Trying to stick with my running these last couple of months has been fairly challenging. If you'll recall, I didn't start my running journey until Parker was about 15 months old, so this is my first experience with running while pregnant. During my last trip at the preggo rodeo, I was a spinning instructor and I can assure you, it's much easier to pull back your level of exertion while your sitting on a stationary bike than it is when you're out pounding the pavement.
Still, regardless of the constant nausea and fatigue, I wasn't willing to give running up for the year. I did a couple of pain-free half marathons last year, so I was hesitant to lose the conditioning that took me years to achieve. Instead, I needed to find a way to work with my limitations. As I was thinking about this blog post, I realized that these running modifications would just as easily apply to someone who is feeling a bit under the weather, recovering from an illness, or just getting back into a running routine postpartum. So, here are the changes that I made, which have allowed me to keep heading out to the track even though what I really wanted to do was head to bed or hug a toilet. It's gross, but it's true.
1. Go slower. This one was a no-brainer. When you're not functioning at 100%, you need not push yourself 100%. Just head out nice and easy and either run alone or run with someone who will be respectful of your pace. Your body naturally wants to match the pace of your running partners, so make sure that you choose them wisely.
2. If you need to walk, then walk. This one was hard for me to stomach. I generally like to plow forward, body be damned, but when you're pregnant (or sick or recovering), you can't do that. Listen to your body and if you're straining to keep going, just pull it back to a walk until you're sufficiently recovered.
3. Break up your runs. I have found that I simply don't have enough gas in my tank to head out for a straight 6-8 mile run. Exerting yourself for upwards of an hour or 90 minutes takes a toll on your body and I was really feeling the fatigue at about the 50 minute mark. So, I broke up my runs and now I head out twice a day, doing shorter mileage for each run. This way, I'm able to maintain my mileage, but respect my body's new limits.
4. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Whatever you do, don't skimp on your fluids. Dehydration is not only dangerous, but you'll feel horrible at the end of your run. Either carry your water/Gatorade with you or plan frequent water stops.
5. Know when to call it a day. I think the most important lesson here is to make sure that you're taking your cues from your body. When I'm in perfect health and not serving as a human incubator, I will plow onwards knowing that my body will follow my will. It may hurt, it may be hard, but I'll be damned if I quit before I reach my goals. When you're operating under special circumstances, it's a whole other ball game. I generally take the better safe than sorry approach. If I start to feel off, I know that it's time to throw in the towel and get some rest regardless of whether I only did a fraction of the mileage that I wanted to for that run.
Well folks, that's pretty much it. The key is to keep going out there and trying. Generally, I found that my nausea went away during my runs (I was too focused on my stride, breathing,..) and it's pretty generally accepted that the endorphins you generate while working out will help you feel better post-run than you did before. So go out there and give it a shot. Even if you need to make modifications to your workouts, you should rarely count yourself down and out.
No comments:
Post a Comment