Here we are almost done with the second trimester of running! I have hit over 1200 miles so far this pregnancy roughly 45 miles per week average. Most weeks I have tried to hit about 40 miles per week. As we are getting larger, the mileage will start to scale back A LOT. I ran until 39 weeks when I went into labor with Chase, so I know it’s important to scale way back & drop all expectations in those final weeks.

I am due on 10/30/2020 with a BABY GIRL!

In case you missed my first trimester running recap you can check that here: https://run4prs.co/2020/04/19/running-in-the-first-trimester-round-2/

My first child was born on 11/9/2017. Spacing is almost exactly 3 years apart. I struggled big time during pregnancy with my first. It was mentally challenging to go through all the body changes for the first time with strangers shouting at you ‘your life will never be the same’, ‘your body will never be the same’, ‘your running will never be the same’.

I was extremely concerned that the negative nancy comments would all have some truth to them. I enjoy running and my pre-kid life. It was hard to go through 40 weeks of body changes without having any idea what to actually expect on the other side. Will running be ruined? Will I never have any time? Will my body be disfunctioned?

Turns out, there was not much truth to any of the fearful comments. Is postpartum easy? No. Will your life change forever? YES! But that does not mean your body is ‘ruined’ and it definitely does not mean anything will be worse.

 

Left is pre-kids

Right is after baby

YOUR BODY IS NOT RUINED AFTER KIDS. I am stronger postpartum than I ever was before having a baby. You have to WORK and prioritize it. There is not as much wiggle room. You have to really WANT IT!

Now that I have been through pregnancy before, I am doing a much better job of mentally embracing pregnancy and dare I say ‘enjoying’ it this time around? I spent a lot of the time last pregnancy feeling sorry for myself and honestly cried a lot. I ran a lot of miles, and from the outside it looked like I was maybe ‘crushing it’, but I was actually struggling a lot. I thought I would never be able to do pregnancy again because it was just so hard! I struggled A LOT. Perhaps that is why we waited 2 years before going for baby number 2. I even remember my husband being shocked and saying ‘wait. You actually would go through that again?” when we started talking about baby number 2… haha I guess you could say I was dramatic with the first 😉

This time I feel very confident and good. I haven’t had any fear or worry! I know what will happen over the course or pregnancy and postpartum. Second time is WAY better mentally for me. You don’t feel like you are living in the dark. I know exactly what to expect, and it has given me a lot of confidence to enjoy & embrace the changes instead of wishing time away.

Week 14- Feeling Better!

We are in the middle of COVID-19 Pandemic quarentine during this time. I am feeling less fatigue, so I decided to take part in the “Yetti Challenge” where you run 5 miles every 4 hours for 24 hours.I ran 25 miles over the course of 20 hours then gave up on the last leg because I was tired and had some stomach pains from gas (TMI)!

Later in the week I crushed a 5:57 mile on Saturday! I guess you could say I was feeling pretty good again. Looking more like I did at 20 weeks with Chase. Crazy how much sooner you look pregnant with #2. Thought I felt movement at 2 different points this week also but still looking pretty small and not pregnant to others.

Mon- 25 miles @ 9:00 pace

Tues- REST

Wed- 3.1 @ 8:25 pace + LIFTING

Thu- 4.4 @ 8:00 pace

Fri- 5.3 @ 8:33 pace

Sat- 1 mi @ 5:57 5 mi total + LIFTING

TOTAL- 43 miles

 

Week 15- HELLO 2nd trimester!

Feeling pretty good except when I exercise “too much” I will get waves of nausea and exhaustion. The first trimester symptoms are still lingering but the days are overall getting better with each passing week. I just need to be mindful not to overdo it, and I don’t get too bad of symptoms. What is ‘over doing it’?  It is essentially doing a typical day that I used to do before getting pregnant. This means a lot of time resting and less time helping out around the house or just trying to do ‘all the things’. Definitely having to scale back the paces of runs and not increase mileage at all so I can function like normal during the day. It’s not fun but it’s normal when growing a human. You can’t do it all!

Mon- 10 mi @ 8:24

Tues- 6.7 mi @ 8:18 + LIFTING

Wed- 6 mi @ 7:46

Thu- 5.5 mi @ 8:15

Fri- 7.6 mi @ 8:20

Sat- 5.6 mi @ 8:07 + LIFTING

TOTAL- 41 miles

 

Week 16- We made it to 4 months!

