Running Through Pregnancy: Experience Required

**Following is a guest post from Katie Moore, author of Moore from Katie**

The benefits of exercise for expecting moms have long been known to medical researchers. Every pregnancy features weight gain and some amount of fatigue, and both of these conditions can be successfully managed by increasing mom's proportion of lean muscle. Delivery itself is comparable to any intense athletic event, and exercise throughout pregnancy will go a long ways toward ensuring top performance. After delivery, the extra lean muscle will help mom return to her normal weight.

Before starting any exercise or diet program, an expecting mother should always consult her doctor. Working closely with her doctor throughout the entire term is important for mom to be sure that her diet and exercise habits are fostering the best environment for baby to grow in. An expecting mom should also consult her doctor about labor planning and considerations such as pain management, Umbilical cord blood banking and circumcision.

Is Running Appropriate?
Experts agree women should avoid high-impact and competitive sports during pregnancy, but there are many misconceptions about other types of exercise best suited for pregnancy. Fitness professionals have devised a few guidelines to help mom in deciding on the best forms of exercise. The first rule is applicable to every pregnancy. Begin with an exercise program below your tolerance level.

Women with a history of aerobic exercise will likely have little trouble initiating a running or jogging program. Those with no history or a long lapse in exercise should begin with less intense exercises, such as swimming or walking. Over-exertion does not help mom and can put baby at risk by reducing available nutrients and robbing oxygen from the blood. Also, over-exertion increases the risk of exercise injuries. Any injury to muscles or connective tissues will take away from exercise efforts.

The next guideline is to stay hydrated. Especially during warm weather, any physical exertion will remove water from the body due to sweating and flushing out lactic acid produced during muscle contractions. Keep a bottle of water handy at all times. During pregnancy, it is important to always drink enough water to satisfy thirst.

Running Throughout Pregnancy
Physiological changes during pregnancy will require consideration for even the most physically fit moms. Increasing levels of natural fatigue and changes in body weight and proportion will require cutting back on exercise amounts gradually as the due date approaches. There is no need to run a marathon prior to delivery, and many other concerns will likely take precedence in the final weeks.

Pregnancy provides a number of opportunities to learn more about your body. Expecting moms can, and should, take advantage of exercise classes designed specifically for pregnancy. Even seasoned runners can benefit from engaging a in a pre-natal yoga program for total-body stretching. Since more intense workouts, like running, require greater consciousness of safety issues it’s best if you’re not experienced to stick with lower impact workouts.

“Katie Moore has written and submitted this article. Katie is an active blogger who discusses the topics of, motherhood, children, fitness, health and all other things Mommy. She enjoys writing, blogging, and meeting new people! To connect with Katie contact her via her blog, Moore From Katie or her twitter, @moorekm26.”

Sitting in FUNK-y Town

I get in funks often ( a bit too often for my liking). Usually I'm over-trained, over-scheduled, over-everything, and they usually happen when I'm due for a rest day anyway. After a day or two off, some extra rest, and a glass or tow (or heck, maybe a bottle) of wine, I'm golden. I firmly believe in sweating bad moods out.

But the past couple of weeks, I can't shake it. Normally, I would just go ahead and get out the door no matter what, but it's like the inner drive is gone. I feel lost. I don't know what it's like to not have that inner drive. Am I burned out? Maybe. Not from training, though. Just burned out on everything. I've been "on" basically every day since May 1st if not before. "Off" time is a luxury right now it seems. It's definitely vacation time, and vacation time isn't even on the calendar right now. I need to get out of the funk though.

Here's my plan:

Take the holiday weekend off. If I get runs in, great. If not, whatever. Tuesday starts the "working out even if every cell in your body doesn't want to" phase.

Share with me how you get out of your funks.

Six of One, Half a Dozen of Another

That's how I feel about the past 12 years. Today is T's birthday, and the last 12 years have past almost too fast, but not quick enough at the same time. Yet, 12 years have passed. I could have been a bad parent, a so-so parent, or a good parent. 12 years passed no matter what kind of parent I decided to be when my first child was born.

