Running and Pregnancy

I started running in January of 2010, and ran my first 5k race in May of that year. I loved running almost immediately; after years of sedentary living and being overweight, it was a true joy to find something that was good for me and made me so happy. After about 3 months of running, I was able to go off the meds that I'd been on since having my first baby in 2003.

Last year, I ran a lot of races including my first half marathon. I put a lot of effort into losing weight so that I could be a better runner, and lost 40 pounds. For 2011, I had big plans: run most of the races I ran in 2010 to improve my times, run more miles per week, lose even more weight, weight train for better overall fitness, run a sub-30 5k. I could go on. These plans were entirely derailed when I discovered in February that I was unexpectedly pregnant.

The pregnancy is good news for us. Rob wanted another baby but wasn't willing to push for one (I think he's afraid of getting blamed for all the sleeplessness and laundry). I felt I was done, but as my boys (5 & 8) got older, I was missing the baby days. Once I found out I was pregnant, I realized how much I really did want another little one around here.

It's been great so far. I've been able to run all along, even now at 26 weeks pregnant, and I feel great. I feel better than I have with my other 2 pregnancies. I have limited my weight gain to a very healthy level - just 15 pounds so far, with 14 weeks to go. I have more energy, strength, and stamina than with my other pregnancies. I am not wallowing in my condition, laying around like a frail patient. I'm gardening, playing with my kids, swimming at the lake, lifting weights, and running.

I did a lot of research. I know that running is not just safe for pregnancy, it's good for pregnancy. It's good for mom and baby. Labor and delivery is easier; postpartum recovery is easier; baby's adjustment to the outside world is easier; pregnancy itself has fewer complications and is easier. You know what's not good for a pregnant women with a normal pregnancy? Laying around and eating all day. Gaining 60+ pounds. That's what I did with my first pregnancy, and I ended up on bedrest, with pre-eclampsia, getting induced at 37 weeks and nearly having a c-section. I had an 18-hour labor with 3 hours of pushing because I was too weak to push my own baby out. I was sore for weeks after that strenuous workout. Not something I want to revisit.

This time around, I am healthier and fitter than I've ever been in my life. Being pregnant at age 42 is not an excuse to stop taking care of yourself; it's a reason to take the best care of yourself that you can.

Run Like the Dickens 10k, December 11, 2010

Today I ran my 10th race of 2010! The Run Like the Dickens 10k in Holly, Michigan. A small race which Chuck (Charles1968) told me about; they actually had a record # of attendees this year, but it was still a nice, smallish (1000ppl), local event. The 5k started 5 minutes earlier than the 10k and ran in a different direction, which spread out the field nicely.

Chuck promised me a flat course (after our hellish hills in Hell on Halloween) and he did not disappoint. I started off too fast and held it together best I could. My splits were a bit wonky - from 10:48 to 11:44 - but I got to the finish line with a PR. My official time is 1:10:41 (11:13 pace) and I'm happy with that. I had some issues with being hungry (foolishly skipped breakfast and by the time I was running, I'd been up for over 3 hours) but otherwise it was all good.

I was not alone in this race, and it was nice to be amongst a group of similarly-paced runners. This was not the case when my paces were in the 12-13mm range. So I liked that. Next race season, I hope to be about 20 pounds lighter and in the 9-10mm range.

I didn't have my phone, but I wish I had gotten a pic of Chuck in his santa suit - green tights with santa shorts and hat, red top, and bells on his shoes. He looked awesome! So very cool to see a friend at the race, too!

Ann Arbor Turkey Trot, November 25, 2010

Hey I ran a 5k on Thanksgiving morning! It was a well-run course on the U-M campus. Weather was 38 and raining. My brother and his GF Midge ran it too.

Course was a bit hilly and started with a downhill; I went out way too fast and even with a walk break up a hill I finished the first mile in 10:29. Got my act together and finished the race in 33:29 - a 5 minute PR for me and an overall pace of 10:55. I've been trying to get my pace into the 11's so this was a huge deal for me, much more so than the PR.

Midge took first place overall female. We embarrassed her by cheering insanely at the awards ceremony - she'd rather quietly take the plaque and leave early.

