Well, here I am at 37 weeks pregnant today (early term!) and just now getting around to talking about running in my second trimester.  As you probably know, running brings me a lot of joy – especially training for and participating in races.  I’ve run many 5Ks, 8Ks and 10Ks, one ten-mile race, and four half marathons (one of which I ran at 11 weeks pregnant).  Because I enjoy running, I wanted to try to run as far into pregnancy as I could.  Some women are running right up to their due dates; others stop earlier.  For my part, I planned to stop running as soon as it got too uncomfortable.

First trimester running went fairly well.  I tempered my expectations, increased my fuel and water intake, and just went with it.  Some runs were great – like The Color Run at nine weeks pregnant – and some were really tough – like the Biggest Loser Half Marathon at eleven weeks.  Starting with that race, I implemented a walk-run strategy of four minutes on, one minute off, and I continued that strategy into my second trimester.

My second trimester saw me running a lot less.  I was still fatigued from the first trimester and never really experienced that wonderful second-tri burst of energy.  I guess that’s to be expected.  When I was pregnant with Peanut, I was constantly exhausted – to the point of falling asleep at my desk and crashing on the couch before 8:00 every night – and I never got the magical energy burst I’d heard so much about.  The best I could say was that the second trimester rolled around and I was able to get back to my normal life without taking quite as many naps.  With Nugget, I definitely experienced first trimester fatigue, although not to the extent I did with Peanut.  (Nausea was Nugget’s preferred method of making his presence known.)  And once again, I didn’t get to enjoy that second-trimester energy – thanks, I think, to a demanding job, a stressful fall, and an energetic toddler going through a clingy phase.  So while I tried to muster up the energy to run, I didn’t have much in reserve.

Most of my second trimester running was done on the treadmill.  I liked the treadmill for a few reasons: it’s easy to control the speed, it’s right there in my basement, and it’s hard to fall down.  I did a fair few training runs on the treadmill, running my intervals and enjoying the fact that I could keep two big bottles of water at easy arms’ reach.  We had a big snowstorm that would have kept me off the roads no matter what, so I sure was grateful to have a safe option for running right in the warmth of my house.  Even treadmill runs felt challenging, but I slogged through them because I had two races to prepare for.

At 21 weeks, I ran the Greater Buffalo Track Club Cross-Country 5K with my dad.  That’s right, in a “Running for Two” shirt, so that everyone would know that I had a good excuse for being wheezy and slow.  We had a great time, but man alive, that was a tough race.  I think I would have found it challenging no matter what – running over leaves and grass and tree roots and lots of uneven surfaces is always going to be difficult – but toting along a very noticeable baby bump added a whole new level of difficulty to the run.  I enjoyed running with my dad, and I felt pretty accomplished after completing the race, but the run itself was kind of miserable.

Three weeks later, at 24 weeks pregnant, I ran the Buffalo-Niagara YMCA Turkey Trot.  (Uh-huh, in my “Running for Two” shirt again.)  I’ve run the race twice before, and – as expected – this was my slowest time.  Still, I was happy with the way the race went, and I did find it easier than the cross-country 5K, even though it was almost two miles longer.  (It’s amazing how running 3.1 miles in the dirt can make running 4.97 miles on pavement feel like luxury.)  I stuck to my 4:1 intervals and just enjoyed the scene and the fact that I was still out there.

And then I decided to go out on a high note.  Or maybe I didn’t decide… but in any event, the Turkey Trot was my last run of this pregnancy.  I felt good about the fact that I’d kept up my running for more than half of my pregnancy, and while I never made a conscious decision to hang up the running shoes, I haven’t gotten them out since.  I’ve switched to lower-impact cardio – namely, hiking and walking – and I’m feeling good about that.  Nugget has run four races with me now, and we’ve covered quite a few miles together, and I do hope we have another couple of hikes and a few more walks in us before he officially joins us here on the outside.  But the Turkey Trot felt like a good natural break point, and I’m happy with the way it worked out.

Tips for Second Trimester Running 

I’m no doctor!  Consult your practitioner before beginning any exercise regimen, especially if you’re pregnant.  These are just some tips that worked for me, in my personal experience.  So please keep in mind that I have no idea what I’m talking about and take everything I say with a grain of salt.  Thanks.

• Consult your doctor.  This was my most important tip for the first trimester and it’s my most important tip now.  Make sure your obstetrician is on board with pregnant running.  I had the green light to run as long as it felt comfortable and the baby was doing well.  I got a clean bill of health at my mid-pregnancy anatomy scan, which was why I felt comfortable continuing to run as long as it was fun for me.
• Hydrate and fuel!  Another one recycled from the first trimester.  Pregnancy puts your body through the ringer, and hydration is more important than ever.  I aim to drink 64 ounces of water every day, whether pregnant or not, and I usually exceed that goal.  And fueling might be even more important than hydration!  In the second trimester (and the third, too) you need about 300 extra calories per day to fuel baby’s growth.  If you’re working out with intensity (which running is) you need to make sure that you are not only replacing the calories that you burn, but adding those 300 extras on top of that.  Extra GU or sport beans help if you’re running any kind of distance.  And you can’t go wrong with a turkey trot – you know you’ll make up all the calories you burned and then some at Thanksgiving dinner!
• Give intervals a try.  Running 4:1 intervals kept the sport manageable and fun for me.  I’m not the most talented runner out there by a long shot, and I know there are many women who can keep running at a pace which would be impressive to non-pregnant me, well into their third trimesters.  That’s not me.  And if it’s not you, either – if you’re a back-of-pack hobby jogger like I am – intervals might be the strategy that keeps you going well after you’d otherwise have stopped.  Give them a try – it doesn’t have to be 4:1; it can be any interval that feels comfortable for you.
• Know when to stop.  Running will always be there.  When it gets uncomfortable, or too hard, or you just don’t feel like running is the right activity for you anymore, hang up the running shoes and don’t feel guilty about it at all.  They’ll be there when you’re ready; the most important thing is to cook a healthy baby.  Pay attention to your “tells,” and give yourself permission to stop, switch to lower-impact cardio, or hey, just rest, when running no longer feels right.  For me, that natural end point was 24 weeks.  Running was starting to feel really hard – harder than usual – and it just wasn’t as fun as I wanted it to be.  So I quit – temporarily.  And while I miss it, I know that I’ll have lots of time to chase goals in the future.  Speaking of which…

What’s next?  I’ve got some big plans for postpartum running, and I can’t wait to put them into action.  I was hoping to run my first marathon in October of 2014 – I’d even registered for the Mohawk-Hudson River Marathon – but I chose to defer my race entry once I learned that I was expecting.  So I’m now targeting this coming October for my first marathon, which means that as soon as I’m cleared for exercise after Nugget’s arrival, I’ll be working on building up my running base in preparation for marathon training.  I’m also hoping to try some trail running this summer, and to get in another half marathon – the Mighty Niagara – in the fall.  I’m psyched to get back out there when I’m ready, and I’ll be sure to share how it’s going.

Moms, did you run while pregnant?  What are your tips for second-trimester running?  Friends without kids, any good tips for making a zero-to-hero comeback?