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!
Friday, August 31, 2012
Monday, August 27, 2012
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...
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...
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