Expect the Unexpected When Expecting

Hey Everyone!

I am now officially 18 weeks pregnant, with a 'sweet potato' size bundle of joy tucked snugly away.

This is also the week where I have begun to experience difficulty when running. Now I'm under no illusions, I'm a baby mama and will be growing week to week. Fortunately for me 'the bump' is making slow but steady progress.

I currently weigh 10lbs over my typical running weight. During this past Sunday's long run and yesterday's speed workout - I felt it!

In the past, the subject of running while pregnant was taboo. Now, sticking to a routine and maintaining a healthy lifestyle has been strongly encouraged by my doctor. She assures me that because running was such a big piece of my lifestyle before it should remain so. However her advice to me has been to really listen to my body, 'the body knows best' and not to do more than what I was doing prior to my pregnancy. Part of my challenge is that I'm über competitive with my running and at times I've had to be cautious and aware of this.

So here goes...let's delve into the 'unexpected' moments I've had:

RUN TIGHTS Sunday were almost too tight to wear, and I decided to say good bye to them for the rest of the winter running season because they were digging into my belly too much due to the mid rise. I luckily have a pair that I hardly wear because they're stretched out, and now after trying them on they fit perfect in my new condition. My point here is...If something feels tight and uncomfortable in the first few minutes. DON'T wear it! It's not worth it. They were a distraction and took away from my run. When running pregnant either wear looser pants and/or buy run tights a size up.

PEE...At this point in my pregnancy my bladder isn't what it was. I could go almost a whole day without having to go pee (although not advised) and during long runs I now feel as if I should pop a squat every 45mins. During these moments I ignore my bladder and when I'm back from my run I go and what's funny is that nothing hardly comes out. What I tried differently at my speed work that helped was to not drink any water an hour prior and hit the washroom right before my workout started. This worked great and I didn't feel that pressure at all. Heads up though, my friend Katie who is a month ahead of me in pregnancy and is a seasoned runner isn't as lucky in this situation and needs to release much more often. She doesn't drink at all during her running and has to stop every few miles. In this situation I'd advise to plan a route where there are many washrooms, and to wear clothing that is easy to get on and off.

HYDRATION STATION is what every distance runner needs to carry with them. Usually if I'm doing a long run under 20k/12miles I will wear my running belt. Anything over I wear my camelback. With my belly now growing and waist increasing my run belt does not fit AT ALL on my body. Thankfully the camelback fits just fine and I recommend when purchasing one to choose one with adjustable bungee straps. This has allowed me to adjust my camelback as I grow.

TAMING THE TA TAS is now an essential part of my routine. Before pregnancy I could wear any low support bra running. I could honestly get away with wearing my bikini top if I chose. Now that my boobs have jumped from a modest B to a voluptuous D cup I had to step up my bra game. Good thing I work at a lululemon and I have many options. Before purchasing a new bra I tried one run with one of my normal bras and I was in pain the whole time. The main learning here is to invest in new bras that fit your new size so that you can run pain free.

WORSE THAN A RUG-BURN...CHAFFING. Yesterday at my speed training I sported my typical run bottom, my speed shorts. These are my favourite shorts and I live in them when weather allows. Unexpectedly, half way through my run a burning sensation started up in my nether regions (not what the majority of you are thinking I bet). I've seen many runners and athletes with this annoying rubbing on their thighs during races...To the point of blood. It's always left me concerned and thankful that I haven't had to deal with it. If like me you are experiencing this pregnant or not, I recommend using 'Body Glide' to prevent this and or Vaseline.

THE GAME IS AFOOT! The question that poses itself each run during this past week is wether or not I have the best shoes on for running. I've loved up my Nike Frees now for 2 years and haven't ran in anything else but now I'm experiencing lower back pain. Probably due to the extra 10lbs I'm carrying around. It's a tough decision because back pain is also a common symptom women experience around the 18week mark of their pregnancy. I'm not 100% sure if this pain is due to running or not. Something I will need to tread carefully.

That's all the unexpected I have for you tonight. Sleep well!

Frigid Weather Running...What is it Good For?

Yesterday I awoke to another extremely cold Sunday. I don't know what I was expecting because I had checked the weather the night before and knew it was coming.

