Well, I did it! I set out to be able to run a half marathon while later during my pregnancy and I did it! After my hopes of going to Athen's with Mike got squashed, I lost my identity a little bit. More like I had a breakdown of not really knowing who I was anymore because I couldn't run the way I used to, if at all. After feeling sorry for myself and crying myself to sleep I asked Mike if he thought we could run the LA Rock N Roll Half Marathon on 10/24. I would be 32 weeks pregnant at the time of the event; 8 months. I had been able to resume running with the interval method and had run my furthest of 9 miles with the LA Leggers a couple of weeks ago so I thought, no problem, I've got this. I've run countless 13 mile loops in marathon training right? Yeah...
Well, I gave myself the goal of finishing the half marathon. Then I thought, maybe I could finish it in 2:30. I was on track for that, run/walking an 11:30 minute per mile pace up until about mile 7 when I just kept cramping up and having Braxton Hicks contractions. They would stop and go away when I would walk, so I would start running again. I wouldn't get too far. By mile 8 I had three bathroom trips and countless contractions, so I told Mike that we would just walk for awhile, until I felt better. We walked until somewhere between 9 and 10 when I ran into another one of my Legger friends and I jumped on with their pace and interval. We were able to keep that up until mile 12 when my back just seized up. Finally my body was like, "ENOUGH ALREADY!!" I bent over to relieve some of the pressure from off of my back and pelvis. 2:30 had already come and gone; shockingly by only 15 minutes! With all that walking I was only 15 minutes behind at mile 12?! I told Mike, we can finish this under 3hrs. So, despite the backpain, we resumed running again for the last half mile.
I'm not going to say this was easy. It wasn't. I definitely don't recommend EVERYONE to go out there and try to run a half marathon at 8 months preggers, but I do have to say to all of those women out there who wonder if they should continue to run after they get pregnant...."DO WHAT FEELS RIGHT FOR YOU!!" Get on board with a supportive OBGYN who isn't living in the 50's and supports your running goal. I know that throughout my pregnancy, my running, even if its 300 yards instead of 3 miles, has kept my emotional well being. Running was such a part of who I was that I was lost and depressed without it.
I am officially hanging up the running shoes, I think I am anyway. There will be plenty of time to run after the baby gets here, like when it goes to college or something. ;-p