I have already gained 20 pounds. Yes. A whole 20lbs since I found out I was pregnant 2 months ago. I am feeling bad about this because it’s about 15lbs more than recommendd by this point. Definitely feeling some negative body image vibes this week as a enter that awkward stage of pregnancy of ‘did I eat too much food or am I pregnant type of belly.’

It sucks to see that despite staying super active I’m gaining way more than “recommended”. Running is feeling not that much harder despite being heavier. I have minimal motivation to run because it just is NOT the same when pregnant at all BUT when I do run I actually perform pretty well. To the naked eye on strava, it probably doesn’t even appear that I am pregnant as my pace has not changed a whole lot. Most runs I don’t even feel like I need to stop and pee which is WAY different than when I was pregnant with Chase. Perhaps I have just learned to block out the sensation of a baby on your bladder.

Mon- 8.4 miles @ 8:12

Tues- 7.2 miles @ 8:05 + LIFTING

Wed- 6 mi @ 8:26

Thu- 4.4 @ 7:56

Fri- 10 miles @ 7:50 pace

Sat- 6.5 mi @ 8 + LIFTING

TOTAL- 43 miles

 

Week 17- HELLO 2nd trimester ENERGY!

I am not even that far along but already feeling heavy and not graceful when running. I remember what it used to feel like 3 months ago. Effortless. Fun. Like a gazelle. Now, I feel like an elephant. I keep showing up because I know it’s worth it to stay active for a healthy pregnancy, but 23+ more weeks of this sounds like such a long time. Pace is starting to slow down more even though I feel like I’m moving just as fast as a few weeks ago. It could be the heat and humidity also. Having some insomnia and night waking which is actually good because my energy levels are actually been higher than usual! I slept like a brick the first trimester, so I can tell my sleep is getting lighter lately which has felt a little better.

Mon- 7 miles @ 8:29

Tues- 8.2 miles @ 8:26 + LIFTING

Wed- 8 miles @ 8:22

Thu- 5.3 @ 8:25

Fri- 7.3 @ 8:24

Sat- 5 @ 8:12 miles + LIFTING

Sun- 2 miles trials

TOTAL- 43 miles

Week 18- YAS! The fog has been lifting!

Wow! This week has been amazing! All the first trimester fog has finally lifted. I feel SO good & energized! Didn’t realize what an insane fog I was on this whole time until it lifted. Only took 18 weeks. I always used to wake up between 4-5am. During the first 18 weeks, I was sleeping until 6-7am daily! I added in 2 more days of lifting this week because I have so much more energy. I am also working on doing more walks throughout the week. I finally have energy to do things that I used to do like cook or clean without dying from exhaustion after! I even did a 5 mile race at 7:03 pace.

Mon- 10 miles @ 8:38 + Lifting

Tues- 9 @ 8:47 miles + LIFTING

Wed- 5 miles @ 8:18

Thu- 9 miles @ 8:15avg + LIFTING

Fri- 6 miles  @ 8:35

Sat- 5 miles @ 7:03 pace + LIFTING

TOTAL- 44 miles

Week 19- Moving while pregnant!

A little bit more tired again this week, but it may be because we moved houses so it could be the stress of moving. We are actually also undergoing riots in the cities which is just so much added stress onto everything else going on. I am mentally exhausted from the past 3 months of lock down and no childcare. Just not feeling great in general. I am still showing up to stay active, and it is really my saving grace. It has helped me stay mentally sharp, and it really can serve as the highlight of my day. It makes me feel like I got something done right. I am still feeling good on my runs & zero pain!

Mon- 10 miles @ 9:06 + LIFTING

Tues- 9 miles @ 8:40 + LIFTING

Wed- 7.5 miles @ 8:27

Thu- 4.5 @ 8:17

Fri- 5.5 @ 8:37 + LIFTING

Sat- 5.6 miles + LIFTING

Sun- REST

TOTAL- 42 miles

 

Week 20- Up 25lbs so far!

