Real Runner

Check out the latest issue of Runner's World for a pic of runner Nicole Foster who started running after her second child to lose the baby weight and is currently running through her third pregnancy.  She's a great example of keeping up running even while pregnant and with little ones.    Apparently, Nicole is pregnant with her 3rd child in 3 years.  She's near the end of he pregnancy and looks fantastic!   You can also check out a short clip of her on the Runner's World website at: runnersworld.com/body.

Early Pregnancy Running

Even before having a positive pregnancy test, I could sense the difference in my running.  I was exhausted!  Now, I know every pregnancy is different and not every pregnant woman will feel the same, but I've heard the words "I'm so tired!" from many a pregnant woman.  My husband couldn't figure out why I was so amazed that I felt so tired.  I think that somehow I thought I either would get by without getting it because I know all about it, or I'd tolerate it all better.  No such luck!

I slogged through many of my runs during my first trimester.  I've seen my mile times lengthen (sometimes frustratingly).  I've often felt terrible or wanted to walk.  But I keep getting out there.  And I really do feel that it has kept me feeling better.  My nausea has been mild, and even when I have felt sick before a run, it's gone when I get back.  It's keeping me from gaining a lot of weight because, for me, if I'm nauseous eating something makes me feel better.  A couple of times, I've felt more exhausted after a run, and that's when I know I need to back off or take day off.  And I do still have good running days.

I'm trying to run smart.  I'm learning to get used to running slower.  I've been hoping this would pick up in the 2nd trimester as I get my energy back, but if not, I have a good excuse to be slow!  I've learned that I need to hydrate better.  I carry water with me, if I know I won't hit many drinking stops on my way.  I eat before a long run and carry something with me just in case (like a gel).  If I feel too out of breath, I take a break,  hydrate, let my heart rate come down a bit, and then keep going.  It's not a failure to stop or rest if you need to, it's healthy.

More elite runners may be able to keep their times up or even lengthen their runs.  I've kept my runs pretty much the same.  I don't have any plans to train for anything special.  If I wanted to do a half marathon, I could, but I'm not going to go crazy and train for a full.

So keep getting out there!  Tailor your running program to your specific pregnancy.  And, most importantly, run safe and run smart!

Hiatus

In the last month, we took a long trip: the longest time off I've ever had from work, the longest time traveling that I've ever had the opportunity to do, and the longest time off I've ever taken from running or exercise in general.  Hence, this has meant a time off from blogging.  So, we're back now, and my goal is to get back at it, and get this blog going.

So, we went to Italy for 2 weeks.  It was fantastic, and a dream to be able to go to Europe for that long. It's also the last opportunity for this kind of trip for a long time (which was part of the reason for the trip being so long) as this was pretty much our Baby moon!  Yep, I'm expecting our first baby in April.

Every other time I've traveled, I've always done some running while I've been away, no matter where I've gone.  This time, I went with my husband, and I felt guilty because he wasn't able to exercise too (he's a cyclist mainly, but currently can't run due to a foot problem).  So, I made the decision to take a hiatus from running, and give my body a forced rest.  We walked everywhere while we were there, but that doesn't make up for high level aerobic exercise.

The experts always say, that you can take a 2 week break from your exercise schedule and not lose much fitness.  This may be true, but I think (no I haven't done a scientific study) it's probably different for a pregnant woman.  The baby is growing rapidly (how else would it go from 2 microscopic cells to a 7 or 8 pound baby in 9 months), your uterus with all of it's blood flow is too, and your body undergoes major hormonal and vascular changes (among other things) throughout the course of your pregnancy.  I personally feel like I've lost major fitness.  Granted, my first run was the morning after our arrival home and the 9 hour time change may have had some affect too.  But each run, I had to take more walk breaks than ever before, and I felt way more tired.  Finally, after about a week and a half, I had a run where I actually felt semi decent.

