After a couple of correspondences with the race director to switch the marathon registration to my husband, it occurred to me that I might be limiting myself and my ability to still continue to train and participate in this marathon even though I was pregnant. The thought of doing 26.2 miles pregnant scared me, as it was something I had never done before. At the same time, however, the idea filled me with excitement and energy ― similar to riding a roller coaster for the first time. I decided to go for it!
I started my training back in March, figuring that I could take my time for the next 16 weeks to train for the marathon scheduled in June 2016. I was still in my first trimester and felt incredibly queasy, which was completely opposite of how I felt when I was pregnant with my first child. Although I felt great with my first child’s pregnancy, I never ran more than six miles. Ironically, with this second child’s pregnancy, my queasiness actually disappeared during my runs, and I would feel full of energy. I began to feel great about this marathon training and realized the positive impact it was having on my pregnancy.
Fast forward to the present. I am now at the end of my fifth month (21 weeks) of my pregnancy and have four weeks of training left until the day of the marathon. So far, my training has gone incredibly well, and I have had the opportunity to bond with my unborn child during my quiet long runs. My completion of an 18-mile training run last week was so incredibly significant to me, as it gave me a great sense of pride and accomplishment during this wonderful pregnancy marathon training experience.
My queasiness actually disappeared during my runs, and I would feel full of energy. I began to feel great about this marathon training and realized the positive impact it was having on my pregnancy.
This week I will be at the peak of my training and doing a 20-mile long run, then tapering (decreasing mileage) until the day of the marathon. I will be sharing my experience over the next couple of weeks. Follow me and my unborn running partner as we count down the days until we run The Light at the End of the Tunnel Marathon June 12, 2016!
0 Comments