Let's Talk Training....Prego Style

Big news around these parts especially if you are following me on social media....and if you're not then get right on that!!  Our big announcement is that we are adding to our "fancy" family in May with the addition of a baby boy!!!

My husband loves his girls dearly but I'm sure he is excited to be getting some more testosterone back into the house!

I wanted to touch base here about how my training has been these last few months (I'm 14 weeks) and how it has compared to training with my last two pregnancies.

I will say that the first trimester of this pregnancy was a lot harder than my last two pregnancies.  I'm not sure if I should chalk this up to age or that I have two others to chase around, but this time around I felt very different.  I basically have felt like I have a horrible hangover for the past three months...just no fun party/funny memories to go with it!  This impacted my training a lot, obviously, and I honestly have felt very discouraged.  With my first pregnancy, I ran but I was just coming off of being burnt out from training for Boston and not really doing a great job balancing running and life.  This meant that I lifted and did spin every day up until about 39 weeks (the gym was across the street from the hospital so I figured I had a short trip if anything happened!).  When I got pregnant with our second child, I was probably in the best shape of my adult life.  I was running TONS and hitting PRs left and right! 

I actually ran a 20 miler a week after I found out I was pregnant.  With that pregnancy I ran (and kept my speed and distance up) until about 38 weeks (I also ran a half marathon at 21 weeks).

Enter this pregnancy...I was continuing training as normal (two days of speed work, an easy run, and a long run) until one day I hit a wall.  I battled with headaches, nausea, and a body that was just plain tired.  I cried about not being able to run long(seriously it was rough) and then went about figuring out what I COULD do.  My speed has dwindled quickly but I am still putting in the miles (hello RW RunStreak!) but they are much slower.  I still do two days of speed but they are not nearly as fast as they were before....and there are walk breaks.  However now that I am into my second trimester, I have been feeling human again (THANK YOU LORD!) and have had a few really awesome runs....like the ones that make me feel like me again!!

I have also incorporated spin back into the mix.  I have been loving mixing together spin and lifting alternating intervals.  It is a great workout! 

I have also been making sure I am working in exercising with the girls.  We have been loving hiking and exploring trails!

I've been really making sure that I get weight training in every day...core work, leg day, upper day and pilates.  In the past with pregnancy, I have struggled afterward with back/core issues.  I am hoping that being consistent with my weight training that this will help! 

I really think the difference this time around has been that I am feeling like I need to be kinder to my body.  Call it age...call it exhaustion...whatever it is I need to remind myself to be kind to myself.  I feel so much better physically and mentally when I get in my workout every morning but if the body is just not feeling it then I wait until later.  This is the last time I will be going through this process...I need to treasure the time!  This is the plan....keep my body moving for 40 weeks!  Here we go!