pregnancy

training update

July 23, 2013 by Kristy 11 Comments

Training for what exactly? For a comeback in 2014? For a healthy, active pregnancy? To justify my raging sweet tooth? It changes each day but it’s definitely motivating me to get my butt out of bed each morning.

I alluded to 2014 plans a few weeks ago and many of you asked for specifics. My due date (1/1/14) is the perfect time for “comeback” training. I figure January and February will be spent on the treadmill walking/running and trying to acclimate to life with a newborn. Then, as the weather gets nicer, I can get back to running outside. My goal is to focus on getting my endurance back first and foremost and, with that, my speed will creep back eventually. I would love to BQ again but I’m being realistic. So I have my eyes on a 50-miler (JFK?) and maybe a marathon as training run. I have no idea what my fitness level will be like postpartum so I’m just going to roll with it and see where it takes me.

Now back to the present. Running is still going fairly well, although the non-stop humidity has been frustrating. I’m averaging 30-35 miles per week with long runs of 8-10 miles. I can’t really go any further without significant help from the treadmill, which I despise in the summer time (even though it’s in my basement). I can’t wait for a break in the humidity to put some decent miles in…although by the time that happens I’ll be pretty rotund!

Speaking of rotund…

I noticed a big difference in my stomach over the past few weeks and now I can see why. I also think my butt is getting larger? Or does everything just feel tighter in that region because my stomach takes up so much space in the front? Either way it’s bizarre to see your body undergo such rapid changes that you cannot control. Note: these pictures are taken pre-run on Sunday mornings…hence the perpetual half-asleep look.

Advice for postpartum comebacks? Other than slow and steady wins the race?

Any 50-miler options? JFK is at the top of my list but I’m terribly afraid of heights and, after reading the course description, I’m terrified.

exercise, heart rate, and pregnancy

July 13, 2013 by Kristy 8 Comments

This topic makes my blood boil! I’ll try and keep my ranting to a minimum and focus on the facts.

The facts:
– In 1985 the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) indicated that maximum heart rate during pregnancy should not exceed 140 bpm.

– In 1994 ACOG removed the heart rate guideline…”there are
no data in humans to indicate that pregnant women should limit exercise intensity and lower target heart rate because of adverse effects.’’

– In 2002 (and reaffirmed again in 2009) ACOG stated “in the absence of either medical or obstetric complications, 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise a day on most, if not all, days of the week is recommended for pregnant women.”

Heart rate hasn’t been part of the recommendations for quite some time now and yet most doctors still throw out the old keep your HR under 140 bpm nonsense. And it makes me want to scream.

In a nutshell, ACOG states that because of the variability in a woman’s heart rate during exercise throughout pregnancy, target heart rates are an unreliable measure of intensity (source – this is a great book, by the way).

So why do doctors still give outdated advice? To cover their asses, in my opinion. Can’t say I blame them either (in a small way). Patients lie. How many times have you lied to your dentist about flossing every day? I’m sure newly pregnant women often inflate the truth about their current exercise level (or lack of) to their doctors.

I think pregnancy is a wake-up call for some women to start exercising. In this population, heart rate guidelines may be the way to go (as opposed to The Borg Scale of Perceived Exertion) and maybe that is why doctors are still using this guidance. It took me a few years after I started running to really understand what my body could handle in terms of pace and exertion.

But to tell a runner (or any other avid exerciser) to keep their heart rate under 140 bpm is ridiculous. The first time I encountered such nonsense was my reproductive endocrinologist. Although his guidelines were far more strict – 120 bpm. I told him that was a brisk walk and those guidelines were outdated. He told me those were “his guidelines”. I left the office frustrated and that prompted me to do my own research (note: I never followed any heart rate guideline, just the Borg scale).

Luckily I was released to my OB at 8 weeks and she supports my running as long as I listen to my body. I have no issues with that recommendation – I’ve been doing that for many years and it has served me well so far.

The experiment*
Matt repeatedly urged me to do a run with a HR monitor just to see. At the end of May I set out for an 8-miler, HR monitor strapped to my chest, and didn’t look at pace on my Garmin. The result? An average pace of 9:15 and my heart rate never went above 144 bpm.

I was astonished! I never train with a HR monitor and I thought for sure my heart rate would be sky high. After doing all that research the common theme was frustration at how slow your pace had to be in order to stay within 140 bpm.

Go figure.