Then I went home and cooked Thanksgiving dinner for 11 people. An awesome Thanksgiving, for sure.

Run Thru Hell 10k, October 31, 2010

So many fun ways to title this RR:
FE from Hell; Tracy Runs with the Devil; A Cold Day in Hell; etc.

I have been really looking forward to this event in Hell, Michigan. It was a fundrasier to buy the couple who used to organize this race a wheel-chair accessible van, since the wife (Dolores) had a stroke last year and they weren't able to get out of their house very easily anymore. 100% of the race proceeds went to the cause, and in the end they raised all they needed to buy Dolores her van. Very cool.

Over 3000 runners were there - a huge turnout and proof of how great the running community is. It made for a crowded start, but what beats hearing 3000 people sing Happy Birthday to our lady Dolores, who turns 80 next week? I was in tears!

My day started at 6:30 with some coffee and getting ready. Some of us were carpooling and meeting at 7:45. Of course Chuck (our own Charles1968, brave enough to get into a car with a strange lady he met on the Interwebz) called at 7AM to find out where the exact meet was. After I gave him directions, he politely told me he was already in town (40 minutes early) and would read a book at the meeting spot. Ok! I have a neighbor, one I ran into at the Crim, who was running this too, so I picked her up - her costume was a blue skirt and jacket, with horns and a pitch fork (Devil in a Blue Dress, get it?). So off we go to pick up Chuck and my friend John (another stranger I met thru Daily Mile, we've run together and he's great and wanted to pace me to a PR for this race).

The ride there was so fun - a bunch of Michigan runners talking about all the events they've run and will do again, etc. Chuck is an awesome guy and it was so much fun to be with those guys; usually I drive to races alone and no wonder I'm such a bag of anxiety when I get there. The distraction of friends is a good thing on race day.

The start area was packed with runners, and we were delayed a bit - wow was it freezing, but once we were off it was good to be running and getting warmed up. This was an out and back course, so the great downhills we had were hard to appreciate - I knew I'd just have to climb back up them! Some of the hills weren't bad, a couple were not so nice, but they just never ended. It was hard to get into my groove because it was just one hill after another. The effort felt difficult the entire time, which it should - this was not a training run.

My last 10k was on a cool day in June, and I know I've gotten a lot faster since then (relatively speaking, of course). My time back then was 1:21, a 13:06 pace. Yesterday's splits were:

Mile 1: 11:44 (target pace is 11:50, so this is good)
Mile 2: 10:41 (my best mile ever, but a bit too fast)
Mile 3: 11:30
Mile 4: 11:44 (on target but my chest is feeling the pain from an elevated HR all this time)
Mile 5: 12:44 (struggling, took a walking break up a hill to get my HR down
Mile 6: 10:45 (giving it what I got, we are almost there, I pass a few folks)
Mile .22: 2:01 (9:04 pace, my HR gets up to 201 during this short time, so glad I didn't puke)

My goal was to run 6- 12 minute miles and finish between 1:12 and 1:15; I ended up with a pace of 11:27 and a finish time of 1:11:06.

We met Stephanie (ChubbyLungs) but didn't get a pic of her in her cute Dorothy costume. We met up with Tif (33Michigan) and squeezed Chuck into a photo up between 2 sweaty, dirty women - he didn't mind =)



It was a great day in Hell!

Grand Rapids Half, October 17, 2010

Today I ran the Grand Rapids Half Marathon. It was a well-run event on a very nice course; few hills, lots of scenery, and great post-race food.

I woke up Friday morning with a terrible sore throat and stuffed-up head. I was pretty worried that this was going to ruin the race for me and all the months of training that I've put in. Nothing to do but rest up, dose myself with meds and vitamin C, and wait.

We arrived on Saturday for the kids race - my kids collected 25 miles over the past 8 weeks, then ran the 1.2 mile event to complete their 'marathon.' They received shirts and nice medals and had a blast. I had an FE with Heidi, Neil, and Mary from the forums - it was great meeting them. I also ran into some local runners and my own brother with his girlfriend and some of their friends. My parents came in to cheer us on as well. It was fun!

