running and being a bit rubbish 1st trimester

[lemon101]

Hello,
So anybody run/used to run pre pregnancy? Basically I've run for probably the last 4 years, I've never taken it too seriously, just 4-5 miles 3x a week. Now I'm preggers I want to keep it up but tbh while cramps and nausea have been a problem I've been feeling better recently but I am just being a bit meh about the whole thing. I feel physically tired when I'm running (like I've already just been for a run), I'm already slow and if I'm honest I feel a little embarrassed about suddenly breathing heavier and getting more flushed.

Basically I feel like I'm really out of shape and I hate it!

Anybody else experienced this? Does it get better second trimester?

I had this during my first pregnancy. I ran a lot before I got pregnant but only managed to keep it up for a few weeks. I found other types of exercise easier and did spin, body pump classes and swimming until I was 38 weeks. I did find it easier to find the energy in the 2nd trimester. I know it's difficult when you're used to exercising regularly but you have to be kind to yourself and rest when you need to. This time round with a 14 month old DD to run around after I can't see me fitting much exercise in at all!!

Hey there Orange,

It is definitely comforting that I'm not the only one! It's a decidedly weird experience to go from feeling really strong to pretty rubbish! Pre-pregnancy, even when I used to run off a heavy night out (and had smoked a load of fags) I never felt this out of breath!

I might take your advice and try and diversify into something else. Its cool you managed to keep it up to 38 weeks - I am impressed!

I have a good exercise pilates class I used to attend and will go back to that. I just want to wait until after my 12 week scan because you have to tell the instructor you are preggers (clearly) and then she's massively unsubtle about it in front of the rest of the class. I'd rather not broadcast the news until I'm a little more reassured everything is as it should be.

thanks again!

I hear you!
Being a pretty competitive club runner pre-pregnancy I have been feeling completely useless in the first trimester. I'm 10 and a half weeks and haven't managed a run since late February due to queasiness and exhaustion. Eating is my solace from sickness, so with zero exercise I've rapidly gained weight and get out of breath climbing more than 1 flight of stairs! I'm also running out of decent excuses for not attending training sessions or races (this is harder than finding excuses for not drinking on nights out!)

On the plus side ... I also attend yoga classes, and I let the teacher know I was expecting quite early (7 weeks), and she was really good - perfectly subtle in letting me know when I had to ease off in certain poses.

Like you, I'm really hoping to be able to find the energy to get back on it after 13/14 weeks, but in the mean time I'm totally 50/50 on being kind to myself and freaking out!

Hello UpNorth!

You are a couple of weeks ahead of me - I'd be interested to hear if the energy miracle happens when you get to the fabled 2nd trimester!

I'm with you on the eating being a solace from the sickness - have you tried a protein shake as a snack? It totally works for me to stave off the blurrrgh (for at least a couple of hours anyway) and the American college of nursing (or something like that) recommends roughly doubling your protein intake from 45mg to 70 mg a day.

good luck with everything (including inventing new excuses for not going to races!)

I've not tried protein shakes - though I'm loving chocolate milk right now. Cold, must be straight out of the fridge!
I'll look into protein shakes, but from a sports perspective I've never got on with them (too expensive to use as frequent recovery!), but I'll try anything at the moment.

I'll be sure to repost if I ever get my trainers back on! In the meantime, here's a envy-inducing thought for you - a friend of mine (also a runner, and a fast one at that) is winning parkruns at 6 months pregnant, running under 21.40 .... how naff would you feel when a lady with a huge bump comes trotting passed you ... Particularly if you're a guy!

What?! That's crazy - well done her! I bet that there are some excellent faces to be seen when the bump cruises past.... Lol!

OP my story is similar to orange (although I was only a casual runner before my first pregnancy) I found it brutal in the first tri. I sacked it off and stuck to pilates, aerobics and spin instead which I really enjoyed (when I had the energy to get to classes!). I got back to running in the 2nd tri, building it v slowly. Didn't get anything close to pre pregnancy levels but I cared much less once I was visibly pregnant and did it just for sheer (ploddy!) fun. Tailed off again with it in 3rd tri but kept everything else up - taught aerobics to 30 weeks and was in the gym til 39 weeks. Good luck with it - really rated pilates throughout so that sounds like a great plan. It really comes into its own during (and after) pregnancy!

Ooh and fitness came back fast too so don't worry about losing it. I got my 10k pb 5 months post partum still not that fast mind you!

I was running 3x/week and running longer and faster (10/12K regularly) but pregnancy has taken all the energy out of me, and because of it I've not enjoyed it as much :-(
I feel like a complete beginner again and take ages to recover so I think I need to find something else to do.
I'm 12+5 weeks pregnant.

I used to run but now I mountain bike, I've been out maximum of once a week since I found out. I'm 11+3 now and feeling less quesy etc but it's amazing how rubbish my legs & breathing have gotten in just 7 weeks.

I'm going to keep it up as long as I can because I love it. Part of the fun for me is the social aspect & I really won't want to be holding people up, I'm the slowest as it is when im not pregnant!

Like you upnorth ive been eating to stave off queasiness so my cycle shorts are getting tight & uncomfortable

Hi Lemon101!
Just like you I was well in to my fitness routines and running before I became pregnant...I found that I was fine running early on in the first trimester (I didn't know I was pregnant then so maybe that helped!), then at the end of the first trimester/beginning of second I had a serious energy dip and thought I wouldn't be able to face fitness again for the rest of the pregnancy :) towards the end of the second trimester however my energy has gone back up (not pre-pregnancy levels, but waaaay better than I felt before!) and so I started running (more waddle-jogging now!) again, doing a fitness dvd a few times a week and at 30 weeks have just signed up to babyfit exercise classes! I think you should definitely take it day by day and if you're having a day when you feel that your energy levels are higher than they have been then go for a short jog or do a light pregnancy friendly workout. I'm definitely going to keep this going as much as possible!!! :)

I ran up to about 28 weeks. I found that I was really slow during first trimester - I think that was a mix of no energy and extra cautiousness. It picked up again in the second trimester until I just felt too heavy to run comfortably. In some ways I wish I'd kept it up a bit longer - it's only been about 6 weeks since I stopped and now I feel like I couldn't even run if I was being chased with a knife!!