*I have to add that this was a one-time experiment (on a cool day) and I need to do it again (ideally monthly) in order to accurately see what my range is. I would imagine my heart rate to be higher now at the same pace with (sadly) some loss of fitness.

I would love to hear your thoughts and experiences!

1st trimester running

July 7, 2013 by Kristy 21 Comments

Time is flying. I’m just shy of 15 weeks and haven’t even mentioned running yet with my new training partner! Let’s recap the 1^st trimester of running, shall we?

Since I felt pretty good throughout the 1^st trimester I was able to sustain decent mileage (in my opinion).

Miles per week: 35-40*
Long runs: 10-13 miles
Race: ODDyssey Half Marathon
*with occasional drop back weeks of 30 miles

Pace
My pace slowed almost immediately, like I was running through molasses. At first this drove me crazy. I was getting passed by everyone and I was not happy about it. It took me a few weeks to put aside my pride and just enjoy myself. Now I pretend I’m training for an ultra – the slower you go, the better off you are. Just cover the miles and don’t worry about pace. Now that my mindset has been changed, running is pretty damn fun!

Long run fatigue
I didn’t experience much general fatigue in my 1^st trimester but long runs got rough. 13 miles was definitely my limit. I would get so tired I began to walk up hills and incorporate short walk breaks whenever I felt like it…just to cover the distance. This helped immensely.

I also noticed that my standard bedtime on a long run day became 8PM. Party hardy.

Boobs
I didn’t see this one coming! My $15 Champion sports bras were no longer cutting it. I have never really felt my boobs bounce while running (and I prefer it that way!). I swear it happened overnight. I woke up and had boobs. I finally sucked it up and bought more supportive – and expensive – Nike sports bras. I have a new respect for you well-endowed ladies and what you have to endure!

Races
1) Broad Street Run – 5 weeks pregnant (DNS)
I call this “sidelined with a case of pride”. I debated back and forth about this one. Race it? Run it for fun? Racing it was risky. It was so early in my pregnancy and 10-mile race pace is pretty punishing. I had a hard time justifying it and Matt felt the same way. Running it for fun was doable but you know what they say about race results living on the internets forever? I thought my slow pace would raise eyebrows (or maybe no one cared?) so I played it safe and sat out of the whole race. Damn pride.

2) ODDyssey Half Marathon – 10 weeks pregnant (1:59:31)
My first race of 2013! This race was on my bucket list for awhile but I never seemed to fit it in. It’s a small (3000 runners), low-key race in Philly. Runners can dress up in costume and can jump off course to participate in obstacle courses and games (I did neither).

Two remarkable things happened during this race: I didn’t stop to pee AND I didn’t walk. I felt pretty incredible actually. Obviously I had no time goals but secretly I wanted to come in under 2:00. Mission accomplished.

Splits

Elevation profile – sadly this is considered “hilly” by Philly standards.

Around mile 11, I met a RTLR reader (hi Dave!). This was the first time anyone recognized me for the blog and I must admit it was pretty awesome and gave me a nice little boost.

I wonder what I was looking at? And why is that girl on her cell phone?!

A medal that’s also a bottle opener? Perfect…6 months from now.

It feels good to finally recap a race on the blog, even though I didn’t technically “race” it. I have 2 more half marathons scheduled for 2013 – the Philly RnR in September (should be doable) and the Philly Half Marathon in November. I will be about 8 months pregnant so we’ll just have to wait and see with that one. I may be delusional.

And 2014? Oh, I have big, big plans Smile

IVF and Running

June 29, 2013 by Kristy 48 Comments

I guess my next logical post is to explain how I got myself into this situation, especially since it was not the norm. As you can tell from the title of this post, we conceived via IVF and were fortunate (very fortunate) to be successful on the first cycle. To put it in perspective, women age 35 to 37 have a 30% chance of a live birth per cycle. For women under 35, it’s 40%. Like my sister-in-law told me, someone has to be that 30%. We are lucky to be included in that percentage.

I don’t want the focus of this post to be infertility. Yes, we had fertility issues but I was able to get pregnant in less than a year. I don’t consider it a struggle, compared to others. This will be the only time I mention it on the blog because, in my mind, how I got pregnant is irrelevant at this point. What is important is that I am pregnant.