A day in the swimming pool, a night out to dinner, and early to bed. I never sleep well the night before races, and this night was no exception. Around midnight, I searched thru my purse and lucked upon some Sudafed - the only thing that works for me on head colds but the meth dealers make the pseudophedrine stuff hard to get. At 3AM, I woke up and realized that my head was actually feeling ok. At 5:30, the alarm went off and I got ready to go. Met my dad in the lobby and he drove me to the race start (who else would get up so early for someone?). I was taking the early start for the 'velocity-challenged' runners, so my race started at 7am.

I had a few goals for this race: come in under 3 hours, come in before my brother (he was running the half as well but not taking the early start), and then a stretch goal of coming in between 2:40 and 2:45. I had pace bands for all 3 times printed out, but left them at home. I just had to run the best I could with what I had, head cold and all. My good friend John told me in a training run (where we ran 13.7 miles at a 12:12 pace, stopping the watch for bathroom and drink breaks) that I had to get it out of my head that I was a 13mm runner; this gave me so much confidence and my training since then has proved it. I tweaked the Higdon intermediate plan and ran 5 days a week, peaking at 30mpw. I got great advice from the forums and changed my intervals from 400's to 800's. I got comfortable with running at uncomfortable speeds. I am 40 pounds lighter than when I ran my first 5k in 40:00 in May. I ran a hilly 10-mile Crim in August in 2:17. So here's how the race went down:

Mile 1: 12:14 right on pace. Feeling great! No sign of a head cold. Happy that the day is here and grateful that John came to the start line early to see me off. Saw Heidi again too!

Mile 2: 12:24. Hey did I mention it's still dark out? Yeah and I am wearing sunglasses. Still feeling good. Running thru the business district of Grand Rapids.

Mile 3: 14:39 . First porta-potty stop. Luckily there is no line and I take care of business as quickly as possible. The sun starts rising and it's lovely. Also, taking the early start is awesome because I am passing everyone. I use my first Gu.

Mile 4: 11:54 Trying to make up the time lost in the porta-pot. Too bad the RD won't stop the race clock when I go to the bathroom!

Mile 5: 11:56 This is the highlight of the day - my dad surprises me by being on the side of the course and jumps in to run half of this mile with me.

Mile 6: 12:31 Entering a park area and another potty stop. Seriously. No line again so it was quick. Suddenly ravenous. Eat Gu chomps for food rather than energy.

Mile 7: 11:17 The park is nice, lots of mist or fog. Why so fast? No idea.

Mile 8: 12:41 That fast mile is catching up to me. Left hammy getting angry. 4 miles to go!

Mile 9: 12:45 Just realized the bad math I did in mile 8 and now I have 4 miles to go. Less encouraged now that I feel like I am running an extra mile. Eat rest of Gu chomps to see if that gives me a boost.

Mile 10: 12:27 Total time now 2:04; with my 1-hour head start, the fastest of the half runners have passed me - these guys are running 5 and 6mm. I don't mind the eye candy that I get treated to at this point. I also see the 1st female finisher - she's in my AG and finishes in 1:24.

Mile 11: 12:05 This part of the course loops back and I cross the other runners who are on mile 6 or so. I see Heidi and she is looking great.

Mile 12: 12:29 Really wanting to walk at this point. I debate and do bad math. Finally figure out that I can finish under 2:50 if I keep running. I keep running.

Mile 13: 10:54 My kids, husband, and parents are on this corner cheering me on. I *so* needed the pick-me-up. How awesome that they are all here, 2 hours from home, to support me! (and my brother but whatever) I finish this mile with all I've got - my first sub-11 mile ever.

After seeing them:



Final .1 (or .26 of the garmin): 2:53 (10:59 pace). Oh I am struggling but I will not slow down. It hurts and I keep running. The crowd is cheering me on and it really helps. I am crying with the struggle to keep running; that finish line seems so so far away. I can't imagine what people saw but I clearly needed the cheers. The announcer calls my name as I come down, and that's a first for me - really neat. I finished this race with every last drop of whatever I had left, sobbing and crossing that mat just as it clicks over to 2:43. Several volunteers ask me if I need help. I had to keep walking and can barely get it together. A medal, a 13.1 sticker, a space blanket. I am a mess but in a really good way. Then I hear my brother's name get called and how cool - I finished just minutes before him. Yeah I had a 1-hour head start, but he's 10-years younger, in great shape, and has been running for several years.


