Running and leg soreness

ChicagoBread

I'm a regular runner (as I've stated before) and I'm currently 12 weeks.  I've been trying to keep up a running routine, but my legs feel so sore and heavy.  They never loosen up at all during a run.  There's absolutely no speed in these legs since I've been pregnant, but I wish they didn't feel so sore and heavy.  Is this a pregnancy thing?  I'm used to running an hour a day and now a 30 minute run feels like such a chore and my hamstrings are incredibly sore and tight the entire time.  

ChicagoBread

Thank you!  Its like its not even my body that I'm trying to run in.  Between the sore and huge boobs and the dead and tight legs running is a chore that it never used to be! 

ajbook

My legs have felt that way on and off this entire pregnancy (I'm 34 weeks). Whenever it gets tough for me like that I tell myself it's "labor training" and work on how I'll mentally get through it.

LiveNLove44

I like how @ajboocher put it with regard to the mental component to running through some of those challenges. 

Your runs are going to change, and they will be different each week, but pregnancy won't last forever, so enjoy the other changes! I told my husband that the greatest surprise about working out while pregnant was the fact that during the first trimester was so much harder to workout than the third (I'm 35w5d). I think your body is going through so much to adjust for your growing fetus that your circulation, energy, and muscle recovery are going to be drastically different than what you're used to! 

It really helped (and still helps me) when I started to feel all of the calf and shin tightness during/post run when I started with a short warm up on the elliptical, then stretched out my hams and calves, THEN went for my run. I have had some runs where I've had to stop briefly to stretch out my calves a bit more, but it makes all the difference so it's worth the brief stop. In order to keep running through some minor discomforts, I really had to change my mentality. Each time I went I reminded myself that it wasn't going to feel the same as before, and doing whatever I could was good enough. I feel very fortunate to still be as active as I am at this point in my pregnancy, and I do owe a lot of it to that mental component.

I wish you the best of luck! Keep moving!

ChicagoBread

Thanks for all the advice.  I'm hopeful that it will get better.  There was a stretch there where my energy levels were so low that running at all seemed unthinkable.  My energy is back up to where a morning run doesn't seem so daunting, but my body is not following along!  I will get through it by thinking about how good it is for my body and how good it will be for labor and delivery.  The nice thing is that there's no pressure and no goals.  The only goal is to make it through a run and to "keep moving" as LiveNLove said.  So, I can slow down or walk if I need to.  No need to hit tempo paces or a certain distance.  

Luv2Run1st

JoeLies said:

I had a really hard time in my first tri, too.  My legs always felt so dead!  By the time 2nd tri rolled around, my energy levels were a lot better and my running felt far more normal.  I still feel better now at almost 25 weeks than I did at 7 or 8 weeks along.  Hopefully you'll have the same experience.  Just do what you can for now and listen to your body.  GL!!

This...was true for me too. I have even had some better more comfortable runs at 37 weeks than 30 weeks. Hang in there. I bet it will get better in 2nd tri