So why am I writing this post? Running, of course. When I knew we had to go through IVF and I was told I couldn’t run, the stubbornness in me Googled “IVF and running”. I didn’t find much information, considering exercise is contraindicated while going through IVF. But the thought of not running for a month plus, during an incredibly stressful time, was unfathomable. I am writing this post to document what I did during each stage, in hopes that it will provide information to others – with one caveat. This is what I did and sometimes it was against the advice of my doctor. If you are going through IVF, please consult your doctor, listen to your body, and use common sense before you consider lacing up your shoes for a run.

A brief background first. After trying for 6 months unsuccessfully, we were referred to a fertility clinic. Numerous tests later, we found out that our only way to conceive was IVF. Skip Clomid, IUI, and proceed directly to the end of the line. It was devastating news but luckily I have a husband who sees the glass as half full.

Knowing that I was about to go through something completely out of my control, I felt the need to control something. Enter my self-proclaimed quasi-training during the months of January to March. I was coming off the Rehoboth Beach Marathon and pretty much kept going, running 40-50 miles per week. Many of you asked me which marathon I was training for – or secretly training for – but the truth is I was training for IVF. I figured quasi-training would serve me well. Either I would enter pregnancy in the best shape of my life or, if the first cycle failed, I could easily start back up again and train for a Fall marathon (which would have been Steamtown – I’m actually registered for it!).

Finally – to the point of this post! I’ll break down each stage of IVF (as I see it), describe it briefly, and describe how my running was affected.

3 weeks of BCPs
Looking back this was the “honeymoon” phase of IVF. 3 weeks of birth control pills – piece of cake. I could run as much as I wanted so I kept my mileage between 40-50 and squeezed in a few solid long runs of 18 and 20 miles. I do know that some IVF protocols start Lupron injections towards the end of BCPs but my protocol did not.

Stimulation phase
Let the injections begin! I began injections with Follistim and Menopur on March 28^th. The point of this stage is to stimulate your ovaries to produce multiple eggs. I was on stimulation meds for 12 days (adding Ganirelix to the mix towards the end to prevent ovulation). The ballpark range for stimulation is 7 to 14 days but that all depends on how you progress. My progression was very gradual – meaning my ovaries didn’t grow to the size of grapefruits overnight! When your follicles are roughly 16-20mm in size (measured via numerous vaginal ultrasounds), ovulation is triggered with a big dose of hCG.

Running (or any exercise other than walking) is contraindicated during this phase for good reason. Ovarian torsion is a very real threat once your ovaries start to swell with follicles. The size and weight of your swollen ovaries can cause them to flip and cut off their own blood supply. You can imagine how any high impact exercise or any exercise with excessive bending and twisting (yoga) could increase your chances of ovarian torsion.

So instead of running, I walked…30 miles a week! The fertility clinic’s version of walking was a “nice post-dinner stroll with your husband”. My version of walking was a balls-to-the-wall sub-15:00 pace…multiplied by 30 miles. One day a nurse told me I was doing too much – I knew I wasn’t – I politely said “OK”. I never felt any cramping (a sign that you are doing too much) and, even though it sucked to not be running, it was better than nothing. I even did long weekend walks – 4 miles in the AM and 5 miles in the PM. Like I said, I’m stubborn as hell. I could not sit around and wait…or curl up with a book or movie (which was suggested to me numerous times).

Egg retrieval
This was hands down the worst part of IVF. 36 hours after you receive your injection of hCG, your eggs are retrieved by passing a needle through your vaginal wall. If it sounds painful, it was. You are under anesthesia and the procedure is quick. It’s the aftermath that is the worst. I felt like someone took a shovel to my torso and beat me up and down. And the bloating. Oh the bloating. I wish someone would have told me I would have looked 5 months pregnant. After your eggs are retrieved (and they retrieved 25 eggs from me – a huge amount), your follicles fill back up with fluid, causing excessive bloating. The only way to get rid of the bloating is to drink and eat excessive amounts of salt. I was eating table salt and washing it down with Gatorade. It was unreal. The soreness and bloating subsided after a few days.

I did run the 3 days after my egg retrieval (4 to 6 miles). And, if I had to do it all over again, I would not run. My ovaries were still very swollen and I could have risked ovarian torsion. It was completely stupid (and, again, stubborn) on my part. I should have stuck with walking.