Chip time: 2:42:31 (12:17-garmin- or 12:24 pace). Beer and chili in the finishers tent. Nab ice cream for my kids who have been dealing with this race for a couple of hours by now. Full runners start coming in. Cheer other finishers on for quite awhile. See Neil who rocked his half and must have finished within minutes of me (gotta love that head start!). See some really bloody nipples owie. My brother's girlfriend does not BQ as she had hoped and that's a bummer. Cheer runners until my children cannot handle it anymore and we have to leave before they kill each other. Shower and go to a local bar for the Bears game. They lose. Head cold comes back with a vengeance. Drive home 2 hours and happy happy sore sniffling happy.

Really nice medal and an awesome long sleeve tech shirt.

Text #1 received from my mom: Can't believe you ran 13 miles today. We r so proud of you! (Thanks Mom, I can't believe it either!)

Run Woodstock Far Out 5k & Flower Power 5 Mile, September 25, 2010

An area LRS (Running Fit) put on an amazing event this weekend, called Run Woodstock. 3 days of peace, love, and running. They took the hippie theme to the hilt and had trail running events of every distance, from 5k to 100 miles. It was held really close to my home so participating was a must. I convinced my husband (not a runner) to sign up; he agreed to the Flower Power 5-miler on Saturday. The event had a commune (campground), so we set out on Friday to make a weekend out of it.



After packet pick-up, it was nearly time for the 100 mile and 100k events to begin. These folks would run from 4pm on Friday until whenever they finished or dropped, whichever came first (30-hour cut-off for 100 mile). I was thrilled to be there to watch them begin. I got to meet a local ultra runner, a woman and mom named Farra; she is so inspiring to me. There were runners from all over who came for this event. The 100-mile folks had to run 6 loops of a 16.6 mile trail, which is known for its challenging hills, sand, rocks, roots, and ruts. A local guitarist played a Jimi-Hendrix-style national anthem and they were off, off to run for up to 30 hours!

We set up our camp and got into running clothes; a free, fun, untimed 5k was starting at 7:30pm. My husband (Rob) is a bit out of shape, but he started working out a couple months ago and he run/walks 4 miles or so on a treadmill 2-3 times per week. I knew I was pushing it with him and the 5 miles on the trail, but I really want to include him in these running events as more than a spectator. He agreed to the 5-miler, and I signed him up for the 5k more as a ‘surprise’ – it was free, and there was a pizza party after!

It was just starting to get dark when we listened to the national anthem again and set off for the trail. Our final instructions: if you want to run au naturale, turn left at the fork in the path about 1 mile in.

So off we go, running in the woods at night. Such a treat! The trail was beautiful, albeit difficult, and we were feeling good. We got to the fork in the road and hemmed and hawed. In the planning, I thought I would do it, but when push came to shove I was kinda chicken. Rob said, “Let’s do it! You only live once!” (He had been the one saying no-way all along!) So we turned left.

Now, this should be the juicy part of the story, but not so much. A sign or something must have been turned around or knocked over, because we never came to the clearing where the helpers were supposed to be waiting to serve us champagne and watch our clothes. We kept going and going; it was clear we were lost, and the wrong turn added almost a mile to our 5k (oops). I made up for it by mooning Rob as he ran behind me =)

I really loved running at night. It became super dark, with a big moon to light our way. We had headlights and flashlights to navigate the trail, which had some hills and a mud pit. One hill was super-steep and all sand, it was like climbing a sand dune. Still, this was great fun and a high point of the weekend.

Back at the commune, hot pizza, live music, and a warm campfire awaited us. It was a party of runners. We stayed with the others for a while, then headed to our own site; we lit a fire, met another runner who chatted with us, until I was too cold to stay outside any longer. The wind had picked up terribly and it was so very cold. We were close to the base camp that the ultra runners had to run through as a check-point and aid station. I loved hearing the cheers for them as they came through, and it was hard to feel sorry for yourself in your camp chair with your beer and your feet up by the fire when others are running thru the night. Still, it was hard to sleep with the cheering, the rough wind slapping the tent, and the baby crying all night in the tent next to us (poor kid – I felt terrible in the morning when I met his mom, who was running the full marathon that morning after being up all night with the baby!).

