Just another quick update. Still getting out the door occasionally. (Although yoga has turned into my go to preggo exercise - luckily I have found a couple challenging videos that I like and work for me right now.)
So, running - I did 3.5 miles yesterday and walked about .5 of it. The running (if you can call it that) was very slow. The man ran with me and actually had a Garmin on so I know how slow I've gotten. 10:30 was average pace, my body preferred 11's and my legs preferred 10's. They compromised, but I don't think they will continue to do so for much longer. I think my legs will have to take pleasure from biking and spinning for a while. I will say that using a maternity band has helped, heat has not. Drinking on the run exacerbates the need to pee, but not drinking in this weather is not really an option. I did have at least 1.5 miles of pleasure during the jaunt and that will keep me getting out there. The plan is to try again tomorrow morning - we shall see how it goes. :-)
Another note, as of the last couple weeks my longest tanks are starting to show a little belly. I guess that's not bad considering they are just normal tanks and not maternity. So, we found a Reebok tank from Motherhood Maternity this weekend. I don't love the fabric and it's a little long, but it will help get me through. I like the separation between the boobs & the belly so that it doesn't look like one big blob - that's nice for a pregnant lady. We need to not feel like blobs as much as possible! :-)
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Friday, May 13, 2011
Running at 30 weeks preggo
Just a quick update on running - still doing it.
I have had 2 decent runs, & 2 not as great runs this week. Kind of sinking in that not all days will be good for running and walking is alright too. Just getting out there is an accomplishment and the fresh air always does me good.
Biggest issues with continuing to run are bladder/pelvic pressure & sore feet.
Downhills are no longer my friend since they put some extra pounding on the bladder. On days when it's just 'the need to pee' pain I'm doing OK. On days when there is pressure and pain in the pelvis (think needle poking pain - not excruciating, just irritating) there is walking.
Taking smaller strides helps reduce all my bladder pain. Heel striking helps with the pressure on my feet.
Slowing down helps with everything.
So, slow and steady and taking it easy when my body says so, I'm going to try to keep up this mental release during my pregnancy. Only 10 more weeks! :-)
I have had 2 decent runs, & 2 not as great runs this week. Kind of sinking in that not all days will be good for running and walking is alright too. Just getting out there is an accomplishment and the fresh air always does me good.
Biggest issues with continuing to run are bladder/pelvic pressure & sore feet.
Downhills are no longer my friend since they put some extra pounding on the bladder. On days when it's just 'the need to pee' pain I'm doing OK. On days when there is pressure and pain in the pelvis (think needle poking pain - not excruciating, just irritating) there is walking.
Taking smaller strides helps reduce all my bladder pain. Heel striking helps with the pressure on my feet.
Slowing down helps with everything.
So, slow and steady and taking it easy when my body says so, I'm going to try to keep up this mental release during my pregnancy. Only 10 more weeks! :-)
Scolding
I really did not see this one coming. I've talked to the doctor before about my exercise - including biking. I've cut back on my exercise. I make sure I can carry on a conversation while exercising. I stay hydrated. I take care of myself and therefore my baby. I am well educated regarding exercise and pregnancy.
So the appointment yesterday...
(Picture doctor standing in front of you with hands on hips and snarky attitude.)
Doctor - I saw you rode your bike to the last appointment.
Me - Yes.
Doc - Exactly how much are you biking?
Me - Commuting 4 miles/day, Monday bike ride of around 10 miles...(luckily I got no further than this or she might have blown a gasket)
Doc - I'm concerned about your center of balance and riding long miles...increasing your chance of falling or pre-term labor..
Husband - What causes pre-term labor?
Doc - Overheating, she needs to take it easy
Husband - She has been taking it easy, she's cut down from her pre-pregnancy mileage by over 50%
Doc - She's not pre-pregnant, she's pregnant (Really?? Hadn't noticed that one...)
Doc - More 'talking at us' about falling and taking it easy and overheating...
Doc - You've only gained .5lbs since your last appointment.
Me - No, I've gained about 3lbs - last time I was here I was wearing boots; this time I'm wearing sandals.
Doc - Overall your weight gain is fine and your measurements are where they should be (like I said...)
There was more I'm sure - that's the gist of it though. Basically she said biking is unsafe for me now. Mostly annoyed with her approach. Going to blame it on her having a bad day, just being cautious, etc...
There are so many sides to this issue though.
Negatives:
Overheating - since it's hotter this could be an issue. It leads to dehydration so I have been monitoring the color of my urine closely. But, honestly it's just as big of an issue with running, walking, anything outdoors when it's 90 degrees and she didn't mention any of those.
Falling - there is always a risk of falling when on a bike no matter how careful you are. But, there is some danger in anything we do or any form of transportation we use. I am conscious about the fact that I could fall, but I also don't feel that my center of balance is really 'off'. Maybe it will be, but currently it isn't. I feel safe on my bike or I wouldn't do it.
Out of my control factors - other cyclists, animals, and vehicles.
Positives:
Normal exercising during pregnancy benefits - more energy, better mood, better sleep, easier labor and even possibly healthier heart for baby.
