Saturday, August 27, 2011

Running Again

My first run in almost 2 months.

I had my Garmin GPS running watch on, my iPod clipped to my running shorts, and my running shoes on.  I felt like I was meeting with an old friend.

I decided to take it really easy, since I wasn't sure how I would feel.  I have been teaching my weekly class at the Y, as well as trying Muscle Pump with really light weights.  I would usually go home, shower, and take a long nap out of sheer exhaustion.  I just haven't had the energy to try running yet.  But I have been feeling much better this last week.

The 12-minute pace I kept felt very slow when I looked at my watch.  But it felt really good for my body, so I stayed there. 

A 60+ year old man passed me on the rail trail.  He looked at me, recognized me from the Y, and yelled, "Well, this is a first for me!"

I just swallowed my pride and yelled back, "You're looking strong!  Keep it up!"

Either way, those 3 miles still felt pretty amazing.  It is good to be back!

Did your pace slow down significantly with pregnancy?  Like 3-4 minutes per mile?

4 comments:

cherl said...

Are you pregnant now? Or returning after delivery? I didn't run at all with my first but ran with my second. I made it to about 14 weeks before I began doing more walking than slow jogging. At that point, my pace had slowed down significantly... something similar to your 3-4 minutes/mile slower pace. On the plus side, that first year after having a baby is very good for running. I started back when my first child was 5 weeks old. It was slow and painful -- really, just way too soon for my body. With the second, I waited until 8 weeks and felt great immediately. Congratulations on getting out there!! Those breaks in running, due to whatever it may be, are always tough mentally. But those first few runs after a break are the sweetest! And if you are post-partum, that first year back running is pretty awesome!! Increased motivation, faster paces, much needed mommy time... :)

Jamie said...

I am pregnant now. 15 weeks along. I was just too sick during the first trimester to really do much, but I'm feeling so much better now.
Thanks for the comment! I figure pace isn't my goal right now (obviously), but just getting out there.

Anonymous said...

I am 21 weeks pregnant and just ran a 5k last weekend. I run slower as I get a bigger belly. I finished in 27:49 so I was pretty proud of my pace. This is my fourth child, but really the first time I have continued to run throughout pregnancy. I have a half marathon coming up at 26 weeks that I want to plan for. Any advice on a walk/run strategy for that? I want to keep my core temp down and pay attention to my body. Has anyone been through that?

rebecca said...

Aaaaah! Jamie! I was wondering if you were, after I read this post on your family blog. Wow, so you're like 20 weeks along now. Congrats!!! I love when other people are crazy enough to go for five! Makes me feel more "normal". :)