I finally experienced the fabled second trimester! Everyone seems to talk about how wonderful those months of pregnancy are. They were undoubtedly full of MANY changes. Most of which were leaps and bounds better than my rocky first trimester (read all about that HERE). BUT, just in case you were wondering, you are still pregnant during your second trimester, so don’t expect to feel like a rock-star. I may have had unreasonable expectations for this time, but I’m new at this pregnancy thing! Continue reading a Runner’s Diary: My Second Trimester for all the deets!
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Week 14-17
The first few weeks of my second trimester were still pretty rough. I did realize that sweets (aka Halloween candy) apparently went down okay when it came to eating. Though I didn’t stray too far away from the foods I’d been able to stomach at the end of my first trimester. Towards week 16 I was run/walking more consistently (4 days a week), and I was starting to feel more human again. We did a few short drives on the weekends to make me feel less like a hermit. By week 19 I was eating a bit more (though not always enjoying eating) and getting excited about the Holidays!
Week 18-21
Week 18 came with Thanksgiving and me FINALLY enjoying food! This was a HUGE breakthrough since I’d been kind of tolerating eating (except for a few things I enjoyed) up until this. Thanksgiving morning I ran my traditional Turkey Trot (read about that HERE), and shocked myself with some great paces! Running was looking up! By this time I was running (non-stop) 4 days a week, walking on non-run days, and trying to build up my distance. I peaked at around 4.5 miles on my “long-run” and thought I would continue to build to maybe 6 miles…. My biggest gripe during these weeks was some nasty heartburn. I was trying to not take too many antacids, but my doctor said they were fine, so I probably could have been a wee bit more generous on my intake. *shrug*
This is also the time we went on our first vacation since July! We went to the Great Smoky Mountains (read about that trip HERE) and had a fantastic time! We hiked daily, relaxed at night, and ate like kings! After months of being stuck at home and feeling not-so-great with pregnancy, this was a much-needed trip. Right around this trip, I was also able to feel my little guy move around a lot more! This was SO exciting and made being pregnant feel more real and more worth it
Week 22-27
Week 22 brought Christmas… and plenty of weight gain (hello Holidays!). Since food, especially sweets, were appealing again and I finally had an appetite, the pounds started packing on. This was alarming because I usually balance my eating out with running. Since I wasn’t running as much, I was gaining weight. BUT I had to continually tell myself I’m also growing a baby. So, weight gain is okay. But continuing to workout and run were definitely high priorities. We had a great Christmas and New Year just relaxing at home and settling into our house.
Babymoon!
At the beginning of the year, we had our babymoon/ my Birthday trip to Navarre Beach Florida! Read all about that HERE! We enjoyed the beach, morning runs up the main drag and fresh seafood. By this time running was getting TOUGH. But, being the stubborn person I am I kept running and trying to keep my normal routine (4 days a week, up to 4 miles).
I was running with two belly support bands, this one, and this one, but still, the pulling under my belly was A LOT. I asked my doctor that month if running through the pain was good mental practice for me, and she most adamantly told me that running through pain is not a good idea. So… I needed to rethink what I was doing a bit.
Full disclosure, I did still try to run even after my doctor told me to listen to my body (us runners are not always great at hearing any advice that tells us to, you know, not run). But, eventually, the pain was getting too much. My runs became shorter and slower and all around not enjoyable.
During this time my husband ordered a treadmill for me! Right around week 26 we received and put together our NordicTrack Commercial 1750. This was pretty much a mental and physical lifesaver. Running outside was not a good option anymore. Using the treadmill gave me the excitement and motivation to stay active while being much easier on my belly and joints. I’m still learning all about this new “toy”, but expect my review in the coming weeks. I’ve never been a fan of treadmills, but this one has felt like a huge blessing!
Current Thoughts
While the second trimester was SO much better than the first, I’m not gonna lie, it wasn’t a euphoric, amazing, “perfect” time. I think the reality is, you are still pregnant, and being pregnant you are not going to feel 100% normal. I wanted to do 6-mile runs and just be crushin’ it. But the bottom line is you can only do so much. Also, every pregnancy is different! Just because your Instagram friend ran long runs up until she delivered doesn’t mean you will (or should!). I am completely guilty of comparing myself to other prego runners and feeling like I should be doing more. At the end of the day as long as I get some physical activity in and I’m feeding my body a decent amount of fruits and veggies, I am doing alright.
I’m at the point now where I am proud of my pregnant belly and happy to be tracking whatever I can on the treadmill. I’m trying to do more pregnancy focused workouts. I still want to get in more yoga. For some reason, yoga has been the most difficult thing to make myself do, even though I ALWAYS feel amazing after it! As I start my third trimester I have plenty of things to look forward to, and I cannot wait to meet my little man! I know I will be back running marathons one day, but for now, I just need to enjoy this time as we grow our little family =)
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