Other factors:
Safer/as safe as cars?? - more pregnant women die in car accidents than birth complications. In addition, odds of dying in a car accident are 1/88, while odds of dying in a bicycling accident are 1/4717 per the NSC. Now, that's not taking into account the fetus. Evidently states are not required to track fetus deaths when reporting accidents. They estimate 300 - 1000 per year. More than 4X the death rate of infants & children up to 4 years. Mostly due to steering wheel and improper use of seat belt.
I should state it seems the big worry with falls off a bike or with an automobile accident is detachment of the placenta from the uterine wall - causing the fetus to lose oxygen. I read it accounts for 80% of fetal loss in automobile accidents.
So, what to do, what to do????
Baby comes first. Cycling seems safer than driving a car. Slow commuting seems appropriate on an upright bike. Biking on trails away from traffic seems OK. Road riding may be out for now. Tonight is Thursday and I generally ride roads, but it is a hilly course with no shoulders so why take the chance I guess. Planning to take my trainer and ride in the parking lot while the man bikes then go for an off road run with him.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
3rd Trimester 5K
It wasn't on the calendar, but running a 5K seemed like a good way to get me out of bed on a Saturday to run. I am around 20lbs over my pre-preggo weight and my running has slowed, but I still thought it would be fun to get out and run with a group. The hardest part was knowing that I couldn't push it. Knowing that I couldn't chase down that 'rabbit'. This was going to just be a run and my goal was to finish and make sure I didn't overexert.
It was the Dogwood 5K in Neosho, MO. A friend told me about it on Friday, otherwise I wouldn't have heard about it at all. I was expecting the typical 5K turnout for this area (30-50 runners). Turned out to be around 120 runners in total - that was a happy surprise - the more the merrier! It's a great idea - $8 to pre-register, and $10 day of race - no t-shirt, just a nice size dogwood to all finishers - awesome!
Race started at 9am and I took off. We headed south (into a pretty strong wind). I found my pace pretty quickly, continually telling myself to not go out to fast. No garmin so it was all by feel. After about a mile we made a turn east and up a hill. This is where you found out who hadn't been telling themselves not to go out too fast! I was able to pick off a few people just by not walking up the first hill. We made a turn back south for around a block before curving back east and back up hill. Again, a few more people fell behind. Then, the turn North, wind at our backs, rolling hills, dogwoods in bloom on a beautiful day. It felt great. I passed the 2 mile mark (twice within a block - not sure which one was correct, but it didn't really matter). Shortly after 2 miles I felt the baby moving and then the dreaded pressure on the bladder. It hit hard for a minute, then let off, a sigh of relief was felt. I kept focus on the four people directly ahead of me and just tried to keep my pace steady. It didn't seem like any time before we were turning west to the final stretch - all downhill. I sped up some, shook out my arms and bounded down the last hill into the finish corral. I stopped long enough to have my number ripped off then straight to the bathroom! My internal goal had been to finish in under 30 minutes and the man informed me that I had so I was happy. Running for more than 2 miles without a bathroom or walk break at this point in pregnancy is a great run. Eventually I'll find out my actual time, but regardless it was a great race.
Still thinking about doing a 10K in a couple weeks - we will see if the body likes that idea or not. :-)
It was the Dogwood 5K in Neosho, MO. A friend told me about it on Friday, otherwise I wouldn't have heard about it at all. I was expecting the typical 5K turnout for this area (30-50 runners). Turned out to be around 120 runners in total - that was a happy surprise - the more the merrier! It's a great idea - $8 to pre-register, and $10 day of race - no t-shirt, just a nice size dogwood to all finishers - awesome!
Race started at 9am and I took off. We headed south (into a pretty strong wind). I found my pace pretty quickly, continually telling myself to not go out to fast. No garmin so it was all by feel. After about a mile we made a turn east and up a hill. This is where you found out who hadn't been telling themselves not to go out too fast! I was able to pick off a few people just by not walking up the first hill. We made a turn back south for around a block before curving back east and back up hill. Again, a few more people fell behind. Then, the turn North, wind at our backs, rolling hills, dogwoods in bloom on a beautiful day. It felt great. I passed the 2 mile mark (twice within a block - not sure which one was correct, but it didn't really matter). Shortly after 2 miles I felt the baby moving and then the dreaded pressure on the bladder. It hit hard for a minute, then let off, a sigh of relief was felt. I kept focus on the four people directly ahead of me and just tried to keep my pace steady. It didn't seem like any time before we were turning west to the final stretch - all downhill. I sped up some, shook out my arms and bounded down the last hill into the finish corral. I stopped long enough to have my number ripped off then straight to the bathroom! My internal goal had been to finish in under 30 minutes and the man informed me that I had so I was happy. Running for more than 2 miles without a bathroom or walk break at this point in pregnancy is a great run. Eventually I'll find out my actual time, but regardless it was a great race.
Still thinking about doing a 10K in a couple weeks - we will see if the body likes that idea or not. :-)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)