My changing relationship with Running

The day before I found out I was pregnant, I ran ten miles the Philly Broad Street Run. And that's the most hardcore thing I've done "during my pregnancy." :) It has always been a goal of mine to remain active during pregnancy and though it's been hard, I've been able to maintain some level of fitness. Not *nearly* what it used to be, but that's pretty much what they tell you to do.


Running while pregnant seems to be a vastly misunderstood thing. It's okay, and I'm going to do it for as long as I want to and feel good doing it. I realize that at some point the belly will interfere, and I'm down w/ that. But for now I'm still enjoying it, just in a very different way. For instance, last night I ran 2 miles at an average pace of 11:30. It has taken me a few weeks to come to terms w/ these numbers. I kind of had to abandon the way I used to think of the numbers - constantly wanting to get a good pace or go farther - and think of them as merely a gauge that I am putting forth the correct amount of effort and hitting a time threshhold (run for 30 minutes) rather than distance threshhold. It's different. In some ways, it's not as fun, but in others, it's a lot less pressure. I'm just going for a leisurely run with my child. :) The new challenge is getting myself out there!


I've been going to the gym at work too, which is good because, let's be honest, it's hot as crap outside in July here. I've been doing more on the treadmill than I typically like over the past few weeks, but it is helpful because it keeps me at a respectable and advieable pace without requiring much monitoring on my part. And it's climate controlled! I've been doing *some* lifting, but that's not my favorite. But the upside is of all the geeky nerds that work here, very few workout. ;)

I'm going to transition to using the gym at Scott's work in the coming weeks. They have a POOL! I'm kind of excited to start swimming again. Should be fun and it's a highly recommended way for pregnant women to work out.