Sidenote: is it wrong to feel like a loser that I can't participate and can't continue to train while all these other people are racing and improving their times? I was talking to a fellow preggers triathlete in our tri group who has been feeling kinda the same way - it's difficult to know that our husbands are going out and riding 60-90 miles on Saturday while we're stuck away at home (or I'm trying to do an hour swim) cleaning, working on the to-do list, etc. instead of us out there with them, kicking butt on the bike. Man I miss my bike...
Anyways, like Tuesday, when I swam 2000m in ~40-45 minutes. That's approximately 1.25 miles. And while I have swum that faster in a half Ironman triathlon, it's still better than most who aren't carrying an alien inside them. My husband came back from a Master's swim and said they did 1800m; "In an hour?" I said, to which he said yes, "But we did, like, 5x200s in 6 minutes or so." So what - all my sets are between 200 and 400 meters, so I guess I could actually kick y'alls butt still. :)
But what really gets me is not being able to ride or run. I gave up riding outside on the streets around month 4 because I felt I don't need to be selfish and risk an injury or cause some major damage to my belly. And after a while, I had to give up spin because my hips were just not making it comfortable for me at all. I figured an hour spin wasn't worth the two days post-spin to be in pain - I'm uncomfortable enough as it is without it. And running has become minimized a bit - I've resorted to race walking and occasional run pick ups. And my "long runs" are now "long walks" on Sundays - which equates about one hour to 1h 15m because walking any longer than that is just not that exciting and it starts hurting. I do miss my runs around the lake or through some of my favorite richy-rich neighborhoods.
The other thing that gets me about not being able to participate in group workouts - don't worry that I don't even attempt to make the morning workouts anymore b/c there's no way I can get up that early right now - is all the new people coming into the group. I keep asking Bryon about them and every time he's out there with them I get more and more upset. It's just the competitor in me, I know, but it's very, very, VERY hard for me to just sit back and let this pregnancy - and baby - take me over. I just pray that the rumors behind the new moms who train during pregnancy come back afterward faster and stronger than before is true! (Some reading for that.)
All in all, once I quickly look past my competitive edge, I just remember the below points of why I really should continue my exercise.
Reasons your baby (and your body) will thank you for running (from here and here)
- Babies who are born to active mothers often have normal growth but decreased body fat at birth which may have lifelong benefits
- Regular exercise during pregnancy builds stamina and prepares & strengthens muscles and body for delivery
- Running while pregnant can increase your baby’s ability to self calm
- Moms who run have increased fetal movements which studies show may help with oral language acquistion later on
- Regular exercise during pregnancy better prepares the baby for the transition from the womb
- Running during pregnancy increases the circulation of blood and placental efficiency.
- Cardio exercise increases blood flow from the placenta, supplying nutrition and oxygen to the baby
- The endorphin rush that you feel when you run crosses the placental barrier and gives your baby its own “runner’s high. The feel good tranquilizing effect of endorphins can last up to 8 hours after exercise
Come December, when it's nice and chilly and I can cover all my baby fat with layers upon layers, I'll get my chance to pick it up again during the racing off season and begin preparing for next racing season. I just hope my age group is ready for some butt kicking, so get your popcorn ready. :)
No comments:
Post a Comment