Training for first half marathon while pregnant.

katylady09 · August 2011

Hi everyone,

Okay, so I am a newbie to running, but have really fallen in love with it and just started training for my first-ever half marathon about 4 weeks ago. The race is on October 23rd. I just found out this week that I am a little over 5 weeks pregnant, so I'll be 14 weeks at the time of the race. This morning when I went for my run (the first since I found out I was expecting), but freaked myself out so much that I couldn't even finish the 4 miles that I was supposed to log. I had to stop and walk so many times because I kept overthinking it and was getting so worried. Needless to say, I finished the "run" very discouraged and mad at myself. I have read that many expectant mothers run half and full marathons successfully, but I'm just nervous since this is my first and I've never really been a runner before (I've been running off and on for about a year, but consistently for about 3 months).

I haven't seen my doctor yet, but I tried to ask the nurse about it and she didn't seem concerned. So am I just overreacting about this or should I just defer the training until after the baby arrives? I would hate to do that because I don't like to quit things I start, but this baby is much more important to me. I would like to continue running 12-15 miles a week throughout my pregnancy if I defer the training. And advice would be appreciated!

mrs_j_may_08 · August 2011

Hi katylady! Congrats on the pregnancy!! Guess it didn't take long for either of us, huh?

I will be 15 weeks at my half (yours is Oct 23rd, too, right?). According to my doctor, it's perfectly fine to keep running if you were already comfortable with running before your pregnancy. She advised me that I shouldn't push myself too hard, and told me to listen to my body. She said if I'm not able to get oxygen to my lungs properly, then my baby isn't getting any either.

I have kept up pretty well with my training. How have you been feeling so far? I haven't really had any m/s yet, just fatigue and I usually only feel really tired on evenings after I've ran. I'd imagine that if and when m/s kicks in I will have a much more difficult time, but right now I'm just taking it day by day!

Also, there's a book that's been rec'd to me on here called Exercising Through Your Pregnancy that I'm thinking about getting. GL to you!!

nativemama12 · August 2011

congrats! I was training for my Half when I found out I was pregnant in 2010. I was about 6 weeks at the time and my Half was set for early Nov, however right before my race I was hit with bad m/s and couldn't run it because it was tough to keep water down! Definitely listen to your body and take it easy, I ran through 35 weeks and loved every moment of it. My times and pace really took a hit, but running kept me sane through my entire pregnancy...

katylady09 · August 2011

mrs_j_may_08:

Hi katylady! Congrats on the pregnancy!! Guess it didn't take long for either of us, huh?

I will be 15 weeks at my half (yours is Oct 23rd, too, right?). According to my doctor, it's perfectly fine to keep running if you were already comfortable with running before your pregnancy. She advised me that I shouldn't push myself too hard, and told me to listen to my body. She said if I'm not able to get oxygen to my lungs properly, then my baby isn't getting any either.

I have kept up pretty well with my training. How have you been feeling so far? I haven't really had any m/s yet, just fatigue and I usually only feel really tired on evenings after I've ran. I'd imagine that if and when m/s kicks in I will have a much more difficult time, but right now I'm just taking it day by day!

Also, there's a book that's been rec'd to me on here called Exercising Through Your Pregnancy that I'm thinking about getting. GL to you!!

Oh my gosh this is just too crazy! Congratulations to you! I guess I never saw your BFP post....I didn't do one because I didn't post that often and didn't want others to think of it as a "drive by".

I haven't had any real m/s either, and have just been really tired like you. I keep thinking about our conversations on how it would be okay to run and how I decided that I would run it either way, but I don't know....actually being pregnant made me freak out haha. And yes, I know about making sure to get enough oxygen while running...I think that's why I started worrying because I was getting a little breathless which made it even worse!

This makes me feel a lot better since everything is still going well with you! Thanks and we need to keep in touch!

mrs_j_may_08 · August 2011

katylady09:
mrs_j_may_08:

Hi katylady! Congrats on the pregnancy!! Guess it didn't take long for either of us, huh?