Embryo transfer
This was definitely the most exciting day! After retrieval, your eggs are fertilized – love in a petri dish! Depending on how the embryo(s) are progressing, they are transferred back on Day 3 or Day 5. I had a Day 3 transfer. The transfer process is quick, painless, and does not require any anesthesia. With the help of an ultrasound the embryos are guided and placed into your uterus, with the hopes that one embryo (or more) will implant and result in pregnancy. After the transfer procedure was complete, I was on bed rest for 24 hours.

I ran the morning before my embryo transfer, just to ease my nerves and relax. The day after the transfer (after 24 hours bed rest) I walked 7 miles. I know this sounds insane to some people. Why couldn’t I just relax? Was I worried about interfering with the (possible) implantation process? I wasn’t. I know many of you can agree with me that, as runners, we are hyperaware and in tune with our bodies. I know when to push, when to pull back, and when to call it a day. I know immediately if something is off. I felt fantastic and didn’t feel like I was overtaxing myself. I just went with my gut.

The 2-week wait
The most stressful part…waiting to see if you are pregnant. After your transfer, you wait 2 weeks and return to the clinic for a blood draw to see if you are pregnant. The first week went by pretty fast and without much stress but the second week was awful. My blood test was scheduled for a Friday but Matt and I caved on Wednesday and took a home pregnancy test. Technically you’re not supposed to take a home pregnancy test due to the high rate of false positives (the hCG trigger shot you administered before retrieval can trigger a false reading). BUT, I knew the hCG was out of my system and this was the real deal. Three tests (1 good one and 2 cheapies) – all very positive!!! The relief, excitement, and sheer joy that we felt was (and still is) unexplainable.

I was told not to run during the 2-week wait. I followed that rule for about a week (continued my balls-to-the-wall walking) and then I began running again. I actually got the call from the nurse that I was pregnant while I was out running Smile Was I putting myself at harm or putting the baby at harm by running so soon (and against medical advice)? No, not in my mind. Again, I felt incredible and running made me feel even better. Obviously, I would have stopped at the first sign that something was wrong.

And…I’ve been running every since. And I plan to continue to run for as long as I’m able.

If you’re wondering, I’m not having twins! At 6 weeks, they confirmed the presence of 1 baby, not 2!

If you have any questions, I’m more than happy to answer them through email. Again, this is what I did. You may feel differently. Always consult with your doctor and do what makes sense.

Unrelated bump shot – 11 weeks vs. 13 weeks.

the good and the bad

June 23, 2013 by Kristy 14 Comments

Thank you for all the wonderful comments, tweets, and FB messages! Now that the beans have been spilled, many of you asked how I am feeling and if I’m still running. I’ll start off with the good…

GOOD
I was truly expecting the worst during the 1st trimester – morning sickness and fatigue round the clock. I don’t know how or why but I managed to escape both of them. Honestly, I feel fantastic. Compared to what I thought the 1st trimester would be like, I have very few complaints.

Since I felt so good, there were no excuses when it came to running. Running is going well (albeit slow) and it makes me feel “normal” and more “me” again. But more on that in another post.

BAD
It’s not all rainbows and unicorns! Constipation (sorry!) is my top problem right now. This is such a foreign concept since running always, without fail, kept me regular. Now no amount of fiber in the world, coupled with running, can do that. I finally started an OTC med (OB approved) and it works pretty well.

Insomnia is becoming more frequent. On Saturday morning I was up from 3-5AM, counting down the minutes until I could leave for my run. But insomnia does have its perks.

long run sunrise

I’m technically out of the 1st trimester on Wednesday and I’m hoping new symptoms don’t emerge! I’ve been so lucky so far.

So, about the future of the blog…

This will always, first and foremost, be a running blog. RTLR will not turn into a baby blog. But pregnancy affects running, just as having a kid affects running, and my content (as it relates to running) will change accordingly.

I do promise to never use #motherunner or #zombiemom. Don’t get me started.

My next few posts will focus on 1st trimester running (with a race recap!), heart rate/pregnancy/running (a hot topic that seriously fires me up), and running during IVF (another controversial topic that deserves attention). I hope you read along!

Spilling The Beans…

June 16, 2013 by Kristy 27 Comments

At last!

This post is a long time coming and it feels good to finally spill the beans…

You know where I’m going with this, right?

the bump makes an appearance at night

12 weeks pregnant today! Yup…fo shizz up the spout –> name that movie!

Hawk is just as excited to be a big brother.

I have a lot more to blog about (and I’m happy to be able to blog again!) but, for now, we’ll leave it at that.