Thursday, January 19, 2012

My Pregnant Running Routine

So, the name of this blog is FOOD to RUN for.  But, I haven't talked about running lately.  It's been a long time since I've tried to run consecutively without walking.  Even in the first trimester, I was often left defeated, slow and truthfully, ashamed.  I wondered why it was so easy for other pregnant women to get out there and why it was so hard for me.  I pretty much gave up early in my second trimester and succumbed to the idea that walking was enough.  Then one day I was talking to my friend Leah about her running recovery.  You see my friend Leah and I ran together in college.
We were both pretty similar runners with similar times (although she definitely got faster after I quit Junior Year).  But after college something changed. Leah dropped the middle distances and started running long.  And well, in 2008, Leah qualified for Boston running in the high 3:20s on a very hot Chicago day.  And when she showed up to run Boston in 2009, she ran an amazingly impressive 3:11.

So that's my friend Leah in a nutshell.  Once a standout 400-800 meter runner, she has now become my fastest marathon friend.  Although I could go on and on about how awesome I think Leah is as a person and a runner, that is not my point of this post.  But if you want to read about that and get to know her better, you should check out her new blog here!
My point is that in early June Leah found out she had a Labral Tear and all her fall running goals went out the window.  She couldn't run and she couldn't do yoga and she was left frustrated.  After surgery and months of Physical Therapy she began to see the light at the end of the tunnel.  And after many months off, her Doctor and Physical Therapist allowed her to run!  Her Physical Therapist gave her a four week walk-to-run plan where she runs 3 days a week, gradually increasing the amount she runs.

The plan was something like this:
Day 1: Walking for 4 minutes and 30 seconds and running for 30 seconds
Day 2: Walking for 4 minutes and running 1 minute
Day 3: Walking for 3 minutes and 30 seconds and running for 1 minute and 30 seconds.
... and on...
lowering the walking and increasing the running...with each week...

Leah and I gchat daily so when she told me about this plan sometime around early December, I thought to myself... "hmmm, I can do this too!"  And MAYBE this will make me feel successful at running instead of such a failure.

So for the past month and a half or so, this is the plan I've been doing.  1-3X a week (depending on how much time I have), I've been walk-running.
My workout plan that has worked for me is: 
4 minutes walking to 3 minutes running for 30-45 minutes
=
Which translates to about 2 to 3.5 miles and about a 14 minute per mile pace

So I walk pretty slowly- 2.8-3.0mph on the treadmill and run at about 6.8mph.
I've done this workout on the treadmill at my gym, outside, with my brother and with Dave and it's made me feel strong and worth something.  Although I can't run like I used to, the fact that I can still run at all brings a smile to my face.  See, I'm smiling!
So at 6 + months pregnant, I'm still trying to get out there.  I may not have had the ACTIVE pregnancy I would have liked, but I am happy that I'm doing something.  And those 3 minute spurts of running is giving me just the adrenaline I need. I hope I can continue this plan for the rest of my pregnancy!  Wish me luck : )

18 comments:

  1. Great photo of you with your baby bump and running clothes.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Keep it up girl!! You look so cute!!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. So glad you are feeling healthy and strong! You look wonderful, my dear :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Everybody's different, that's for certain. This is the level you can handle, and what's best is that doing it makes you happy :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. CONGRATULATIONS!!! on both the pregnancy and getting back to running a little bit here and there. I hope you're doing great.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Look at that beautiful baby belly! You look awesome. GLOWING, in fact.

    I'm so glad you found a plan that works for you! I'm beginning to learn that as runners, we need to be more flexible and less stuck in that mindset of more mileage and faster is always better...not necessarily true!

    ReplyDelete
  7. You look so cute :). Thanks for the accolades and I'm glad my run/walk plan is working for you!!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Great job! You should be so proud of yourself.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Liz, this is super. It is so hard to run when pregnant. Honestly, the only reason why I did it last time was because I had Boston on the horizon. That being sadi, it is not just hard for us mortals. Deens Kastor could not run for the majority of her pregnancy and then not until about a month after she gave birth, and she finished sixth at the trials. Kara Goucher had to have foot surgery when she was pregnat, and she will be in London. Just think of this period as base building. Low intensity just to build your aerobic base. Trust me, you will thank yourself for keeping at it once you are in the deivery room. That base comes in handy!

    ReplyDelete
  10. definitely tough to adjust, but so glad you've been able to find a bit of a groove again :) love the smile!!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Awww, what a cute pic and baby bump :) Glad you're adjusting and getting some good workouts in!

    ReplyDelete
  12. So awesome!!! Running while pregnant is no joke and it's so awesome that you are getting back to it! I love your plan and I think I need to start following it. I am doing .25 mile walk and .50-1.0 mile run. I think I need to change to minutes because the distance is starting to get to me. Thanks for the pregger runner plan :)

    ReplyDelete
  13. You're doing great, Lizzy! And you look amazing too. Your plan looks great and very realistic. Being active during pregnancy is TOUGH, so be proud of yourself, girl! :)

    ReplyDelete
  14. Awesome, Lizzy! So glad you've found a way to run and keep you happy through the last stretch of pregnancy!

    ReplyDelete
  15. You are doing an amazing job keeping everything in balance and knowing when to shift priorities...you've found a groove that works for you and makes you feel good, which is all you can ask for! It was so great to see you a couple weeks ago! I hope you're still enjoying all the time with your new nephews and planning things for your little one :)

    ReplyDelete
  16. You look awesome!! I can't imagine how frusterating it probably is for you as such an active person but you're doing great!!!

    ReplyDelete