I will be 15 weeks at my half (yours is Oct 23rd, too, right?). According to my doctor, it's perfectly fine to keep running if you were already comfortable with running before your pregnancy. She advised me that I shouldn't push myself too hard, and told me to listen to my body. She said if I'm not able to get oxygen to my lungs properly, then my baby isn't getting any either.

I have kept up pretty well with my training. How have you been feeling so far? I haven't really had any m/s yet, just fatigue and I usually only feel really tired on evenings after I've ran. I'd imagine that if and when m/s kicks in I will have a much more difficult time, but right now I'm just taking it day by day!

Also, there's a book that's been rec'd to me on here called Exercising Through Your Pregnancy that I'm thinking about getting. GL to you!!

Oh my gosh this is just too crazy! Congratulations to you! I guess I never saw your BFP post....I didn't do one because I didn't post that often and didn't want others to think of it as a "drive by".

I haven't had any real m/s either, and have just been really tired like you. I keep thinking about our conversations on how it would be okay to run and how I decided that I would run it either way, but I don't know....actually being pregnant made me freak out haha. And yes, I know about making sure to get enough oxygen while running...I think that's why I started worrying because I was getting a little breathless which made it even worse!

This makes me feel a lot better since everything is still going well with you! Thanks and we need to keep in touch!

I didn't post a BFP post on GP either! I didn't want to be considered a 'drive by' either! Confession though, I still lurk over there! I mostly hang out on April 2012 Moms now.

One other thing I've been doing is trying to stay super hydrated. I feel like I am drinking gallons of water!! I'm going to try 7 miles tomorrow. I won't be pushing myself to go fast and I'll be taking snacks and water with me. I have raced a couple of 5Ks these past few weeks and haven't felt badly afterwards.

Even though I'm feeling great now, I'm sure the fatigue and other symptoms will get to me in later weeks. All I can do is try my best and in the end, I am going to be really proud of myself for completing a half marathon at 15 weeks (I think I might put a little sign on my back on race day that says "running for two," haha). We do need to keep in touch though! Hope you continue to feel good!

rcanales · August 2011

My Dr. can be old school on some things and didn't like me running. BUT he did say that if I was deep into it, I could continue, just as I got bigger to wear a support band, lessen the distance, and monitor my heart rate and body temp (you don't want it too high).

In Runners Magazine they highly recommend shoes made to fit you, because in pregnancy our ligaments and joints get looser (or something along those lines) and we need good support.

2gr8pits · August 2011

My doctor still has not limited my workouts at 24 weeks. Her main piece of advice is to only do what I feel comfortable and do not push myself. I ran a 25k at 9 weeks and just had to stop for a lot of potty breaks and finished much slower than I would have liked, but all for baby! Keep your heart rate down (I have kept mine between 140-160) and baby is safe and sound in there. Remember that by working out you are helping to build a strong baby, strong heart, strong lungs, etc. However I would have to say from weeks 9-13ish I was so exhausted that I was happy my race was over, so play it by ear and don't wear yourself out. Healthy and happy mama = healthy and happy baby! If you haven't registered then I would wait and see how you feel closer. If you have registered, just do what you can! And make yourself a shirt that reads (on the back) Mommy's running partner will be here XX/XX/XXXX and people will talk to you the entire race!

katylady09 · August 2011

Thank you all so much!! Really, I feel a lot better. I will just keep training and if it gets too hard, I will pull back a bit. I might get a heart rate monitor just for peace of mind...I think that's my biggest worry right now!

And it's so funny, because on my run this morning I was thinking of putting "Running for Two" on my shirt for race day. I also LOVE the idea of putting my running buddy's due date! Hmmmm, decisions, decisions.

ThelovelyMrsH · August 2011

I see someone recommended Exercising Through Your Pregnancy by Dr. Clapp. I highly recommend this book. Even though I started reading it pre-pregnancy, I still worried a bit during my first trimester about continuing to run, and the book gave me a lot of peace of mind. Heart rate recommendations were thrown out the window by the ACOG awhile ago, and I think the advice that others gave is spot - on stay hydrated, listen to your body, try not to overdo it.