T & I at his 2nd birthday party

12 years ago, I was a 21 year-old young woman, less than two years away from getting my Bachelor's degree. Four days prior, I finished one part-time job and took official leave from my full time job. The semester was over, and even though I knew I was taking the summer semesters off, I knew nothing of what my future had in store except there would always be someone who called me "Mommy". I only knew time would pass no matter what type of decisions I made for myself and my child.

I could have decided to not finish my degree, not worked hard to do my part to support our new family, not put everything I was into being a damn good mother. HAve I always been the best mother? No. Could I have done some things better? Probably. But I look at T and I see me...really, we are so similar in both looks and especially, personalities. I pray every day he sees the same similarities and has high hopes for his future.

T getting his red belt 05/19/12

I pray in 12 years he will look back and say my mom was the best mom I could have had. I pray he says, "She gave me the example I needed in all areas of my life." I pray he says, "She had strength, compassion, and even (oh, I really hope) grace under pressure." I pray when he looks forward in his life he uses my life as a pathway for his own dreams.

Finally, I pray when his first child is 12, he provides the same example I have tried to provide for him, sets pathways for his child's dreams. I pray he finds his own strength and courage in an easier way than I have, and he develops an undying compassion for his fellow man so he may pass those on to his family.

Yes, 12 years have passed. They were hard years, but good years because no matter what, T led me on my path to find the dreams I never knew I wanted.

T

Bloglovin

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Trying out a new way for readers to follow my blog! Come find me if you're on Bloglovin!

Running Moms Rock 5K

So, here it is finally!

April 21, 2012 was the Running Moms Rock 5K in Highland Village, Texas. Here's my favorite things and not so favorite things about the race.

Upsides:

• I love this race because it benefits a charity close to my heart, the Children's Advocacy Center for Denton County (CACDC).
• It's a close race for me. Just a 20 minute drive. I can leave for the race, and still be back home in a couple of hours.
• Primarily women run it. Men and children are more than welcome, but it helps ease my competitive spirit running with all women. 
• The fun fest P and the boys can enjoy while I'm running.
• The course is a simple loop through a neighborhood with lots of observers.
• Race packet pickup is an easy peasy process. Here's my race packet with Wheaties Fuel for the morning!!  

Downsides:

• It's an evening race. I'm a morning runner by preference, and a 5 p.m. start time throws me mentally off kilter.
• April. One can't control the weather, but it's usually getting fairly warm and humid by race date.
• 2 large hills. I really shouldn't complain, but I hate hills, so they will always go on my downside list.

Race Recap:

Last year's time to beat

Since it was an evening race, I made sure I got to be lazy ALL day. Yea, I'll take any chance I can get to not clean, organize, or run around all crazy-like. Actually, it was hard to stay off my legs to keep them rested. I'm a morning person, and I like to relax in the afternoons, not the mornings. Anyway, about 3 p.m., I started getting ready. Dressed in my Team Tough Chik singlet and running skirt, I prepped my race bag. Sunscreen, water, gu, knee brace, visor, XBalm, bib, and racing info. I checked my last year's race time, and Sharpeed it on my left wrist as a makeshift pace bracelet. Done...now let's go. 

T wanted to chill out at home, so it was P and the Cy-Guy along for the ride. After weaving through traffic and finding a parking spot by the Buffalo Wild Wings (YUM!),we headed to the race area. We had enough time to get a couple of pics. 

The Cy-Guy walking me to the start line

The Cy-Guy and me

As start time approached, so did the crowd!!! All toward the front too.  I normally tend to get to the back of the pack, but  what I thought was the "back" became the front of the pack. It's all good though. As the race started, I pushed inward to the crowd and let the speedy racers go ahead. My iPod was acting screwy with the timer set to intervals instead of just timing, but I got it fixed quickly.