But if that's what it takes, that's what you got to do.  Take more water breaks and carry it with you if you have to.  If you start to feel too out of breath, walk.  During my 8.5 mile "long" run of the week, I walked 3 times for 2-3 minutes each, which conveniently happened to be each steep hill.  Ease back into it, don't go all out fast or long during your first few runs back.  Take an extra day off, if you need to.  And most importantly, listen to your body.

Run Into It!

I must admit.  It's a little of a pet peeve of mine.  See, I always run on the left side of the road.  Yes, sometimes I may cross over in order to turn right onto a street, or I may run on the right side on a sidewalk. But if I'm running on the actual road, I'm on the left side.

For some reason, some people insist that you're supposed run (or walk) on the right.  But everything you read and simple intuition should tell you that the left is the place to be.  Run INTO traffic.  (Okay, not actually into it -- that would hurt, but I think you know what I mean.)  If you don't believe me, look it up!  In some states, it's even the law that a pedestrian on the road is supposed to be on the left.  That way you can see that if someone is about to mow you down, you can (hopefully) dive out of the way.  Doesn't it make those people who are on the right cringe every time they hear a car coming behind them.  Or maybe they're just to oblivious and think that a driver will always see them?

Road running safety people!  I guess I could just not care that some people want to put their lives at risk.  But the problem is, it sometimes puts mine at risk.  See, if you are running or walking on your right, and I am running on my left, in order to get by you, I am forced to run into the road lane to get around you.  (Invariably, the "right side" runners don't move over for me.)  This puts me into traffic!  I'm too polite to yell at people, and I'm afraid I might run (no pun intended) into them on a later run since I have regular routes, so I don't make an issue of it.  But I find it extremely irritating.

So do yourself (and me) a favor.  Run on the left edge of the road.  If there's a sidewalk on the right, go for it.  If you choose to stay on the right on the road, you do so at your own risk  But if you see someone coming toward you, well, just move over so your stupidity doesn't put them at risk too.

Running Pregnant

I'm an obstetrician, and I always encourage my healthy patients to exercise.  Usually, my advice is that they can continue to do whatever they were doing before they became pregnant, but should watch for any symptoms like lightheadedness, faintness, nausea, extreme shortness of breath, chest pain, or any other concerning symptoms -- which should make them stop and rest.  For those who don't already exercise, I encourage walking, light gym workouts, the elliptical machine, stationary bikes etc.  Of course, there is always that caveat that says you need to check with your physician before beginning or continuing an exercise program, and any information, advice or stories I give in this blog, are told with the understanding that a person has or will do this.  If a patient has any medical problem which would prevent or limit them from exercising then my advice always changes.

It always surprises me that some physicians still give the advice to STOP all exercise during pregnancy!  A lot of these doctors tend to be of the older generation.  But it also surprises me the number of normally very active women who automatically stop exercising when they find out they are pregnant (with or without the advice of their doctors).  Some women even use pregnancy as an excuse to stop exercising.  I hope that eventually the word gets out to women to keep it up!  Exercise has so many great benefits during pregnancy, both for those who regularly exercised before pregnancy and for those who did not. 

Believe me, I totally understand that early (and sometimes later) pregnancy is fraught with fatigue, nausea, vomiting and a myriad of other symptoms that prevent, limit or discourage women from keeping up with an exercise routine.  But little do women know, that exercising can even help limit those symptoms.  Many women report that exercise decreases their nausea.  It can even give a boost of energy to those who are really fatigued.  It keeps a woman healthy and strong, ready for delivery.  A woman who is in shape will likely get back on her feet quicker than a woman who is not.  And best of all, it helps to minimize weight gain and pregnancy related diseases.

I've had a fair share of patients who are runners.  I've even had patients tell me that they chose to see me because they know I'm active (and figure or hope, I'll give them the green light to keep up their exercise routine).  One of my patients was a marathoner and did a marathon at 14 weeks.  I've also had cyclists, swimmers, gym goers, and even an elite snow skier.

This blog isn't going to be all about running in pregnancy. And it's not even going to be just about running.  It's going to be about my life, about my experiences and my thoughts (some of them formed while running and about running).  And hopefully it will be an inspiration, yes for others, but also for me to keep blogging and keep running.  Run on!

