Ambassador- Running During Pregnancy by Faith
We are thrilled to feature Faith as a fit mom ambassador on our site. Read her perspective on running during pregnancy.
Hello! My name is Faith – I’m 29 years old and live in Upstate NY. My husband and I are expecting our first child in January, and we are counting down the weeks. I work in fundraising and development for my alma mater and own my own jewelry design business that specializes in handstamped jewelry and running accomplishment pieces (FC Jewelry Design on Facebook and @fcjewelrydesign on Twitter and Instagram). You can read more about me on my running/fitness blog.
Running has been a part of my life for the past six years – I started with a Couch to 5k program and haven’t looked back. I knew I couldn’t let it go when I found out we were expecting our first child and knew running during pregnancy would be a big part of my life. What makes the run so great? The post-run high, the progress, the feeling of freedom as my feet hit the pavement…they are all great, but I’d attribute a lot of it to a wonderful local running group that is full of strong and inspiring men and women. Cumulatively, we’ve finished 5k and 10k races, half marathons, had babies, gotten married, and supported each other through our own ups and downs in life. I’ve seen women return to running after pregnancy and been astonished at how they jump right back in. I knew I couldn’t give it up just because I was pregnant. Now was the time to embrace my love of running!
It hasn’t been easy to continue running during pregnancy. As a runner with asthma, I face a constant struggle of fighting cold air, warm air, humid air, hills, etc., that could easily turn a great run into a horrid one. Couple that with a new life growing inside of me sucking up my oxygen, and running became a challenge. Even more challenging was keeping the pregnancy quiet while I safely made it through the first trimester and felt comfortable sharing our great news!
I often wonder if I would be keeping up with my workouts while pregnant if it wasn’t for the group atmosphere that we have created. First trimester exhaustion equaled a more frequently utilized snooze button, but I soon realized that I didn’t just need the workouts; I needed the group. The support, the laughter, and the post-run coffee chats. I fought off the exhaustion and made it to 6 a.m. runs and classes – and soon, everyone knew why I was sluggish. These great runners of all different paces join me to get me through a run, and I’ve embraced Yoga again and use TRX to accomplish my strength training.
I’ve become determined to see fitness through to the end of my pregnancy. As a woman who has struggled with “those last ten pounds” my entire life, I know I need to embrace the weight gain now while keeping my body healthy for this amazing baby. Baby T is already an active one, completing his/her first 5k and a Mud Run in the first trimester! I am convinced that by the example laid before me by other moms in our group that keeping up with my fitness routine will only help me have a smoother labor and delivery, and give me the ability to return to my pre-pregnancy body and fitness in a healthy way.
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