Pregnancy Running Weeks 35-37

In some ways my due date is so near… in other ways, so far away!

I’m happy that I have been able to run so late into this pregnancy. Continuing to work with Meghan, my coach, has helped as she has kept me consistent, even when I didn’t really want to be. At the end of my 37th week, though, I’ve had more hip pain after my runs.  I hate to admit it but think I need to either move to the elliptical or to walks. I was hoping to be able to run 5k the day before baby was born, which I did with both Greta and Anna, but alas, it just might not be in the cards.

Week 35 (May 11-17): 23.1 miles, 2 days off.Workout #1: 5 miles with middle 3 as a progression. I felt smoother than normal and in control the entire time! 

Workout #2: Long run of 5 miles. This didn’t feel as good; my shin muscles were tired and burning a bit. I’m pretty sure I’m lifting my left toes or foot more than usual, causing that shin muscle to do a lot more work than it should. I ran with Nate through the Carleton Arb and I wasn’t shy about taking walk/stretch breaks.

Workout #3: 4 miles total with three of it with the girls in the double stroller while Nate did a long bike ride. We made it fun by stopping to pick up garbage along the way (I didn’t mind the stops! I was moving slow that day). The girls loved it. By the last mile Nate was home so I dropped them off and enjoyed a stroller-free mile. For some reason, that’s so much more enjoyable! Ha!

They’re ready!

Workout #4: Caitlin Gregg (2010 Nordic Ski Olympian) came down for a run and to pick up 2 boxes of Greta and Anna’s clothing for her 1-year-old, Heidi. I really look up to Caitlin and her go-get-em attitude, not to mention her laughter and spunk! I love that we have become closer through motherhood. We may have staged this picture so she could show Brian, her husband, that “she could finally keep up with me”. HA (she can most definitely keep up with me, I don’t need to be pregnant and pushing two kids for that!)! 

Non-running update, just for fun: I asked for a clean house for Mother’s Day. Our house looked very “lived in” after 2 months of quarantine. Nate took it multiple steps above a normal “clean”. We thoroughly deep cleaned of most rooms in our house. We all worked together. We hadn’t really done a deep clean since we moved in 3 years ago. There’s just something about a clean house that puts my mind at ease!In baby news, I went in for a 35 week growth ultrasound. Baby is looking great! He is measuring big (for what is typical for me, anyway):

Week 36 (May 18-24): 25.2 miles, 1 day off

Nate started back full-time at the dental clinic on Monday. He had been going in 1-2 days a week throughout quarantine to treat emergencies . Here he is in his full PPE. It will be a bit crazy for him now as everything is slower with the new safety protocols in place, his office tries to bring in the most urgent of the 900+ appointments that were cancelled during the stay-at-home-order, and he is also covering for the second doctor at the clinic who is out on maternity leave. 

Workout #1: Long run of 4 miles. Cloudy and misty out, which helped keep me cool. Also found the book Educated in a Free Library just 1/3 mile from my house so ran it back home so Nate could read it. One of my favorite recent reads (I actually listened via audio book)! Highly recommend picking it up if you haven’t already!

Workout #2: Wasn’t supposed to be a workout, but I ran with Taiga and Craig and averaged 8:30 mile pace for a 5 mile run! I knew I was working harder, especially on uphills, but didn’t check my watch throughout the run. Very surprised at how well this went!

One of my mid-week runs was downright uncomfortable. I went 3 miles, but there was plenty of stopping and walking. Baby was maybe sitting on a bladder nerve? I felt like I had to pee so badly (a feeling between that and a strong nerve pain), but I stopped a couple times to try to go to the bathroom and didn’t really have to. I texted Nate mid run who reminded me that I was outside and it was beautiful out – so just go out and walk/run! So I ran until I couldn’t, then walked. Sometimes it’s just hard to wrap by brain around planning to go for an enjoyable run and then finding out it’s a hard day/weird cramping/weird bladder things. It’s a good reminder for me to be flexible with life.

In other pregnancy-related updates, I’m starting to retain water. I notice it in my face and one evening took off taller socks to find this. Super.

Week 37: 17.2 miles, 2 days off

Greta biked 2 miles with us and then decided to stop with Grandpa Jim. We really don’t know how far she can bike – although I am wondering when she might be able to bike 4 miles each way to church & back (when services are back in session). We are going to try NOT to buy a triple stroller, and it’s always worked well for me to get in a run on Sunday morning to church while Nate does his long rollerski with the Vakava training group in Afton. Guess we will see how Sundays look after baby and in a post COVID-19 world!

Workout #2: 3 miles with 1 min on/30 sec walk segments. I have enjoyed the variety of fartlek work in my runs lately. It helps mileage go by quickly! I also like looking forward to the walk breaks 🙂

On Friday morning, Nate had a flat tire so took my car to work. We figured out a way to drop off his car with the spare on it later in the day and then ran the 4 miles home together. My hips were pretty sore for the rest of the evening. I chalked it up to the distance, plus a long steeper downhill (which isn’t comfortable for me!). But, after taking Saturday off, I tried running 5k with Nate on Sunday. The run itself wasn’t as enjoyable and afterwards my right hip was really sore. I tried not to walk for the rest of the day, and when I did I limped and used counters to take some of the weight off of the right side. 

The pain was bad enough that I think I need to stop running until after baby comes, even though it’s something I truly look forward to each day. I also was hoping to continue the streak of running 5k the day before Baby is born like I did with G&A. It’s really hard for me to give up on any goal, even if it’s an arbitrary one. But, I’m reminding myself this is just a moment in time, and that soon after baby arrives I’ll be able to pick running back up again. 

Looking ahead: I go in for an ultrasound on Wednesday to estimate how big Baby is. If they still estimate him being around 8.5# at full term, they’ll schedule a C-section for the Wednesday following. EEEK!

— That brings Baby P’s mileage total to 1636.6! Really happy I’ve been able to log so many miles with him. Hopefully many more together after he arrives!