I have gained 25lbs so far! That is the recommended amount for the entire pregnancy LOL. Staying active apparently doesn’t do much for me. My body packs on the pounds. I have been eating a lot healthier since week 17, and I am working on making that more of a priority during pregnancy since I no longer have nausea and food problems that come with the first trimester.

I was able to do a 5k race @ 7:01 avg. I was a little sad to not be able to run a little faster. The effort felt really hard, but I guess I should not complain about being able to run so fast at 20 weeks pregnant. It is just a lot slower than I am used to. I felt pretty good this week. I am surprised by how good things feel. It’s a lot hillier where I love now which is making running a little harder but I still feel okay

Mon- 10 miles @ 8:28 +LIFTING

Tues- 8 miles @ 8:38 + LIFTING

Wed- 6 miles @ 8:32

Thu- 6 @ 8:33 + LIFTING

Fri- 5.5 @ 8:38

Sat- 7 miles total w/ 5k @ 7:01 avg + LIFTING

TOTAL- 43 miles

 

Week 21- Hitting the wall

The fun is beginning again this week. Some form of nausea came back or maybe it is just the heartburn. Feeling sick some days and just overall just tired again. Second trimester energy was short lived. Running got a lot harder to hold the pace overnight. I got a lot slower seemingly overnight. Everything just feels WAY harder like I am running with weights. 3:03 800 meter race which I was really not happy with initially honestly. It just seemed like ‘what is the point’ of this. At the end of the day, I am proud of my effort, but it is really hard not to compare yourself to past times. I feel like the parking break is on and the legs just are not moving like they used to. It is an adjustment to stay motivated to run when things don’t feel as great as they used to. Nothing hurts. Just my ego LOL

Mon- 8.5 miles @ 8:53 + LIFTING

Tues- 6 @ 8:44+ LIFT

Wed- 6 @ 8:29

Thu- 6.2 miles @ 8:33 + Lifting

Fri- 6.3 miles @ 8:11

Sat- 7 miles @ 8:12 + LIFTING

TOTAL- 42 miles

 

Week 22- Hello Pelvic Pressure my old friend

Ahh. The true feelings of pregnant running are stating. More pelvic pressure this week making it a bit harder to run comfortably so adjusting & scaling back on the pace a ton. Adding in slow miles and more walks during the day. It’s mentally really dragging to feel like running has gotten so hard over the last 2 weeks, but I knew it was coming. This was around the same time with Chase where I hit a brick wall when it came to running. Prior to 21 weeks with Chase, I was running 60+ miles per week with 10-13 mile long runs. I did 3 half marathons under 1:44 as an easy effort then BAM.. I suddenly struggled to run faster than 9-9:30 pace. I feel that I have reached that same point in this pregnancy. Baby is 1 pound now to perhaps that is the magic number where things start to really slow me down

Mon- 6.5 miles @ 9:00 pace + LIFTING

Tues- 8 miles @ 8:00 + LIFTing

Wed- 7 @ 9:10 pace

Thu- 7 @ 8:45 pace + LIFTING

Fri- 5.5 @ 9:15

Sat- 7.5 miles @ 9:00 + LIFTING

TOTAL- 42 miles

 

Week 23- Feeling Good!

Ran 10 miles on the Mill which was the furthest I have ran in a few weeks. It makes me wonder if it is the last time I will run that far.. You never really know with pregnancy! Ended up getting a sore throat after that long run which SUCKS. I really do not want to get sick, so I kept the pace nice and easy with lots of resting on the couch during the day. Did a few more indoor runs than I usually do because the temp in the morning is 75-80 with 90% humidity which is just too crazy for this preggo runner. Was able to average 7:22 pace for a 4 mile race but was pretty beat after energy wise.

Mon- 10 miles @ 9:11

Tues- 8 miles @ 9:20 + LIFT

Wed- 7 miles @ 9:25

Thu- 5.5 miles @ 8:56

Fri- 4.5 miles @ 9:20

Sat- 4 mile RACE @ 7:22 pace 7 mi total

TOTAL- 42 miles

 

Week 24 – Ready for 3rd trimester?!

Ended up getting a bit of a head cold on Saturday after the virtual 4 miler. I knew I should not have ran fast because I was on the verge of getting sick. Needed to take an extra day off. 2 complete rest days back to back was really good for my body. I was ready to really scale back this week, but I felt like a new woman after 2 days completely off. Sleeping 10+ hours per night. I will say this pregnant running thing is still hard, but it isn’t feeling much harder than it was 2-3 weeks ago which I am thankful for. I actually sped up a little bit this week with the head cold going away & a slight dip in the temps.

