Running for Two Part VI

(Part V here, along with links to all previous parts)

Spoiler alert! As mentioned in my last post, the baby has been born. And I did indeed run up until my due date. Hooray! I can’t believe my good fortune. I know it is very hard to run through the end of pregnancy and I’m grateful my body was able to do it.

I just want to do a quick backtrack here of the final weeks so that we can move on to a zillion baby pictures, post-partum recovery talk, and whatever else this blog is going to turn into..

 

Weeks 37-40

This is already somewhat hard to remember, so this will be brief. I can say with certainty that for some reason the last 4 weeks of my  pregnancy were some of the best and easiest running-wise. I was growing big and uncomfortable, but when I ran I felt like my old self. I had finally really gotten used to my 12:00 ish pace, the feel of my heavy belly, and the extra work in my legs and lungs. Running felt natural and easy and fun. I took plenty of walk breaks but did not have any specific aches or pains like before.

I ran 4 days a week again, after cutting back to 3 days a week for the previous couple months. I did allow myself to do 2-milers which was a nice option for days I didn’t feel up to 3+. I ended up with higher weekly mileage this last stretch as well by a couple miles.

A big part of the reason I ran more was that it could get my labor going. Starting at my 36 week appointment when an early check found I was 1 cm dilated and a bit effaced, I felt like labor was imminent and I wanted to help the baby along. In the end, I stayed 1 cm dilated until my later broke at 40 weeks + 1 day. But all the running certainly wasn’t a waste. It was great.

I ran in Forest Park a lot with Zach. I would stick on the Leif Erickson trail and he would run up the first steep stretch of every offshoot trail and then catch up to me. I ran with Alisa a few times. We ran a 5k together! I ran with Emily and her daughter in the stroller, and I also did a few runs alone close to home.

I sometimes ran in my just sports bra. I have never felt more confident about my body.

I very much enjoyed the last few weeks of running for two.

Here is the breakdown of my “long run” and total weekly mileage for the last 4 weeks:

37 weeks pregnant: 5.0 miles at 11:20 pace, 11 miles total
38 weeks pregnant: 3.25 miles at 12:37 pace, 11.35 miles total
39 weeks pregnant: 3.5 miles at 12:14 pace, 13.25 miles total
40 weeks pregnant: 4.0 miles at 12:05 pace, 12 miles total

Running Pictures: 

Due Date 4 mile run on the Banks Vernonia Trail:

Body Changes:

Big and Bigger. Leaned out in my limbs as my belly and my baby got huge. Baby movements became downright painful. Officially could not tie my shoes, get out of bed, or reach pretty much anything without someone’s help. Most of the discomfort in these last few weeks was contractions and pre-labor type pains that I had off and on from about 36 weeks.

Cross Training:

I did go to yoga every weekend except the last one. My main cross training was walking with Zach every night around our neighborhood. In fact I had my first real contractions on the 1-mile walk back from Alisa’s house Sunday night (my water broke an hour later).

Pictures:

Just these-

40 weeks pregnant:

 

41 weeks (5 days post-partum):

And just because I can: