Pregnancy and Race Training Club? Anyone interested?

[LilyTiger]

I'm due August 5th and I thought a neat way to encourage activity throughout my pregnancy would be to train for a light race sometime in the second trimester.  My city has a sprint triathlon on April 28.  It's a 5k run, 20 mile bike ride, and a 3 mile kayak.  I think all of that is pretty doable.  I'm easily able to do around 5 miles running and well over an hour biking.  The kayaking might be a bit of a trial, but fortunately one can put the paddles down if necessary.  I'd be around 25 weeks at the race.

At any rate, the purpose of this thread is to see if any other mamas out there are training for a race or have experience training for a race while pregnant and whether those interested in training would be interested in using this a place for motivation and training help.  I've trained for triathlons before, but never completed one due to random injuries.  I've run quite a few 5ks and so on, but nothing longer.

My overall goal is just to finish.  I'm not worried about time or anything like that.  My training would probably be mostly spinning and weight work with maybe two runs a week.  I don't want to overload by joints too early on. 

So, anyone who is interested in joining, let us know what kind of race, when you're thinking about doing it, and any other relevant info including training strategies if you have any. 

[pennywhistle]

I'm due in late August (first pregnancy).  I started running last year, and completed 2 half marathons and a handful of 10Ks and 5Ks.  I had planned on training for and completing my first full marathon this year, but with the surprise baby on board, I'm scaling back on that.  I am hoping to keep running, though.  There's a half marathon on March 25 that I really want to do, but I've acknowledged to myself (for the most part) that there will be a fair amount of walking included.  My first pre-natal appointment is on Monday, so I'll check with the doctor then about what should be safe.

I'm always finding new races that I want to run, so I'm sure something will come up in April, too!

[LilyTiger]

Good to see you outside our DDC, pennywhistle!  Looks like it's just the two of us.  I'm going to go ahead and train for the tri, but I may end up just doing the 5k instead.  I'm not sure how things will develop.  I'm 10 weeks and so far I'm working out and running normally (though slightly less frequently due to the exhaustion).  When I do workout though, I'm able to do pretty much everything as normal, so I'm hoping I can keep it up well into the second tri.

Hopefully your doc is ok with you running.  The prenatal nurse told me I couldn't lift anything more than 25#, and I almost laughed at her.  I think listening to your body is the way to go.  Let me know how the training goes!

[RosieL]

Lily - DH basically banned me from tri races during pregnancy. Which sucks, because I don't train as well without a race to look forward to. One, he knows that I won't *take it easy*; I'm highly competitive especially on the bike. But the big reason is that it's not worth a fall from the bike. He doesn't want me on a bike on a road, which I can understand. Being in the end of my second trimester, I now know that I couldn't have ridden my tri bike anyway - the body position makes me hit my belly with my thighs. I could ride my road bike now though. 

If I could go back and re-do some of this pregnancy, I would have signed up for an indoor triathlon that's run each year in late Jan. I totally could have handled that, but I had no idea how to predict how I would feel at this point in pregnancy (my first), and we didn't want to risk losing the money.

I actually haven't swum since getting pregnant, except yesterday. The swimming was INCREDIBLE. I wish I had been in the pool all pregnancy long. I did run through my first trimester, got sick and uncomfortable (strong braxton hicks) and slowed to walking more often. I wish I had been able to keep up the running. I'm looking forward to getting back into it after baby arrives. 

Anyway, just some thoughts. Whatever you do, I'll cheer you on from here! :)

[pennywhistle]

So far my attempts at running have been dismal.  It's so disappointing.  This morning I hit the treadmill intending to run 3 minutes, walk 2 minutes, on and off.  I was only running at 5.5 mi/h, when my usual comfortable speed is 6.0-6.5, and even so I could barely go 2 minutes before I felt completely overheated and was gasping for breath.  THAT didn't seem good.  So I just walked at 3.5 with a high incline to feel like I was getting some kind of workout.

Monday's doctor visit turned out to just be bloodwork and filling out forms...next week is my first visit with my actual OB/GYN, at which point I'm going to check in about running.

When I got home from the gym this morning, and my husband asked how it went, I said "I've been defeated" and he replied "well, you ARE pregnant."  Yes, I am.  So exhausting, but so worth it, right?  Right.  But difficult in the meantime!

[LilyTiger]

RosieL, I hadn't even thought about my belly hitting my legs while I bike!  Whoops.  I have a Trek road bike, so I don't think the position would be a problem, but you have a point about falling on the road.  My work has a "Try a Tri" that's indoors that I could do, but I don't know when the next one is.  I'll have to think about the different options here.  Swimming is my weak point in triathlons, so the kayak tri I'd be doing would help in that respect.  I do hope to swim more in the later stages though, since people glow about how it makes heavy preggos feel.  So far, running and spinning have been fine, but I am developing weird pelvic or SI joint pain.  What length tri's have you done?

Pennywhistle, it does get better, I swear.  I'm at 10.5 weeks now and during the second month (weeks 4 to around 7.5) I was barely working out, making it maybe 20 minutes on the bike before falling off and going to sleep.  I just did a 3.5 mile beach run yesterday and I've been doing my normal circuit training, so I really think you'll find your energy levels will pick up and it will start feeling a lot better.  I've actually felt like my cardio ability is a little better than before I got pregnant.  Either way, just remember your blood volume is skyrocketing and hormonally everything is going completely insane.  I think I remember you being due closer to the middle or end of August, so if that's the case you should be seeing some relief soon! 

[pennywhistle]

Yep, I'm due August 26 (I'm at 8 weeks right now), so fingers crossed my energy comes back to me soon!

[ithappened]

this thread is SO great to read! I am so happy to hear there are other women out there training during pregnancy! !

With DS I was very active until literally the day I delivered, I had a really fast labor and was able to be skiing by about 2 weeks PP (although only for an hour or two- but still).

I am hoping this time, even though its twins, I will be able to have a similar recovery and delivery. I think a lot of it had to do with my activity level during pregnancy. :)

So- My goal is 4-6 days a week of activity.

I try to do a 3-4 mile run or fast walk, sometimes if I can find a babysitter I will go skiing for a few hours and once the weather improves I will raise the handle bars on my bike and start riding and/or swimming laps.

What are people doing for protein?

[RosieL]

OMG swim swim SWIM through your pregnancy! I just got back from basically a week in the water. Sailed in the BVIs all week. Every morning had a 20-30min continuous freestyle swim (jump off boat, swim out, swim back, try not to get distracted by the fishies). Late morning was an hour of snorkeling, then afternoon hour of snorkeling. Felt SO GOOD. I think my body and mind have really missed workouts. 

I don't generally like to pass on rumor, but in a community care visit with my midwives one of the other preggos (a yoga instructor) mentioned that twisting isn't a good idea in pregnancy. I have no idea about the validity of this, besides knowing that at this point (30 weeks) and for the last couple weeks turning over and twisting my torso has felt somewhat wrong to me. So not sure how that will affect kayaking. I'd be curious to hear if any knowledgable mamas have more specific information about twisting movements in second and third tri?

Non-pregnancy note about swimming: Three or four years ago (time seems to fly) I started training. First goal was an indoor tri, and I had to learn to swim. I had never swum on a team or been taught proper technique. A friend (former competitive swimming in college) came to watch me once, gave me ten minutes of tips, and it revolutionized my stroke and feelings about swimming. I went from dreading and struggling through a 100m to being completely comfortable with it and MUCH much faster. A tweak of my head position and rotation and it was like a brand-new activity. It doesn't always happen like that (DH has had a couple form lessons and hasn't taken to it like I have), but it's worth a try (pun unintended).

I've done a bunch of sprint tris (mostly pool swims), and an Olympic. I LOVED the Olympic length, but it was in Fall 2010, when I stopped working and started grad school full time. I didn't sign up for more because my income dropped by 80% (I had been making more than DH). As soon as I didn't have a race ahead of my and my school schedule went nuts, my training momentum dropped. Last race was an indoor (same as my first tri) last Feb. 

Over my vacation and from this thread I've been starting to think about a post partum race to sign up for. My first sprint was mid-summer and I missed it for the first time this year. I'm thinking of that one for 2013. We'll likely be TTC again at that point. It's far away, but I think it might be a good goal, plus some running events before then to prep. (Running is my weakest.) I wish races weren't so darn expensive though. :(

[LilyTiger]

ithappened, congrats on the impending dual arrival!  Wow.  I admit I was secretly hoping for twins (crazy, I know) before my first ultrasound, but now I'm happy with just the one little beano. 

I've been struggling with protein because meat just has not sounded appetizing for the last few weeks.  I'm hoping these food aversions end soon.  I've been drinking a fair amount of kefir, which is nice because I can just pour a glass without having to actually make something.  I also eat Greek yogurt most days and eggs every morning.  I've been trying to force myself to eat more meat, but it's still pretty hard.  Other suggestions for protein?

It's also great to hear about your easy labor.  This is my first, so I'm really focusing on strength and stamina work.  Our gym just had its "goals week" where we discuss goals with our trainers, and it was cool to have such a concrete thing to train for.  My trainers are excited too, because it means they get to get creative with workouts.  I did one-legged kettlebell deadlifts yesterday and lunges to shoulder press earlier in the week, so I'm feeling good about pelvic floor strength (so far).

Rosie, races are freaking expensive.  I trained for two tris (and paid for them) and had to back out at the last minute due to weird injuries (I had some subtalar joint issues and a bulging disc at one point).  I am gun shy now about paying for races I might not actually be able to do, which is why I'm thinking maybe a 5k on April 28 is a better option.  I can always do a mini tri on my own.  I do love having something to train for though.

[LilyTiger]

By the way, Rosie, so jealous of your swimming vacation!  I was just on the West Coast, but the water was way too cold to swim.  :( 

I'll look into the twisting stuff too.  Thanks!

[RosieL]

About protein - We have a protein powder, berry, and kefir shake every morning. Most mornings extra stuff goes in too, like flax seed, and greens+. The protein can be expensive, but we found a great place to buy in bulk and we believe it's worth it. Start the day with 20g+ of protein, and work hard to get more the rest of the day. I went through a month or more of really, shockingly strong aversions to meat, so the protein shakes were a great solace. 

On my trip a friend brought protein bars. I was skeptical, but to my surprise they had 20g protein and only 2g sugar. They were a bit chalky, but I'm thinking of picking some up to stash in my school bag. As much as I try to keep myself stocked with good snacks, I will always find myself without anything at least once a week, in serious need of food. 

[ithappened]

yeah I had horrible morning sickness this pregnancy but none with my first and I found nothing sounds good and everything smells worse- BUT if I can get a cold cold banana protein shake, its one of the few things I can easily 'eat'.. the morning sickness just sort of stopped yesterday (Im 11/12weeks) and so I am feeling much better today and my energy seems to be coming back- yesterday I was able to run 3 miles (but I was totally exhausted by evening). . .

I am def. looking forward to lap swimming once I get back home from this business trip next month- the local pool isnt far from our house and so I can bike there in less then 5 minutes on the bike trail.. will be great, esp once I get HUGE :)

I also gained 35-40 lbs with my first pregnancy and lost all but about 5-7 lbs by birth- I lost the last 5-7 without trying once I weaned and was done BFing my DS. I am hoping I have similar luck with this pregnancy and dont gain more/less then I should. I was really able to get back into shape easily the last time because I worked on maintaining a base level of fitness during the pregnancy..

so here is to all of you, I am so excited to know there are other like minded moms out there! woot!

[pennywhistle]

I've been eating Think Thin bars daily - they don't have any sugar, 20g of protein, and they taste really good.  I always have at least 2 in my purse at any given time.  I also eat cottage cheese &/or greek yogurt every day, and have a protein shake in the morning.

