Prego Run

I feel compelled to do a post on my pregnant run experience. It didn't even cross my mind to document the experience before, now I very much wish I had. It was a totally wonderful experience and I don't want any of it to go down the drain. Then again, of course it has, after more than a year. So here goes.

A little recap here. I developed my running bug in 2011, while DiGi was en route for Penang Bridge International Marathon. I didn't even manage to join the race in the end, but I caught the running bug enough to make me itching to start join races. My 1st race only managed to happen in Jan 2012. 

Since then, with Qays was almost 3 years, 2012 should be my pregnancy year. But having just started running, I felt getting pregnant at such stage would be in between me and my running. A friend convinced me otherwise, and I can carry on with running still. A good example was it was done by Charlotte from SATC

I then did my research and true enough, people do it in the US. So off I went, getting myself pregnant.

My first race being pregnant was for SCKLM 2012 with finishing time of 1:07:06 (SCKLM 10km is actually close to 10.5 km) at about 2 months. My 2nd race was with Shape Run 2012, which I got the finisher medal. I was the only got it.

I couldn't be joining races if I had not been practicing can I? So this post is more for the trainings I had. 

I wasn't on any structured training.. I was only 3 months into running 10k ish range before getting pregnant. The rule of thumb for pregnant running is always:

Only take up something which your body has accustomed itself too

For my case, as much as I wanted to go further, I was still a sane person, and had abide by that rule always. I wasn't even hoping for doing half marathon yet on the first year of running competitively. But I think I've conditioned myself enough in 2011, if I had not become pregnant, I would have been able to do HM as well. Other running counterparts has ventured into theirs and I so envy them. I was so close to signing up for the HM for BSN PNM, mostly due to finisher tshirt..true enough, 2012's tshirt is much nicer than 2013's.

The trainings on weekdays were always at the gym. Weekend runs at bukit jelutong.. My babybump was late to pop. I had a good almost 6 months unnoticeable babybump runs. That has saved me a lot of uninvited stares and nags. But even when the bump was more noticeable, others at the gym was not that concerned, or so they appeared to be. I got few very concerned advices that I should not be doing what I had been doing from few others. Some of those didn't even go to the gym. But somehow they knew. I took it positively, it meant people been talking behind my back, despite appeared indifferent. The personal trainer at the gym at that time (the name was faizal, after that, the personal trainer has come and go. No one really sticked around), asked my permission to have my photo taken, to use as role model for others i guess. But I gently declined. 

Since I was not on any structured training that time, the choice of distance and run type were mostly based on gut feeling, and the available time I had that time. Qaid and Qays were both 5&3, big enough and self sufficient, so I didnt have to rush back so soon. Hence I didn't have to rush much at the gym. Post baby in 2013 and 2014, time is always my enemy. Knowledge on running were quite minimal that time, as training were mostly aiming at maintaining fitness rather than improving it. This is what the above rule implies.

But still I ran. Weekly without fail. Here are my training logs then:

• April 2012 - 120km averaged 6'39" - final non-pregnant month 
• May 2012 - 123km averaged 6'30" - 1 month pregnant
• June 2012 - 104km averaged 6'31" - 2 months - Team Malaysia Fan Run 7km & SCKLM 10km
• July 2012 - 68.1km averaged 6'30" - 3 months and start of ramadhan by month end - Shape Run 12km
• August 2012 - 8.07 km averaged 6'32" - 4 months fasting month
• September 2012 - 58.1 km averaged 6'56" - 5 months and raya - Solomon 10km trail
• October 2012 - 87.6 km averaged 7'03" - 6 months
• November 2012 - 115 km averaged 6'59" - 7 months-PBIM 10km

A week after PBIM, I stopped (at 30 weeks) until 2 weeks before january 2013 ends (37 weeks). I tried to run, and I could

• Jan 2013 - 11.1 km averaged 8'01" through 2 runs
• Feb 2013 - 6.22 km at 8'33" for 1 run. just 2 days before I delivered. 

Observation on the health and conditions during the runs:

• I started exercising for my 2nd pregnancy with Qays only upon reaching 7 months. The main driver that time was my blood pressure, and the exercise seemed to improved the condition that time.
• The opposite has happened in the latest pregnancy. My blood pressure has remained low in the range of 90/70 +/-. But to my surprise, despite having low BP, my health condition was tremendous. I never had headache or nausea. no back pain even, despite the constant pounding on the pavement.
• kegel is important. It's already important as it is if you are not running. It's extremely important when you do. At this moment, the only possible pain that I can think of was the slighhhtt pain in my pelvic cavity. Even then, it was only at a later stage when the bump was bigger. At this point, running technique is important. Of course running induce unnecessary pressure on your body, but it's made even more with the wrong running technique. Correct running technique aside, that deserves another entry.
• Always pay attention to your vital signs. I like monitoring my heart rate. I like how nycrunningmama has explained and summarised the pregnant's body anatomy on the heart rate. Also, any kind of pain on your body, knee, back, ribs and pelvic are the main areas easily affected during pregnancy. paying attention means, even when there's only slight pain, have it cured or resolved. resolved being, get a solution for it. for my case, I have gotten myself the medela maternity support here. Stumbled upon it from nycrunningmama. Went looking for it all over the place and it was no where to be found. Managed to have it only after I did my PBIM. Online from ebay UK. One of Godsent.

• Only exercise at the intensity that you are already in, not at an increased intensity. I knew I couldn't run much, so intensity wise had to be reduced somewhat. But I didn't want my endurance to slip. So I got myself a set of wrist weight, to be used with elliptical, treadmill etc. My heart rate has maintained high with the wrist weight. I had strived to make it in the range of 160+ to 170+. It was a lot of effort to push it up. High inclines and fast walks. But for me it was vital to maintain the endurance.

Fast forward to post maternity, I had my first run again on 2 April 2013 at 3km 8'34" and straigth into the HM training plan . Concluded the month with 88.3 km at 7'15". Of course it had to be ramped up, but it was an easy transition. All in all, close to 582 km injury free total pregnant distance. Alhamdulillah