told me too ( which was quite often to be honest.) It is just like my last pregnancy only HIGH humidity instead of dry desert heat. Nothing I couldn’t handle.

Well Sunday must be a day of rest for a reason. I love running early Sunday morning because to me it is JUST like going to church only more personal. It is a time to yourself to meditate and give thanks to the beautiful land that surrounds us ( sorry that was a new level of cheese I know.) Last Sunday I had a 6.5 mile run which was the furthest I had run in about 2 months. I was cautious of the heat and walked every time I was too winded. About mile 5, which had been my go to distance for a while, a pain hit me that was completely foreign. Knee pain. I PRIDE the fact that I have had no serious injuries thanks to my 5-fingers. All previous aches and pains were erased when I became a barefoot running convert. But this pain was different, it wasn’t from a tweak, and it wasn’t sore. Each time I would slow to a walk it would go away only to return immediately when I picked up the pace. WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?  I managed to hobble run-walk my way home through that last 1.5 miles and of course the pain was gone as soon as I stepped in the door.

After some reading and days of googling I discovered something that seemed to have snuck right by me in my first round of running with a bump. Ligament and joint problems. I had read about it but since it hadn’t effected me it went right over my head. In preparation for childbirth your hip joints/ligaments expand and loosen. Simultaneously, so do other joints such as your…. duh duh duh… knees. UGHHHH!! NOOO!! Don’t tell me this is seriously truly related. Sure enough every discussion board and medical journal states the same UPLIFTING words of advice. IT WILL PASS AFTER BIRTH. Or better yet, DISCONTINUE ALL EXERCISE WHEN JOINT PAIN BEGINS.  Because that is really supposed to help me now while I have 28 freaking weeks to go.

Since Sunday I have taken it easy with no pains and was ready to get back into gear. This afternoon the pain returned full force and remains throbbing and aching. I have no idea where to go from here. I was fortunate to have no problems running with baby #1 but like they all say, every pregnancy is different. I will continue praying to the running gods above for a miracle, or at least a solution to this ailment QUICK. Somehow, someway, I know that I will reach my goal and complete the Montgomery half. Walking, wearing a knee brace ( YUCK), or relying on rest and restrictions. I will cross that finish line and it will mean MUCH more to me because of it.

Life isn’t always rainbows and sunshines, I know. My entire life friends/family have pushed that into my obnoxiously optimistic  mind. We can’t control everything in our lives . Obstacles are thrown our way so that we can become stronger and overcome them. So tonight I sit at my computer whining and complaining about a silly knee. I know there are REAL problems in the world, LOTs of real problems. People starving, soldiers fighting, families struggling. But to me this is it, I guess I should just be extremely thankful that a knee is all that I have to whine and complain about today.

If you read this entire blog, you have patience. More patience than me, and thanks for listening to my verbal vomit since my loving husband and sole sister M are probably sick and tired of it Any words of wisdom shot my way will be greatly appreciated! Happy week fit friends.

At  5’6″ and 106 pounds, she trained 100 hilly miles per week. This high level of training lead amenorrhea, the infrequent menstrual periods experienced by many gymnasts, ballet dancers and distance runners. For years she had been used to going months without a period. Thus, in 1983, she was ripe for the surprise of her life.

“In January I won the Houston Marathon,” says Kristiansen. “I thought I recovered well, but I got beat by some runners I really shouldn’t have lost to in 10-and 15-kilometer road races.” Then she finished 35th in the world cross-country race in Gateshead, England, an event in which she had been sixth the year before.

Kristiansen’s coach, Johan Kaggestad, was confused. “My wife said, ‘She must be pregnant. Ask her.’ It was Ingrid’s birthday and she was miserable, so I didn’t. But the next day on the plane I brought it up, and she laughed and said, ‘No, no.’ But I said maybe it would be good to take a test.” A week passed. “I answered the phone, and she was crying, not only that she was pregnant, but that she was five months pregnant.”

The tears were of shock, not dismay. She wanted a baby, but she wanted to run, too. Kristiansen trained as much as she could before the birth. “When she got so round she couldn’t run, she swam and biked and walked for hours,” said Kaggestad. In effect she had the luxury of a four-month pregnancy.

She finished fourth in the Woman’s Olympic Marathon in the 1984 Los Angeles Games.  Coming from Norway, where it is cold for months,  she was known for training on the treadmill.  She won several big marathons wins on her running resume  including New york, Chicago, Boston twice, London a record four times, Stockholm three times and Houston two times.

She started her athletic career  as a National ranked cross-country skier.  She was the European Juniors champion in 1974 and won eight Norwegian Championships in the relay.  This goes to show a person doesn’t have to start out as a runner to become a fast one.

If only more women realized that pregnancy is not an excuse to sit down and eat extra food for 9 months, but more than ever a reason to stay active and healthy for you and your baby’s health.

