It is possible to complete 13.1 miles while 5.5 months pregnant

Happy Monday! I am very happy to be saying that I accomplished my goal of completing the Mini Marathon on Saturday. You see, I have been doing the Mini for the past 10+ years. It always falls on my birthday weekend so it has been one of my favorite weekends for a long time! A little different scenario this year- I have a 5.5 month old baby girl growing inside of me! Here is my story on how I completed 13.1 miles while pregnant.

October 2014: Me, Jake and my parents sign up for the Mini Marathon in May. 

December 2014: Jake and I find out baby Jaworski will be here in August. We tell our families. My parents ask about the Mini Marathon and I say without hesitation "I am still doing it."
 

January-March 2015: I start to follow a beginners training plan (Hal Higdon) knowing that I just cannot push it. First few weeks of training were miserable being in my first trimester. I felt like I was running with the flu every time. I continued to take it easy until second trimester.

April: I typically ran 3-4 days during the week after work with JJ. I also always incorporated weights on these evenings knowing how important it was to keep my strength. On the weekends I would complete my longer run. I would usually do half of it with JJ and half solo. To be honest here I never did a long run over 8 miles. 

May: Mini Marathon month!! I am convinced it will be so hard and my body will hate me after- but I will not back down and I will complete it even if I have to walk. I knew Jake would definitely beat me but it was OK. Per tradition we met my parents downtown for a pre-race dinner! I went to bed Friday night beyond nervous. I was terrified that I would burn out by mile 7 and be stranded at the track. 

Mini Marathon Race Report: 

5:15am: Jake and I wake up. We had a bagel, fruit and coffee for breakfast. 

7:15am: Arrived downtown. We hung out in my parents hotel which was right at the start line until we went to our corral (G). I stretched and told myself I could do it! We saw my parents on TV! They did the 5k-

7:45am: Jake and I loaded into our corral, kissed each other and said good luck! I typically never race with headphones but since I knew I would be going slower I kept them on this time.

8:00am: Go time! Jake sped ahead and I started slow and steady. 

Miles1-3: I felt great! Kept a slow jog pace and sipped water at each water stop. I also walked through the water stops. 

Miles 3-6: Stopped two times to go to the bathroom...thanks to baby girl inside of me! Still felt great but it was getting hot and the sun was shining.

Miles 6-9: The track....started getting very warm so I walked a bit. You aren't supposed to get too overheated when pregnant so this is when I had to listen to my body. I tried to really observe what was around me since I wasn't focused on a time. The entertainment is just incredible at this race and the volunteers are outstanding!

Miles 9-13.1: Homestretch!! Had to stop one more time for the bathroom. Drank Gatorade, ate some of a powerbar and walked a bit. I even got to see our wedding DJ at mile 10. I finished the race with a strong jog though mile 13.1 and felt awesome! I saw my mom, dad and Jake in the stands which made me the happiest! 

Got my medal, got my snacks, met my parents and Jake and headed home! I felt really, really good. I think I ran a very smart race by taking it slow, hydrating, and fueling my body when needed. I was able really take in the experience and observe all of the volunteers and other runners. When I am trying to get a good time I don't have as much focus on my surroundings. I am completely happy with how Saturday turned out. Jake did awesome as I knew he would, and so did my parents!

I hope this can be inspiring to all women who are or will someday be pregnant. Does everyone have to run in races while pregnant? No! Everyone's bodies react differently to pregnancy. The point is that it is very important to stay active in some way for you and your baby! Listening to your body and taking things slower than usual is important. I am so grateful I was able to still participate in my favorite weekend of the year! Next year I hope to PR while baby girl is on the sideline cheering for me! 

Hope you all had an active weekend!

 

My fitness plan for the next 3.5 months? Be active everyday in some way.