What does it feel like? I’m not even moving on my runs. Running is more like shuffling now. My legs are very sore. Hips get sore after runs. It’s tough.

Mon- REST

Tues- 7.4 mi @ 8:42 + LIFTING

Wed- 8.2 @ 8:59

Thu- 7 @ 9:12 ave + LIFTING

Fri- 6.2 @ 8:34 avg + LIFTING

Sat- 6 @ 8:56 avg

Sun- 5.6 @ 8:33 + LIFTING

TOTAL- 41 miles

 

Week 25- HIPS don’t lie. Time to scale back?

I was so excited to run 12 miles on the treadmill on Tuesday! Longest run at this point of pregnancy. I felt so strong and amazing during that run. However, it hit me like a ton of bricks and the second half of the week was a STRUGGLE. Hips hurt. Legs hurt. Back hurts. I was on the verge of tears some days because I am just frustrated with myself. Why did I run 12 miles and feel good doing it only to feel like I ran 20 miles the next day? Why don’t I know better!? I try to not be so hard on myself, but it can be tough navigating things when you are alone in this journey. Trying to take things one day at a time and vowing to really listen to my body and start to scale back. I believe the time is coming where I need to make bigger modificiations like less days per week running or less weekly mileage. It is hard to flip the dial down, but I know it is what my body needs to be healthy (joints/hips/back pain). I wake up every 90 min at night just feeling like I need to pee.

Tues- 12 miles @ 9:03 avg + LIFT

Wed- 6.2  Miles @ 8:51 + LIFTING

Thu- 6.2 Miles @ 8:52

Fri- 5.6 miles @ 9:05 + LIFTING

Sat- 2 mi race @ 7:09 per mile 6 miles total

Sun- 5 Miles + LIFTING

TOTAL- 41 miles

 

Week 26- Creeping towards 3rd trimester

Some days feel great & others not so much! Surprised myself to be able to run. 13.1 miles. This is by far the longest I’ve ran at this point of pregnancy. Last pregnancy I ran 13.1 at 21 weeks and tapped out of running anything longer than 10 after that. I know we have gotten to the hard part of pregnancy again. I knew it was coming. I feel like I did at 32 weeks with my first. Things are starting to feel uncomfortable even when I am not running!

The honeymoon stage of pregnancy is coming to an end! I will be cutting down mileage a lot in the 3rd trimester so soaking up these final weeks of running 6x per week and still hitting 40 miles per week!

Tues- 13.1 miles @ 9:07 avg + LIFT

Wed- 5.2 miles @ 9:33 + LIFT

Thu- 6.2 mi @ 8:14

Fri- 6 mi @ 9:11 + LIFT

Sat- 7 mi @ 9:03 + LIFT

Sun- 3.5 mi @ 9:05

TOTAL- 41 mile

 

Week 27- Here we go! Last week!

Baby is only 2lbs, but I am feeling huge. This is the first time during pregnancy where it’s been not enjoyable to run faster in any form. Usually I like to finish runs strong or hard but it feels like WAY too much pelvic pressure to push it. I don’t remember this from last time but I suppose after pushing a human out, you start to realize new sensations in your body. This will be my last 40 mile week until after the baby is here.

I am feeling a TON of pelvic pressure and getting a lot of Braxton Hicks contractions when I am not running. The body definitely remembers and is prepping for what is to come in less than 3 months 😮

 

Tues- 13.1 miles @ 9:28 avg + LIFT

Wed-  5.4 mi @ 9:27 avg + LIFT

Thu- 8 mi @ 8:26 avg

Fri- 5 mi @ 9:00 avg + LIFT

Sat- VIRTUAL 1 mile @ 6:21.. 5 mi total + LIFT

Sun- 3.5 mi @ 9:00

TOTAL- 40 mi

 

As we enter the 3rd trimester, I am apprehensive for the amount of daily discomfort I will face! I miss the days when bending over was easy. It’s amazing the things you take for granted when you can no longer do them with ease 🙂 It is temporary! 3 months until go time!