And we're off!

I wanted to PR, but I wanted to also take it easy since I was coming off of a chest cold the Cy-Guy gave me and I didn't do any training like I wanted to do. The first mile was steady; around the shopping center, on some walking trails behind it and then into the neighborhood as well. One mile in, I suddenly started coughing and basically choking on what lovely phlegm was still in my chest. I got to have a lovely hackfest on the corner of a turn while people passed me.

Once that joyous occasion was over with, I picked up running again - straight up a hill. No worries though. The one water station was at the top, and across the street was this awesome man spraying his water hose for runners to run through it. Heck yea!!  Next, it was down a hill, up a hill, down a hill, wind through more walking trails, weaving our way through not so shaded residential trees. This one lady in a bright pink t-shirt and I sort of had this thing going with our walk/run intervals. I'd run for a little bit, pass her, and then when I needed to walk again to prevent another hackfest, she'd run and pass me. This went on for a while, and I kept chuckling to myself. it kept me distracted enough to fall into a groove.

The groove brought me to the last .25 mile of the race. I fell in step with a lady that looked like she was having a hard time. I decided to stay pace with her and talk her into the finish area. Talking seemed to help her out. It helped me out too because I suddenly got nervous. I realized when I turned the corner, P would see me finishing. He hasn't seen me finish a race since 2010.

Bringing it around the last corner 

After the last corner, I said "Good Luck" to the lady I ran in with, and then I took off. I was tired, coughing and didn't give a rat's ass actually. I wanted to finish strong, so I did.

Finishing strong!

Paul quickly came over after I was finished and scrambling for water. He and the Cy-Guy were so excited, and P kept snapping pics left and right. Most were too blurry to use. As we were walking back to the shaded area before we headed to the parking lot, the Cy-Guy says to me, "Mommy I want to race with you."  And there we have it, ladies and gentlemen...confirmation of one of my many reasons to run. 

I enjoyed the race, as I always do. I can't wait for next year, despite the late Spring evening start time. I'm debating on actually volunteering at the race instead of running it. If you're in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, check out this race and take a Saturday evening to run for a good cause. 

Weekly Rewind: Apparently the Monthly Rewind

Let's say, April was crazy. I'm not going to list it day by day, but instead just kind of tell you what's been going on because there has been minimal to no exercise.

At the beginning of the month, I had been working up on something awesome (to be revealed a bit later) and it took quite a few days to wrap that up. P has been working long, long days, so I've been playing the juggling act. Then, the Cy-guy got some nasty little cold that he lovingly gave to me. That chest cold stuck around forever, it seemed.  Runs hurt, other cardio hurt. Everything turned into a hackfest. But here's a brief run down of my month:


04/01 - 5 mile run on the Greenbelt
04/03 - 2.27 m run
04/04 - 2.27 m run
04/04 - X2 Core
04/04 - Abs
04/05 - 2.27 m run
04/07 - 6.26 m run
04/11 - 2.27m run
04/17 - 2.27m run a.m. 1.55m walk p.m.
04/18 - 3.25m run
04/21 -  3.14 (RMR 5K) Race report coming super soon!
04/23 - 4.1 m run
04/24 - 2.16m run
04/29 - 5.67m run
04/30 - X2 Chest, Back, & Balance

Can YOU guess where I was sick?????

I did get a 5K race while getting over that cold and still PR'd. Not at great time, but hey, I'm not complaining. Here's another month. I still have two major blogs posts to do to help recap April.

Dunt, dunt, da dahhhh!!! Exciting news: If you haven't seen on my blog Facebook page yet, my balancing act of runner and mother was featured in the May issue of North Texas Child magazine. Go on over there and take a peek, but here's an awesome picture of my boys and me. :)

Special shout out goes to my friend, Jessica Bowers at Suitcases and Sippy Cups, who thought of me for this article! I am honored and flattered.