I still can't run - even going up a short flight of stairs leaves me totally winded.  But I can go for a half hour on the elliptical, so, who knows!  I think I'm going to give up my half marathon in March dream, and may instead just shoot for the 5K.  Normally I wouldn't care that much, but it's a race here in Oakland and I want so much to support it.  My running partners will still be doing the half, though, so I can at least go cheer them on!

Does anyone have a good resource for weight lifting while pregnant?  I don't want to stop, but am not sure what's considered safe.

[LilyTiger]

Pennywhistle, take a look at Crossfitmom.com.  They have a forum where people can ask weightlifting questions and some good info on the main site for different trimester adaptations.  Most weight lifting is safe in pregnancy, you just want to watch out for ballistic movements (like jumping squats or some Olympic lifts that are really fast) because the relaxin makes your stability a little wonky and therefore more prone to injury.  The other thing to avoid are heavy deadlifts or heavy squats where you find yourself "bearing down" and holding your breath to lift the weight.  That can put too much pressure on the abdominal wall and pelvic floor.  CrossfitMom suggests cutting your weights for heavy lifts to 65-70% or so.  But otherwise, you can do the same workouts as before.  Lifting with dumbbells and so on is perfectly safe.  I've been doing kettlebell work and did a squat, deadlift, shoulder press complex last night with 50 pounds of weight, and I feel great today.  And this is after taking almost a whole month off because my morning sickness was so bad. 

CrossfitMom also offer a workout of the day that you can follow with different weight circuits.  Most of the workouts are very short and can be safely added on to your 30 minute elliptical work.  I also just had my meeting with my new doctor today and she said everything someone is doing before pregnancy is safe as long as it doesn't hurt.  Your body will tell you pretty quickly if something feels weird.  Even if you don't like the Crossfit philosophy, Crossfit mom is a great resource for general weight lifting questions and the workouts are really nice short circuits that hit the major muscle groups.  They also have a section on substitutions (if you don't have particular equipment or can't do a particular move).  I love it (obviously!).  Our strong pelvic floors will be worth it when we have to push a damn watermelon our of our bodies.  (I also love Sistasofstrength.com -- she's a trainer who has a whole section on how she worked out during pregnancy, including super inspiring videos!)

I'll have to check out the Think Thin bars.  I keep finding stuff with lots of sugar, which I don't like.  I like Lara bars, but their fat to protein ratio is a little high (or low... whatever I mean).

Rosie: What is the brand of protein you use?  Is it pretty natural? 

[LeAnn A Doula]

This is a great idea! I've been running (5miles still seems OK, although the pace is a little slower), tons of yoga and swimming. I'm 10 wks (guess date is August 19th) and I definitely have more energy lately. I want to find a race that my hubby and I can do together. Just a 5k for me and I can cheer him on for the long haul. I'm going to check out the crossfit mom site, too. Sounds like a great resource. I'm a doula and a yoga teacher, as for closed twists (across the body) they put additional strain on your back which is already doing extra work as baby grows. Its best to avoid them during pregnancy no one wants an injury during pregnancy. It also cramps baby, especially later on. Its easy to substitute gentle open twists and other exercises that stretch and create space. Just listen to your body, its different for everyone.

[LeAnn A Doula]

This is a great idea! I've been running (5miles still seems OK, although the pace is a little slower), tons of yoga and swimming. I'm 10 wks (guess date is August 19th) and I definitely have more energy lately. I want to find a race that my hubby and I can do together. Just a 5k for me and I can cheer him on for the long haul. I'm going to check out the crossfit mom site, too. Sounds like a great resource. I'm a doula and a yoga teacher, as for closed twists (across the body) they put additional strain on your back which is already doing extra work as baby grows. Its best to avoid them during pregnancy no one wants an injury during pregnancy. It also cramps baby, especially later on. Its easy to substitute gentle open twists and other exercises that stretch and create space. Just listen to your body, its different for everyone.

[RosieL]

We get our protein from http://www.truenutrition.com/. We buy the TeamFIT formula, just because it's easy, but you can *really* customize what you are getting if you want to get into the nitty gritty. 

[ithappened]

I love those Think Thin bars pennywhistle ! I just wish I could get them in Europe.