After eating my classic English muffin with peanut butter I turned on the weather network one last time to decide what to wear for the next few hours of my 19k. As predicted it would be -12 at the start of my run at 8:30am with temperatures rising to -4 by 4:00pm. In the two hour span of my run the temperature would only raise a few degrees so off to my wardrobe I went.

Now getting ready for cold weather running is probably my least favourite thing. Not only is it time consuming it's a complicated process. You don't want to dress to warm and overheat on the run and or not wear enough and be cold and just wishing you were warm the whole way. I typically overdress more than I underdress knowing I can always take a layer off. For the -12 I decided to wear my trusty 1. compression tights that are fleece lined 2. my run latte socks (higher rise socks to mid calf) 3. wool long sleeve, 4. thermal fleece lined pullover and my 5. run bundle up jacket. Accessory wise I wore my 6. Ear warmer and 7. Fleece running room mittens. 8. sunglasses and On my feet I had my 9. Nike Frees on. I had to wait till last minute to get on my jacket or else I'd overheat in my house.

Next was nutrition for this chilly endeavour. I've tried shot blocks, granola bars and jelly beans. All tend to be really hard for me to chew so in this temperature I stuck to my trusty GU. This is actually one of my favourite parts of frigid cold running because I can have my favourite flavours of GU (peanut butter, mint chocolate, and chocolate raspberry). During the summer these flavours tend to be too thick for me to digest.

The last two weeks of cold long distance runs I've felt average when running. With barely a wind against us this week I felt like I was back to my self with a bit more spring to my step. The sun was out and bright and this was an instant mood lifter to me as I drifted into day dreams during the run of the summer run weather that lies ahead. I also had my ever ready side kick Garmin back on my wrist thanks to my hubby letting me borrow his extra watch strap.

The warm and fuzzies of the cold day:
-no overheating
-burned extra calories and worked my muscles harder because of the extra snow traction
-completed 19k at a quicker pace than I've been running in the last two weeks at shorter distanced
-refreshing in the crisp air
-self satisfaction after completing a run despite the chills but us Canadians have come to expect the for 5 months of the year
- I now have an excuse to get a new pair of traction shoes
-us runners got to run on the main road vs. sidewalk because less people out driving in the weather

My pearls of wisdom:
-avoid Nike frees (what I struggled in) when snowy and put on your trail or traction shoes. Another great option is purchasing yak tracks or traction accessory to go over your shoe.
-beware that your camelback suction/mouth piece might freeze the water remaining between drinks and you might have to warm it up in your hand before drinking
-pay attention to where you are running because there are many areas that aren't salted and slippery with black ice
-wear sunscreen, the sun reflects off the snow and the sun is still strong
- wear Vaseline on your cheeks or face so you don't get windburn
-be prepared to lose layers, hence wear layers you can easily take off and carry

Garmin Stats:
19.2k in 1hr50min average 9:16mile
Mile 1: 9:37
Mile 2: 9:27
Mile 3: 9:19
Mile 4: 9:15
Mile 5: 9:01
Mile 6: 9:22
Mile 7: 8:31
Mile 8: 9:11
Mile 9: 9:17
Mile 10: 9:30
Mile 11: 8:52
Mile 12: 10:01
Mile 13: 8:45

I'm out!

Canadian Cold Front Run

As promised here is my update on yesterdays 16k run.

I woke up Sunday and ran in the predicted weather of -4C with wind at 41km and gusts up to 63km/hr. Makes you want to roll over and hit snooze right!  CRAZY change from the mild weather the day before. I shouldn't expect it to be any different since I am living in Canada eh!

I always seem to dread cold weather running and yesterday I didn't feel that same way. I think it's in part because I knew I had a team of others expecting me for run club at The Running Room.

Prior to heading out I layered myself up in my brushed luxstreme compression tights, a swiftly base tank, swiftly long sleeve overtop. My third layer consisted of a warmer half zip and then my bundle up jacket (all lululemon of course). I put on my headband, runningroom mittens and compression socks under my tights. I was ready to rock! I brought my balaclava just in case in my bag and my sunglasses.

For fuel I had my camelback on filled with a bit with water and one chocolate raspberry roctane GU. From here on out I will be wearing my trusty 'salomon' camelback because my belt does not fit me anymore and my pack is adjustable which I love.

