Life Without Running

I remember the very first 5K I did after finding out I was pregnant. It was the Get to the Green 5K, a St. Patty's Day themed 5K that's held every year before the beginning of the St. Pat's in 5 Points Festival.

I did my best to take it easy and didn't use my watch to keep track of my time or my distance. I figured that I shouldn't run too hard but that running wouldn't be an issue for me at all. I ended up running the race in 29:40 which is a decent race for me - not too fast, not too slow, just right in the middle.

The next week, I ran my favorite YMCA Bunny Hop 5K. I had run this race three straight years and was ready to add on my 4th year and maybe even a new PR. It's always one of my quickest races! Sure enough, I dipped back down to 28:30 and was mere seconds away from setting a PR. I felt great after the race!

On that Tuesday, I went in to the OBGYN for my first doctor's appointment to confirm that yes, I was actually expecting. What I wasn't expecting? To hear that I wouldn't be able to run anymore while pregnant.

It took me a long time to come to terms with the fact that I had been told no more running. To be fair, when I asked my doctor if I could run because I liked to run 5K races, she told me that I could absolutely, 100% continue running while pregnant. She was fully supportive of me continuing to exercise and participate in 5Ks. However, she wanted me to keep my heart rate between 140-160 and no more. Y'all, my heart rate averages around 185-195 when I run and that's just running, not sprinting or anything crazy.

I went for a jog... like a "should this even be called running because it kind of feels like speed walking" kind of jog. My heart rate immediately hit 175. Running wasn't going to be an option for me, period. I had no intentions of doing anything to jeopardize our baby and if that meant I couldn't run, I couldn't run. But it doesn't mean that I wasn't frustrated and annoyed beyond belief about it.

It seriously took me a long time to come to terms with the whole no running thing... and even longer to come to terms that I was upset about not being able to run when I'd spent 25 years of my life doing everything I could to avoid running in the first place. It was much easier to digest over the hot summer months when I typically take a running break, but now that fall is right around the corner and some of my favorite races are coming up, it's hard to see everyone else getting out to run, to train, and to race. My typical first 5K of the fall season is coming up this weekend and it's so weird not to be preparing for it.

Don't get me wrong - I'll do anything to keep baby girl healthy, growing, and staying put until her due date. It means conquering my fear of needles, shots, and blood draws and it means adapting to a few months without an activity that I love to do.

But you better believe that I am counting down the days until I can lace up my running shoes and get back out there in January. I've got races circled on my calendar, goals set, and I've been researching all of the best strollers for running.