run like your pregnant?

When I first started running, my mom told me she was worried about me jostling my ovaries and other internal parts around... She is not the only one. When I went in for a Dr. appointment one time the Dr. told me that running wasn't good for your body. So, while I was reading the September Runners World (yes I am behind.. I've been a little busy) and it talked about the two women running through their pregnancy it got me wondering.. If people tell you running is so hard on you when you are not pregnant.. imagine what they say when they see the preggo girls booking it down the street at sub 6 minute miles!

I also want to say... I DON'T have baby fever by writing this. I do think I caught my running bug again.

Mainly I just think these women are hard core and pretty darn impressive so they get a post.

First thing is, I am 28. More than likely I will not be ready for a bebe until I am 30. We are going to Europe next year and we will be ready after that. One thing that worries me is how everyone acts like if I wait until I am 30 I might as well be waiting until I am 100. I always get the, "well what if you have problems?" This has worried me many times until Kelly & I talked about it. He very calmly told me that if the Lord doesn't want me to have kids at 30, what makes me think he will want me to have them at 28?

Plus... This chica really wants to visit Italy before I do anything else!

Anyway.. Kara is 32 (Marathon time 2:25) and Paula is 36 (Marathon time 2:15). They are both having kids. Yeah! I feel better!

Next they have an insane training plan...

Pre pregnancy:

"logging about 100 miles a week and maintaining a 5:40-permile pace over 26.2 miles is simply part of the job"

I can not even run one mile at 5:40 let alone 26.2! They still work out 2 times a day.

 Paula talks about how she runs in an antigravity chamber and some days she would set the chamber to 128 lbs and be able to run 8 miles at a 4:50 per mile pace. Then she said other days with out the chamber she was only running 7:30 miles.

Her 1st trimester she went from 100 miles a week to 50 miles per week in the 2nd trimester she was back up to about 80 & in the 3rd she was somewhere in between.

KARA GOUCHER: "Because this is my first pregnancy, I didn't know what to expect. During my first trimester, I felt tired and nauseous, but usually 10 minutes into a run, I'd feel better. By the fifth month, I felt great—I was able to train twice a day and lift weights three days a week. But priorities definitely have shifted. Training isn't about staying fit as much as staying sane."

 PAULA RADCLIFFE: It's hard when people say, "Are you sure you're doing the right thing? What if you're shaking that baby to death?" That worried me the first time. I'm more relaxed this time. I mean, obviously I still do all of the checks to make sure that all of the kicks are still there in the right places and that I'm eating right. I don't regret anything I did through my pregnancy with Isla [her 3-year-old daughter]. She came out perfect, so hopefully the same thing will happen again.

How do you think being active influences pregnancy, childbirth, and recovery?
PR: Being fit definitely helps. Even if you have a complicated pregnancy, the fact that you're fit is still going to help your body handle that situation. And I think that being fit through labor helps. The mental techniques you know from getting through races help to keep the concentration and stay focused. You come back stronger because you're happier, because you have a child that you love and cherish, and it's something you really wanted in your life. You probably become a little bit more focused as well, because your priorities are sharpened. And the time away from intense training means that you come back more refreshed. There is a flip side, though, because you are so used to being in tune with your body, and having this body that responds so well to what you ask it to do. You can't do that during pregnancy. You feel frumpy and fat. You kind of have this anxiety because you know you have to put on a certain amount of weight and hit the target so the baby is healthy, but it's hard to get fat and to go through that.
Paula, how did the pain of labor compare to racing?

PR: The pain of labor is more intense. But I found that it was just not comparable. When you run a marathon, your body is working with you and you've trained and prepared for it. With labor, for me, my body seemed to be working against me. But you handle it because you're in shape and because you have that mental outlook of getting through training or a marathon.KG: My husband was tossing around the idea of a natural, at-home birth, so he rented this video, The Business of Being Born, and it had the exact opposite effect that he was hoping for. I'm open-minded. I definitely want to deliver in the hospital, and I want the option of the epidural. But I'm in denial about the whole birthing process still

Notice the running skirt..

Oh how I heart the running skirt.



Have you experienced any uncomfortable moments on runs? Bladder issues?PR: I think we had one nightmare run, didn't we?KG: I've had a few.PR: Kara and I were in Portland on this long run, and I just had to keep stopping. You have to just listen to your body. You can't ignore it. Some days I feel really uncomfortable. And if I stop and get down on all fours just to kind of move the baby, suddenly running will be a lot more comfortable.KG: I'm sure all the people in my neighborhood have seen me pop a squat. It just comes and there's nothing I can do. At first I was horrified. But then my husband's like, "Just laugh about it."