I am training for my third half (I will be 30 weeks pregnant on Oct 9th when I run it, and plan on taking it easy and slow), but I actually upped my mileage a lot during the first and second trimester. I have one tempo run, one speed/hill workout, and then my long runs for my training plan and so far, so good. I even asked my doctor about it at my last appointment and she encouraged me to continue running as long as I could. Congratulations and good luck!!!

Ruthy77 · August 2011

Hi, Congrats! I have no advice but have been thinking of doing a half in 2 months (would be my first) and I am not pregnant, but we're TTGP.. Just wanted to say congrats on the Pregnancy and best of luck w/ the race! WOOT WOOT! Love the idea of the PP writing to make a T-shirt w/ Running partners arrival date.. Too cute!

katylady09 · August 2011

I will definitely have to check out that book! So heart rate really has nothing to do with it?

I tend to push myself way too hard and when I let up I feel as if I'm not doing enough, which equals no motivation, so I guess I still want to push myself but not to the point where it in any way harms the baby.

Thanks for the advice!

2gr8pits · August 2011

I would recommend a HR monitor, even if it is just a basic model, just make sure it has the chest strap so you know it is accurate. I think the Garmin Forerunner 101 is under 100 (maybe)/ ebay is a good place to shop for HR monitors. Amazon daily deals have HR monitors frequently also. I have a higher end garmin model, however the reason I am recommending it is that I didn't realize that my HR was well above the taget zone when I run. I can talk and do all the "standard" tests, however my HR was above 200 when I wasn't pg. I am SO glad I can monitor now that I am pg, even though it may not matter, it still matters to me that my baby is getting proper oxygen intake. I still push it once in a while, but I like to know what it is...

ncjulia12 · August 2011

I'm lurking from TTGP because I'm training for a half marathon in November and *hope* (in my fantasy world) that I will be pregnant by then. As PP said, running can be great during pregnancy, but I can imagine that your doctor might not be jazzed about you training up to mileages you've never reached before if you're doing it while pregnant. Maybe you could plan to run/walk this race- so you can still meet your goal of finishing the half marathon, still get some running in, but not stress about running the whole thing.

My half will be November 6th! PM me if you want to talk training! I've done several halfs and 2 marathons. I'm not super speedy and I love to help new runners. (I got 2 good friends through their first halfs this spring!)

fostermurphy · August 2011

I just ran a half marathon at 22 weeks! It took me just a little over 2 hours and that was with stopping to go to the bathroom 3 times! I felt great after the race and since my pace was slow I recovered pretty fast too. The running has kept me feeling "normal" and has kept my weight gain in check.

ThelovelyMrsH · September 2011

PP brought up a good point, while I think it's doable, my doctor gave me the go ahead because I'd already been running regularly for a few years and the half isn't a a new distance to me. Training for my first half took quite a bit out of me; training for my second and now my third was/is definitely "easier", because the distance is not something my body is adapting to quite as nearly as much as my first HM. Does heart rate matter? I don't want to say that heart rate doesn't matter, but the old adage of "below 140" isn't a hard and fast rule anymore. A better test really is the exertion test.. if you can hold a conversation while running (not just spurting out a few words here and there), then you're probably ok. My doctor, who is also an avid exerciser, recommended that staying hydrated so that the placenta is hydrated is definitely important, though.

Honestly, what it really comes down to is how comfortable you are with exercising. I would agree - and I think it's a great recommendation, regardless if one is pregnant or not - to not train for a time finish with your first half. Train just to finish... time and speed will always be there for later races.

llvaziri43 · September 2011

Although it is important to stay active during pregnancy, you should be mindful of chosing the correct form of exercise.

Running may be a hard exercise to maintain due to impact and the weight gain additionally adds pressure on joints. A great form of exercise through all your trimesters, allowing a safe and healthy environment for you and your baby is swimming. I highly recommmend taking up the sport of swimming during your pregnancy.

https://youtu.be/wE2332sEUBc

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