I ran with my trusty partner again, Lisa and of course baby Souter. We followed the group leader on the same 16k route as the week prior, only this time it seemed twice as hard. During the run it felt like we were running into the wind the whole time. I can't lie, we did have a bit of wind behind us in one section...That didn't seem to last for long.

We were doing 10 and 1's so we would walk every 10mins. This is a new system for me and one I appreciated the most on this run due to the weather and difficulty I had breathing in it. By the end of the run my water was starting to ice at the last bit of my straw on my camelback. I was happy when we saw the end in sight.

When we finished I was surprised to find out that we actually beat our time from the week prior by 3mins.

This is funny to me because I felt as if I ran so much stronger the week before and yet my time was better with the struggle. What's even funnier is the inconsistency with running long runs. I follow a pretty consistent pattern with my nutrition and lifestyle yet my runs are NEVER predictable. Some are great and some are hard and some are just darn brutal. I've yet to find the root cause of these results.

Do any of you experience these similar results?

What I can tell you is that I am sooo excited to be running through my pregnancy and I am looking forward to my upcoming races:

March 3rd, 2013= 'The Chilly Half Marathon' http://www.events.runningroom.com/site/?raceId=7839

I am running this along with a few of my friends from work and can't wait.







Next up I have the...
May 12th, 2013= 'The Toronto Sporting Life 10k' http://www.sportinglife10k.ca/

I am running this race with friends and family. I plan to run both these races with my other pregnant friend Katie. She's one month ahead of me right now and I can't wait to have this new racing experience.

What races are you doing this year?

I still want to find one more race happening in early June, so please let me know if you have one in the Toronto region that you recommend.

Have a great evening!

Run Baby Run

RUN BABY RUN

Hey Everyone! It's been 4 months since I last wrote on this blog, and just over 4 months of pregnancy with my first child. 

In the past 4 months I am blessed to say that baby and I have been feeling great. I've slowed down on the running. What I mean by slowing down is that I cut my distance and my pace down. Instead of running 5-6 days a week I am down to 3-4 days a week mixed with yoga. 

What's new with training:

I joined a training group called 'Personal Best' (http://www.personalbest.ca/) that I've been training indoors with every Tuesday for speed work. They are a fantastic group of people who are there to train for triathlons, marathons, and ironmans. Each person comes with so much different experience and energy that is encouraging. On these evenings we do speed work each week with yoga afterwards. Leading the running program on Tuesday's is the AMAZING Sean Bechtel.

He's an exceptional professional triathlete and a wealth of knowledge. Check out what he's up to at his blog:

 http://seanbechtel.blogspot.ca/

On Sundays I am now running with the 'Running Room' (http://www.runningroom.com/hm/) in Thornhill, MY FIRST RUN CLUB. What's SO COOL about the Running Room is that they offer these free run club runs every Wednesday and Sunday evening. Sundays are the long running days for the Running Room and everyone involved meets at the store prior to the 830am start time. There are lot's of runners and different pace leaders depending on the distance you want to do. I've currently been running with the marathon group and we have done 16k the last two weeks. I've learned that I really enjoy doing long runs with others. I've always trained by myself and this brings a whole new element to it. I love that everyone here high fives one another after the running and takes the time if they can to get a coffee (tea for me) afterwards at the local Starbucks. 

My thoughts on running with a baby:

Since becoming pregnant not much changed right away till this last month. I've now experienced a few new things such as having to find new running gear...yes a new bra. I went from the lifestyle of not having to worry about the bra I wore, to seeking out a bra with adequate support for my heaving tatas. Who would've thought! I found success in that department with the help of lululemon athletica. 

The other realm of experiences has been around shortage of breath when climbing hills and recovery time has lengthened after my pace quickens. Running with others and no music in my ears has allowed me to really listen to my body and become aware of everything and anything I feel. Maybe the best advice I was given was to "listen to your body, your body knows best". I make sure now to stay at a conversational pace and I haven't been wearing my watch as much so that I don't get competitive with myself. The last thing that started for me this week during my running was the sensation of feeling like my bladder was full when it wasn't during a run. I know it wasn't because as soon as the run was over I felt fine and that feeling went away. Looks like the baby is sitting in a new spot, oh wait...OR getting bigger than before, my poor bladder!

Well that's it for me for now. I will update you all tomorrow on my long run I did today and my upcoming races with baby Souter. 

Keep Running!