I’d been meaning to write this post about running the half marathon during pregnancy for a long time, but never found the time while I was pregnant and now that I’m in postpartum land, I have small moments throughout the day to sit and write, so here we are. Today is one of the rare days where Aiden hasn’t needed to be held 100% of the time and so far has done a great job with his daytime napping and occupying himself in his swing so I’m writing this while watching him gaze around with quiet curiosity.. I always wonder what he’s thinking!

Running in Pregnancy

If you’ve been following me for a while now, you know how big of a role running has played in my life. I started running regularly in college, but it really became special to me over the last few years as I started to take it more seriously. It’s been a passion and hobby that’s provided me with a mental release when I need it, a community, and a resilience that I believe carries over into many other areas of life. Just before I found out I was pregnant last summer, I had been at a peak in my training — running at least 3 miles nearly every day, long runs every weekend despite the heat and humidity, and logging more miles on my Strava than I ever had before. One of the first ways I had to adapt my training through pregnancy in the first trimester was cutting back on running, especially outside in the heat. Although I still felt capable physically, I knew that reducing strain and stress on my body was what I needed to protect my health and for my baby. I kept running, but I immediately reduced my weekly mileage and significantly decreased my running pace (to an easier than an “easy run” pace). I kept running through the first and second trimesters when it felt good, but put no pressure on myself to hit specific mileage targets or any sort of structure. I was running because I enjoyed it, I wanted to maintain a form of self-care that made me feel like myself while so much was changing, and physically I still felt good enough to keep going.

Running a Half at 18 Weeks

CJ and I planned a trip to San Diego for the fall before we knew we'd be expecting.  It's a place both of us love and a few friends were planning to be there at the same time, so we decided to make a trip out of it.  We happened to see that the "Thrive Half Marathon" was taking place in San Diego that same weekend and we thought it would be a fun and fitting thing to do while we were there. (We always say we want to come up with our own race one day as part of the ThriveOnLife brand so how could we pass up the Thrive half?)

In the months leading up to the trip, as I progressed through the first trimester, my mileage scaled back significantly and running felt a lot different with a growing body. It became a whole new experience to reconnect to the joy running had always brought me, to channel out the mental chatter and comparison to a prior self, and to push past the unfamiliar discomfort.

When it comes to races, I'm usually the type to push the throttle and give it my all.  But the challenge this time was to give it my all in a different way.  This time, the goal was not to physically push my limits, but to focus instead on going slow enough to take in the scenery of the San Diego coast and be fully present in the fact that my baby got to run it with me.

We ended up with an incredible morning of sunshine and perfect running temps, and the course was beautiful. I ran at a comfortable pace the whole way next to CJ. It was a new kind of PR for me … one that I think I'll chase more often.

It reminded me how different running feels when you don’t attach to an outcome, but focus on the present moment and surroundings instead.  Disclaimer: it feels GOOD.  For so many years, I ran with such hard effort all the time and all I focused on was my pace and getting through the run.  Every logged mile had to be an attempt at getting faster. Now that I've adopted a new approach, I see how much joy I was robbed of in that prior way of thinking.

It reminded me that we’re always stronger than we think. People will tell you lots of things you can't do while pregnant. I'll tell you there's a lot you can still do, and I hope my example is an inspiration for someone else.

And it reminded me that we should always seek experiences and opportunities that will serve as our own inspiration.  I'm writing this 5 weeks postpartum because I want it documented for myself to look back on when I need the motivation. I’m eager to get back to trainin, and just thinking back on this memory has brought a smile to my face while I sit next to my son now.

While not a traditional running PR, it was certainly a special type for me, and one I’ll love to look back on for sure.

P.S. Here’s a little vlog recap of the race that CJ captured!