In the morning, I brewed some coffee and helped Rob with his timing chip. A 50-mile and 50k event started at 6am, a full and half marathon started at 7:30am, and our 5-miler started at 8am. We pinned on our bibs, shared a bagel and a banana, and went off to the starting line. It was cool camping so close to the start, as I could leave my warm clothes on and ditch them at just the last second.

This trail run was a real challenge. You had to pay constant attention to your footing. Rocks, roots, sand, mud, fallen limbs, hills… we had it all. I loved it. A couple really steep hills caused Rob some trouble – he’s a night owl, not a morning person, and not a morning runner; he suffered during this event. He does his thing on the treadmill after work; this hilly morning business was not for him. He was a trooper about it, but I know he was not loving the run as much as I had hoped. Some folks in the trail running forum mentioned that this was a difficult course, especially for someone coming off a treadmill. “Take separate cars” was among the advice I was given. I’m glad we had done the night run the night before, because I think he enjoyed that a lot. Our loop was part of the full marathon loop, so there were other runners on the trail, all awesome and so encouraging. It was a great experience.



Rob agreed to run hard the last bit as we came into the finish line. I think the course was long (my Garmin read 5.7 miles) but I didn’t tell Rob that. It took us 1:25 to finish, not last place but not too far from it. The plan all along was to take it easy, get through it with easy running and just enjoy the experience. I told Rob how proud I was of him and put his medal on.



The swag at this event rocked. 100-mile finishers received an awesome belt buckle. Al runners of 5 miles or more got a very cool medal. And, I loved the race shirts:



And the medals:



AG awards were 5-deep – they got these cool toy replica VW micro-buses decked out hippie-style, and OA winners for each event got LAVA LAMPS. Before we left, the 100-mile winner came in at around 17-ish hours:



We packed up our camp and headed home. We stopped for lunch and talked about the experience. Rob was sore and had some chafing; I tolerated lots of complaining about ailments that I’ve had for months now. It felt good to introduce him to ‘the (chafing) club.’ He was still sore this morning, but not holding it against me, and I think I can get him to run it next year.

I think I will shoot for the full next year, the 50k if I can swing it. I see lots more trail running in my future.

The Crim 10 Mile, August 28, 2010

So with 10,000 people running the Crim today, there are bound to be a few from RWBF =) Hopefully you aren't sick of all these RRs yet.

Very cool event, starting on these brick streets of Flint. 10 miles later, you end up on the bricks again and it's an awesome feeling to know you are so close to the finish line!

I had to get up at 5:30 this morning and should have gone to bed earlier. the logistics of getting myself and my kids there, plus packing for the company picnic following the race... it was a lot of prep work. Wide awak at 2am did not help matters. Point is, I was more tired than I should have been. Still, the adrenaline was all there this morning when the race started. A sea of people. The best part about this event for me was that I was always surrounded by people. It did slow me down, but it was nice to not feel left in the dirt. There were always other runners around me.

Great weather, great crowd support - people with sprinklers all over, and a frat house offering donuts! The big downer was a serious lack of porta-potties. Several of my miles were more a race-to-not-mess-my-pants than a race-to-the-finish. In the end, I did not mess my pants, I did finish, and I really felt great about it. A year ago, 10 miles was not even in the concept of what a person like me could run. Today, I did it.

Not much for photos but here's what I've got:

Me at the finish line, a sweaty mess but so happy

My kids, who I have never been happier to see




And then we got to meet Batman and Robin! My youngest has a secret - he is going to be Batman when he grows up, but don't tell anyone!





My final stats:

Distance 10M
Clock Time 2:20:47
Chip Time 2:17:03
Overall Place 7657 / 9508
Gender Place 3377 / 4730
Division Place 519 / 689
Half 1:10:05

Not too far off my goal pace of 13:30 for my upcoming half. I feel really confident that I can run a half in less than 3 hours. I was questioning, at about mile 8 today, why I would be wanting to do that. But I do! And I will!