Mile Markers: Pregnancy Slowdown

Mile Markers: Pregnancy Slowdown

I’ve coached a few pregnant women and read many runners’ accounts of running through their pregnancies. I knew that inevitably, due to weight gain, hormones, and changing priorities of the body, my pace would slow down. But I also knew it occurred at different points for different women. 

I imagined it as this awful sensation: feeling sluggish, short of breath, and weak. Surprisingly, it’s not.

The pregnancy slowdown didn’t hit me until about week 11 or 12. Now, at week 15, my tempo run pace has dropped from 7:10-7:15 to 7:40-7:45/mile. Easy runs are relatively the same and every once and a while, I hit a faster pace. But I certainly can’t go out and hit anywhere need my previous paces for intervals – my body simply doesn’t allow it.

I don’t really care if my paces are slower. I’m in a different season of training right now. Physically, I feel strong and energetic most days, and that’s all I need. Well, that and pickle juice. Apparently, as my blood volume increases, so do my electrolyte needs… and I craved pickle juice all week long. 

Mile Markers: Pregnancy Slowdown

Monday: 6.2 mile run

I spoke too soon last week about feeling not awful on a rest day. By 5pm on Sunday, I did not feel very good. A good night’s sleep and a sunny run completely turned that around! 

I ran Ollie for 45 minutes (5.2 miles) and then quickly switched dogs and took Charlie out for one mile. 

Tuesday: 4 mile tempo run (7.6 miles total)

This run felt amazing! It was a chilly yet sunny and breezy morning. I warmed up with two miles of easy running and then ran four miles at tempo effort. To be honest, I was nervous about fatiguing early so I started slightly on the conservative end. The effort felt really good and I ran 7:45, 7:49, 7:40, and 7:32 – and felt like I could have kept going. I cooled down until I reached home. I was so happy with this workout! 

Mile Markers: Pregnancy Slowdown

It’s worth noting that if I was not pregnant, I would be trying to run a fall marathon at these paces. I’m not out there forcing my normal training paces right now, because it’s a different season of life. 

After my run, I grabbed a small snack and some water and then completed strength workout. I did lateral band walks, banded squats, banded single leg bridges, banded planks with leg lifts, side planks, and push-ups. 

Wednesday: 40 minute easy run

I took Ollie out for a short easy run. Like most easy runs, this was relatively uneventful until we encountered a large pack of deer. I crossed a street and saw approximately a dozen or so deer staring at us. Ollie became so excited that we had to stop. Then each of the deer bounded down the path in front of us to cross the street. I think this was the highlight of Ollie’s week. 

Mile Markers: Pregnancy Slowdown

Thursday: Pilates

I am really enjoying reformer-on-the-mat style classes. This workout incorporated split squats and push-ups for total body strength. Based on my comfort for this workout, I modified any exercises with lying on the stomach, subbing in bird dogs and planks instead. 

Mile Markers: Pregnancy Slowdown

Friday: 8 mile run

It takes me a long time to warm up on runs now. I felt slow for the first couple miles, then things clicked and felt better. I have a weird sensation on some runs where my muscular fitness and aerobic fitness are mismatched. My legs will want to go faster, but I have to deliberately slow down to keep my breathing under control. Somehow, despite feeling slow, I averaged an 8:37/mile pace for this run, with the last mile at a smooth and steady 8:09/mile. 

The views on this run were stellar also. I love how I can just leave from my front door and run along lakes and meadows within a few miles. 

Mile Markers: Pregnancy Slowdown

Saturday: 4 mile run

I never knew what irritated sinuses felt like until pregnancy. The weather drastically changed, leaving me waith achy sinuses, congestion, and a general body ache. I slogged through four miles with Ryan. I felt bad because he was having a peppy-feeling run day, but because he’s the best he stuck with me as I barely moved forward. I made it to 30 miles for the week, which is my goal. I did feel much better after the run and some Tyenol Sinus medication!

I intended to strength train after this run, but I took a nap instead. 

I awoke from my nap with renewed energy. We brewed for the second time this year in the afternoon. Even if I can’t drink this batch, I relish the process of brewing. This beer will be a Pacific Coast IPA. 

Mile Markers: Pregnancy Slowdown

Sunday: Rest day

Linking up with Weekly Run Down!

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What was your strangest pregnancy or post-run craving?

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16 Responses

  1. Another great week of workouts! I’ve said it before but I love your approach to running and pregnancy right now. When I was pregnant I craved pineapple – whole and in juice form. And pickle juice is still a fav 9 years later. Lol!

  2. I did not run when I was pregnant but always wonder how that would have been. Looks like a pretty good week for you of workouts. I craved Indian food for some reason with my first pregnancy and milk. Weird combo! Thanks for linking up

  3. I’m so glad to see you keeping up with running! Truly amazing. And if you need someone to taste your beer, you can send it my way!

  4. I’m so glad you are still feeling relatively good and easing into runs with your mind open and changing the plan if need be. You will have to do that a lot as soon as that baby comes, so best to get used to it now 🙂 You look so cute and are starting to show – so exciting. We were all talking about how great you are and how excited we all are for you when our group was in VT this past weekend 🙂 Hope you could feel the good vibes!

  5. I didn’t run back in the day when I was having babies, but I did walk a lot. As for cravings, I was all over the map with each of my three kids. My aversions, though were crazy, and some of them have remained…the biggest one is my HUGE aversion to bananas and the smell of them. UGH. I can eat banana bread/muffins but that’s it.

    1. I’ve had the worst aversion to any form of dessert/pastry over the past few weeks, and I’m really hoping it doesn’t stick with me after the kid comes!

  6. Do you use kits when you brew your beer, or is that something you can make from “scratch”? We make wine and have had interesting results from making it from scratch. Now I prefer just to use a kit and be safe!

    1. We do a combination – sometimes we use kits for convenience, other times we use recipes. Typically, the ingredients look the same whether we use a kit or recipe (we usually do a combination of grains and liquid malt extract).

  7. Ollie looks ready to race those deer! I get pretty extreme post-run salt cravings without pregnancy coming into play – I’ve never wanted to drink pickle juice, but can understand how it would be appealing!

  8. you had a great week! I totally get your body having to slow down a bit because of the pregnancy. And if you ever feel bad about your “slow” just remember that you, pregnant, are still faster than many of us not pregnant haha!

    I have no biological children so I have no relatable stories but I love pickles anyway, just not sure I’d want to drink the juice ha!!

  9. I actually didn’t have any pregnancy cravings, which was a little disappointing! I think Rob was hoping that I would suddenly want to eat ice cream every day or something so he could do the same. In the beginning I just preferred comfort foods (pizza, fries, etc) over salads.
    Looks like your running is going so well! I slowed down during the early weeks but the 2nd trimester was the best for my running. Running during pregnancy is a wonderful experience I think. I hope you continue to feel good!

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