pregnant - happy, but a little frustrated

Hi,

Hope this is the right topic to post this thread under:
I am pregnant (week 12). In my running I have for some time now been experiencing that I am becoming unusually slow (not that I ever was an especially fast runner... ;-) but I am becoming even slower).
Before my pregnancy, I ran about 5.45 min/km; now I should be happy if I can keep the time below 7 min/km!!
Is there anyone in here with experience with pregnancy, who can put my mind at ease..? Even though I am happy and excited with my pregnancy, I do get a little frustrated when I look at my "lap times". Will I need to start from scratch once my pregnancy is through, or can I hope to keep at least some basic shape even though my lap times are decreasing through the pregnancy...??

Comments

  • Have you changed your eating habits now that you are pregnant? Not sure of the exact figures but the foetus will be drawing a lot of nutrition from your body. Also as your uterus gets bigger (it will become the largest single organ in your body!!) your blood pressure falls during pregnancy. This could be affecting you.

    Best advice? Speak to your midwife. Whilst it is obviously wise to stay in shape when pregnant you may be doing harm with the shock/impact on your belly. I seem to remember Mrs J being advised to take up water borne rxercise programmes during her pregnancy. the other good bit of advice she got was to whack loads of skin cream into the bump from ASAP and she got away without a single stretch mark! Not bad going as "little" Cole came out at 9lb 2oz!!
  • Mette, first of all congratulation for what is going to be one of the best, most fun adventures in your life.

    I quote from Claire Kowalchik's book 'Running for women' (p. 148 ff.)
    'Cardiac output (in pregnancy) increases 30 % to 50 % and blood volume expands by 35 to 45 % during pregnancy. These increases mean your blood can carry more oxygen, but also, during exercise your body makes adjustments to meet the oxygen needs of the foetus and your working muscles.'

    She says that you WILL run slower and probably running slower miles each month, but you will maintain your aerobic capacity and may even improve it:
    (p. 150): 'Experts explain that pregnancy in itself is like exercise. With added weight you expend more energy standing, walking, running - doing any weight bearing activity. '

    A word of caution is that during pregnancy you produce relaxin, a hormone that relaxes the ligaments of the pelvis and occurs in other joints too, making a runner more susceptible to injuries during this time. Also increased weight during last months puts additional stress on joints.

    During both my pregnancies I have chosen swimming as my preferred fitness regime and found I went back, and exceeded, my previous fitness level withing four months.

    Whatever you do, enjoy your baby!
  • Hello again,

    Thank you for the encouragements. Glad to hear that there IS hope of maintaining some basic ground shape. The advice with the skin cream is also something to take up, I´m sure ;-)

    I have just returned from my morning run and I must admit that a little swimming does not sound entirely out of the question, after a 5 K which took me almost 40 min!! big sigh ;-)

    Well, I am enjoying my pregnancy on a completely other level than anything I have tried before, so doing some swimming besides running and a little spinning, I can stand the slower lap times. Thanks again for your input.
  • Hi there and congratulations, there is a thread on health and injury called the Pregnant runners club with lots of pregnant runners, running mothers and some of us who are still trying, i'm sure the mums and the pregnant runners will be able to give you loads of advice and share their experiences, will boing the thread up for you, hope it helps
  • I'm sure there is a history of mums coming back faster after pregnancy ? Liz McColgan ??
  • Congratulations pregnancy is very thrilling & exciting. I ran until I was 25 weeks pregnant and experienced what you are experiencing. I became very slow and found I was very breathless, but because I kept going I had a great pregnancy and a fantastic labour & birth. Don't worry about being slow your baby is more important your fitness will come back after you have your baby, and a good run after a sleepless night is wonderful.
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