I'm a Runner

Forgive me, as I take you down the road of my running nostalgia, but here goes...

I started running in my senior year in high school.  Not on any team, mind you.  But just because I thought I'd try it out.  Sometimes I wonder why I didn't join the cross country team since they were such a cool group of down to earth people, maybe I would have liked high school more.  But, alas, I was a cheerleader for basketball and football.  And that's history.  Anyway, I even remember my first shoes.  I bought these [hideous] bright orange and purple Nikes.  They may have fit in with all of the colorful shoes you see these days.  My first run was maybe a mile, and I felt like I'd run SO far.  Which it wasn't, but in the end it has taken me so far and I'm so thankful for the lifestyle it created for me for the rest of my life.

I ran through college, although initially not enough to prevent the Freshman 15 (or my case the Freshman 30).  I remember those runs in college, running through Calvin College's campus and the streets of Grand Rapids, sometimes with my good friend Paula, but many times alone.  That's where I began to learn the Runner's High, and I still remember how good it felt to be warm and running even when the air was freezing and the ground snow covered.  My early running addiction started here, although not in full force.  I'd wake up before my morning class (science classes are always at 8 am; I never got one of those nice late schedules), and head out for a run.  But still, I probably only ran 3 days a week and maybe 3 to 5 miles at a time.

It was in medical school that I learned running as a stress reliever.  My first year, I remember heading out the door on Cardinal Street, where I rented a room.  Running at that time may have been more to get away from my crazy landlord and her spoiled teenage daughter,  than anything else (her boyfriend was allowed to move in after I moved out that year -- she was still in high school).  My second year, Carolyn and I became roommates, and she was a runner too.  Sometimes, we ran together, but I was too impatient to run at someone elses pace.  This was the year, I ran and studied at the same time.  Dr. Cao gave us our pathology notes on tape (now I date myself), and I listened to those as I ran.  (You really do remember information if you study while exercising.  I even did a lot of walking while carrying my notes and studying during the first years.)  My 3rd and 4th years, I became familiar with EARLY morning running, something I would need for the next 6 years.  The earliest I remember getting up was 3 am before I had to be at my surgery rotation at the county hospital.  I guess you could say that this was where my dedication for running was cemented too -- no one gets up to run at 3 am if you're not dedicated.  Still, during med school, I don't think I ran more than 5 or 6 miles at a time.

Residency was 4 years of long hours and high stress and I definitely needed running as an outlet.  My early morning running continued since, as a resident in Obstetrics and Gynecology, rounds usually started at 6 am.  My first year was in Chicago, and there were many 5 am runs along the lakeshore of Lake Michigan. Everyone thought I was crazy, seeing as it was Chicago, a big city, with big city crime.  And I probably was crazy, but it is pretty cool to run on the lakeshore by yourself, just you, the lake and the city lights.  It was that first year of residency that I got the bug to try longer distance running, probably because I started to love running longer miles along the lakeshore and I was inspired by an attending who did the New York Marathon that year.  So I trained for and ran the 25K River Bank Run in Grand Rapids, MI.  I couldn't get even one of my family members to run with me, but the next year 3 of them did that race: my dad, older brother and sister-in-law.  I credit myself with being their inspiration; and it took my older brother a few tries before he beat my time.

I ran my first marathon in 2004: the LA Marathon.  A very hot, hot year.  Immediately after, I vowed one marathon was enough, but a few days later I wanted to do another one.  And since then, I have done 2 more marathons.  I plan to eventually do more, but 50-70 hour work weeks put a little bit of a damper on training plans. 

I did take a little bit of a haitus from regular running starting in late 2005 when I tried out the world of road bicycling and racing.  Running became more of a cross training habit.  It took a few broken bones and subsequent surgeries to send me back to running.  Now I remember what I loved about it and realize what I was missing out on, and sometimes wonder why I ever switched over!

So that's a good portion of my running history.  I love running!  And now I'm embarking on a new phase of it.  It is sure to be quite an adventure...