I recently came across an article about Paula Radcliff running a race and thought it would be encouraging to other women.  Why?   Paula Radcliffe the 10km world record holder of 30:21 set   in 2003.  She ran a 10k in early July, which paid tribute to the Jane Tomlinson charity.    Jane set up the charity before she died of cancer.   This doesn’t sound unusual but she was 7 months pregnant.  She completed the course in a time of 45 minutes and 35 seconds and ran the final 100 meters with her three-year old daughter Isla Lough. Paul ran the New York Mini 10k in June, finishing with a time of 44: 36 seconds (almost 15 minutes slower than her world record).   She obviously is not concerned about running a time, but it was about enjoying the day. After all how often do you think she gets to take it easy in a race?  She is running every day to keep up her fitness for the 2012 Olympics, which are in her home country London England.

I have three children of my own and ran every day of my pregnancies.  As I read the article it brought back memories of me running and even racing while pregnant.  I had people give me dirty as I ran.  My doctor encouraged me to run but change so of my routines- like so running at the hottest time of day and  so my pace.  One time a friend passed me on an up hill in the last mile of a 5K.  He later told me he felt guilty passing a 7 months pregnant runner but figured he would not have another chance to bet me.   Like Paula I ran more for the enjoyment.  I had the chance to run with my sister in a 5k and not worry my time.   It was nice to not care about the number of females that past me, or if one of my rivals where on my heels.   I wore a heart rate monitor to help keep me running well under my target heart rate zone.  If you don’t have a heart rate monitor I suggest getting one because it will keep up in the zone (if you’re not pregnant obviously it will be in the zone not under).  I also talked during the race to people.  This at first seemed odd because as a competitive runner you never talk during a race you try to get the person in front of you.   I had no problems suring my pregnancies or deliveries.  My only worry after my first was will I get to the hospital in time or will the baby be born as I run into the hospital.  All three of my deliveries where 100% natural.  I was back running 6 weeks after having my first child.  The other two I was back running two weeks later.  I lost all the baby weight by my six week check up.  Several people said I was lucky to loos the weight so quickly but it was not luck it was because of all the exercise I did during the pregancy and that I didn’t let myself sit around after I deliverd- it was the workouts I did not luck.  I  was glad to hear Olympians running while pregnant and helping others realize that just because you are pregnant doesn’t mean you have to stop everything.

Before hitting the roads for a run a pregnant woman should consult her doctor about continuing her exercise program.  Make sure to keep your obstetrician informed about the type and amount of running/exercise you are doing.  In most cases if a woman ran or exercised prior to finding out she was pregnant the doctor will encourage her to continue exercising during the pregnancy. The important word is before because your body is accustomed to exercising already.    You may have to run slower and at a different time of the day but there are lots of benefits for staying active during your pregnancy.   You don’t want to be running during the hottest time of day in the summer months.  A pregnant woman should keep her core body temperature below 102 degrees to prevent fetal hyperthermia (over heating).

Another key element for a pregnant woman while running or exercising is her heart rate.  Your heart rate will help determine how hard the individual is working while running of exercising.   Most doctors suggest keeping a pregnant woman’s heart rate below 140 beats per minute during the run.  Monitoring her heart rate during exercise is essential for both mother and the unborn child health.  The extra weight will make your bodywork harder then it did before you where pregnant.  This is true even if you are working at a slower pace.  Intense exercise boosts oxygen intake and blood flow to the muscles and away from other parts of your body such as your uterus.

If you don’t have a heart rate monitor you would have to stop and count the beats for 10 seconds then multiply the number by 6 to get your heart rate per minute.   Heart rate monitor provide a simple and accurate way to observe and regulate the woman’s heart rate during exercise.  When you train with a heart rate monitor watch it will allow you to train continuously and get her instant feedback.   You can preset your limit of 140 beats and the watch will beep letting you know you are going to above your limit.  Since you will know instantly when you are above your heart rate of 140 beats you can adjust your pace immediately.  Most monitors use a weak radio signal to transfer heart rate from a strap you wear around your chest to a watch.  This is safe for both mother and child.

I have three children and ran during all of my pregnancies.  I personally was able to run until the day before I delivered each of my children.  I didn’t run the day I delivered because they all arrived early in the morning.  My body was accustomed to running between 70 plus miles a week before I found out I was pregnant.  The only thing that changed for me was I ran slower and shorter. The monitor helped me adjust my training pace as my body was adjusting to each pregnancy.  Wearing a monitor helped me continue running while pregnant by giving me peace of mind that I was not harming my child.  The fun part was when I entered a few 5k races.  Other runners would get frustrated seeing pregnant runner enjoying the race.  I was use to running hard in races but being pregnant I just ran for fun.
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