Mile Markers: Second Trimester Energy Burst

Last week’s workouts felt strong. Maybe it was the sunshine and spring temperatures, or maybe it was the start of the second trimester. I ran the highest mileage of this pregnancy – 32 miles! – and felt good. I’m starting to experience the pregnancy slowdown but that doesn’t matter to me as much as how I feel. I don’t feel slow or short of breath yet. Running feels really, really good right now. 

I overhauled my approach to strength training this week. I need to focus on strength training more frequently. My goal is two shorter lifting sessions of about 15-20 minutes and one Pilates session. My recovery rate is changing as pregnancy progresses, so I’m returning to my old habit of strength training on run days rather than non-run days. I tried my short sessions immediately after runs this week. 

Monday: 52 minute easy run

Monday was a beautiful day, with clear blue skies and mild temperatures! These are the days when running feels amazing. 

Rather than aiming for an exact time or distance, I planned this run by our route. Ollie and I ran to a 1.5 mile loop, did two laps around the loop, and ran home. It was nice for an easy run because I went on autopilot and did not look too often at my watch. We ran 5.9 miles and enjoyed every minute of the sunshine. 

Tuesday: Tempo run (63 minutes total)

I structured my workout as 15 minutes at tempo effort, 2 minutes recovery, then 2 x 10 minutes at tempo effort with 90 sec recovery for a total of 35 minutes of tempo effort. 

I am starting to experience the pregnancy slowdown. I’m still really happy with these paces; I’m simply observing they are slower than pre-pregnancy (and pre-fracture) when I ran a half marathon at 7:15/mile. 

I started off the first interval at a 7:25/mile pace, which felt great. I started to fatigue quickly, and the same effort dropped to 7:30 and then 7:35 for the next two intervals. I never felt like I was pushing too hard. It’s interesting because tempo effort feels comfortable, but my body can’t sustain it for as long as it used to. Nor do I feel like I could go much faster, even though I’m at about a 7 out of 10 effort. It’s incredible how smart the human body is! 

After the run, I completed a short mini band circuit with monster walks, lateral band walks, banded squats, banded single leg bridges, side planks with knee drives, and push-ups (modified to on my knees). 

Wednesday: 30 minutes Pilates

I have not switched to prenatal Pilates yet. My doctor said as long as it’s comfortable, I can keep doing normal Pilates. If something does not feel comfortable, I modify it. Even the supine movements are okay until they feel comfortable since blood is flowing more during exercise and I never spend too long completely on my back.

I did a magic circle workout for 20 minutes and spent 10 minutes following a Pilates stretching video. 

Thursday: 4 mile run

Seriously, even a short run makes a difference. I had a couple of days not feeling well mid-week until I started taking more Gas-X (I’m not going to sugar-coat pregnancy here – half the time I think I have a bump, it’s just bloating). This run, even through the fog, wind, and rain, granted me a 35-minute respite from feeling like crap. I probably could have run for longer, but I wanted to keep it short just in case I did a long run on Friday. 

I am absolutely obsessed with green smoothies this week. I make the Immune Boost one from Run Fast, Cook Fast, Eat Slow since is full of vegetables and uses coconut water. 

Friday: 9 mile run

Just as I started feeling the pregnancy slowdown, I had a run that made me feel strong again. The run itself felt fantastic and energizing, especially thanks to 40 degree temperatures and sunshine. I maintained an easy effort for most of the run, especially with 25 mph gusts. In the final mile, I turned into the tailwind and decided to pick up the pace. I was surprised to see the final mile clock in at 7:15! 

Saturday: 6 mile run & strength training

Saturday morning was beautiful – forty degrees and sunny! Ryan and I ran around downtown and university again. While northwest Indiana is not hilly, this route has a few more rollers than my normal daily route. We kept our pace easy and enjoyed a nice spring run. 

After the run, I squeezed in a short strength circuit of kettlebell squats, single leg deadlifts, bent over rows, deadbugs, and full pushups. 

Sunday: Rest day

My body appreciates complete rest days more than ever. And finally, for the first time in weeks, I didn’t feel awful on a rest day. 

Linking up with Weekly Run Down! 

How was your week in running?
Do you prefer longer or shorter strength workouts?