I thought that for today’s post I would share a little bit about my experience with first trimester running. I know personally I was kind of lost when I found out I was pregnant and didn’t know what I should do in terms of running. The main thing I learned is that it’s different for everyone, and above all you should listen to your body (and your doctor). I will say that running during those first few weeks was hard and humbling. Let’s go through a quick timeline of the past few months.
First Trimester Running Timeline:
Mid-April: I found out I was pregnant and backed off ALOT. I just wanted to play it safe plus I had no energy. I stayed active by doing run/walk intervals, a little bit of biking, and yoga.
May: I gradually started getting back to more running and less walking over the course of the month. At first I was trying to monitor my heart rate which was very defeating. I’m pretty sure my HR got around 130 just from walking across the room! By the end of the month I was back to running around 4 miles or so, but it was still really hard.
June: I started to feel better around the 2nd week in June (around 11 weeks), which happened to also be around the time that the weather got really hot. So while running was feeling better for me personally, it was also feeling harder because of the heat and humidity. Luckily, after the previous months of struggling through runs I was pretty much used to it and just happy to have my energy back.
First Trimester Running Reflections
One thing I learned along the way was that as hard as it was some days to run, I always felt better on the days I got in a run (or any sort of workout). I was nauseous pretty much from weeks 5-11 and definitely noticed that I felt my best on days I ran.
In early June I started to increase my mileage and long runs. While I felt pretty good running, I was exhausted after! Luckily I do my long runs on the weekends so I was able to nap later in the day. (Seriously, I’ve never napped so much in my life as I have over the last 3 months!)
One other thing that made running/working out a struggle was that I was sleeping terribly at night. I would wake up at like 1am and not fall back to sleep for hours. I tried to get up at my usual time to stick with a routine (and hopefully sleep better the next night) but I was still pretty tired throughout the day. Again, working out seemed to help and give me a boost of energy, at least for a while!
Workout Plan
Luckily, I haven’t had any risks or complications so my doctor gave me the green light to pretty much continue what I’ve been doing with my workouts. Personally, I don’t see the need to do any type of speed work right now. All of my runs have been easy- and slower. I didn’t think I would get back to doing long runs, but over the last few weeks I’ve had the urge to run longer so I’m just going with it for now.
My paces have been MUCH slower than before. I really don’t care about paces right now, it’s just weird to see splits that I’ve never seen before. I get oddly excited when I run a mile in under 10 minutes.
Right now I feel so lucky to be running while pregnant- and I won’t be taking a single mile for granted. I know that I may need to stop at any point and I am prepared for that. I just want to keep going as long as it feels good. And when it doesn’t, I just hope to stay active any way I can.
I’m not sure how many people are even interested in these types of posts, so I will definitely be keeping them to a minimum, but let me know if there is anything specific you want to hear more about!
If you’ve been pregnant, did you run through your first trimester? Did your times slow down a lot?
Do you feel like it’s weird when your paces are significantly slower than usual?
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I’m so glad you are feeling well to get out there and run! I didn’t run while pregnant but my ability to keep up a gym routine with like the elliptical changed almost immediately. I did love walking almost every day before work (or on my lunch break) because felt so good. I also loved to swim the summer I was pregnant!
I’ve been thinking that I should start swimming again but that would mean joining a pool or gym. I guess if I have to stop running that’s something I’ll consider!
I think it’s great that you can run while pregnant and you are wise to listen to your body! When I was pregnant, I had zero energy and couldn’t run. I was actually ok with it if it meant a healthy pregnancy. It’s funny how your priorities change!
Yes! I always kind of questioned if I would run at all while pregnant but I found that not only does it help me feel better physically, it also helps so much mentally.
That’s wonderful you felt good enough to keep up with your routine and that your doctor is giving you the green light to continue! I think pregnancy related posts are interesting since everyone’s body and pregnancy is different but can definitely see why not everyone would enjoy it.
Whenever I see a slower than normal pace, I assume my body is trying to tell me something and don’t get too worried.
I’m sure things will get tougher as the weeks go on, but I’m just trying to enjoy it for now!
Congrats on your pregnancy! I laughed when you mentioned your naps. I’ve been napping almost every day and I am not pregnant. 🙂
Thank you! Naps are great no matter what:)
I noticed I was SO winded during runs even before I knew I was pregnant! The changes can be so dramatic! Good on you for being able to run at any pace.
Its crazy how fast those changes happen! And I was honestly winded just doing normal day to day activities those first few weeks.
It sounds like you’re doing a fabulous job of staying active while pregnant. It’s great that you seem to feel better on days that you run. That could mean that you have a future runner on your hands! 🙂
That would be great!!
Glad to hear that you are still able to run. And who cares with pace right now that is not important. Agai, another valid excuse…haha. I am a champ at napping and I have never been pregnant, enjoy your naps. Soon enough you will not be able to get those.
Exactly! I just wish I could sleep better at night. I guess my body is just practicing for when the baby comes.
Get those naps in while you can! I nap each weekend after my runs to recharge my body. Keep up the good work, and listen to your body (and doctor). Congrats again!
Thanks! Post run naps are great no matter what.
CONGRATULATIONS again! I am so so happy for you, and really happy that you have been able to run! I didn’t really get to run during the first trimester, but running during the second trimester was hard but really helpful. Until I broke. But my body is annoying like that lol
Thank you! I guess my goal is to not break lol. But knowing how easily I get injured I feel like I’m gonna need to be extra careful as the weeks go on. I’ve been seeing a chiropractor regularly to try to stay ahead of any issues.
It’s great that you’re still able to run and workout and that it makes you feel better! I enjoy reading these types of posts from you too, I might not be pregnant or even thinking about that right now (lol) but reading about your journey and thoughts is interesting and engaging!
Glad you enjoy them! I know not everyone is interested in this stuff, but once I got pregnant I felt like I knew about running while pregnant just from reading other blogs about it over the years.
WOOT!!!!!! Congrats again!! I didn’t discover the magic of running until my youngest was in Kindergarten, so I have no advice for running while pregnant….but, like you said, just keep going until you can’t 😉 You have a great base, so you should have many more weeks/months ahead of you 😉
I hope so! This is definitely unknown territory.
That’s great how you’ve been able to run through the first 16 weeks, especially since it helps so much with nausea and fatigue. I hope your running and more importantly your pregnancy continue to go well!
Thank you! They say the 2nd trimester is the “easy” part of pregnancy so I’m trying to enjoy feeling good now while it lasts.
Congrats on your pregnancy! So happy for you!!! Be sure to get plenty of rest and don’t overdo it!
Thank you!
Seriously, races have meant naps = and I’m typically not a napper.
Glad you’re generally feeling good, Lisa. Congrats on listening to your body
Naps are the best! Especially after a hard run.
I napped a LOT when I was pregnant. WHo am I kidding, I love to nap still. LOl! Embrace it and love it. It’s good for everyone! I didn’t run in my pregnancy but worked out based on how I felt. Some days it was yoga. Some days I hit the cardio or weights hard. It’s going to vary day by day.
Naps are the best! And I am definitely learning that my energy varies alot. Some days I plan to run and then realize my body would much rather do something easier like yoga.
I am so happy for you!! I was able to run through my pregnancies but I remember in the beginning how exhausted I was all the time. The sweet spot for me was weeks 15-22. And it definitely seemed to help with nausea in the beginning for me too. Hopefully that is behind you!
Thanks! I have heard this is often the sweet spot so Im enjoying it while I can. I am mostly worried about back pain since that has always been a problem for me and I’m sure it will just get worse as my belly grows. I’ve been seeing a chiro to try to be proactive and also making sure to focus on strength training and yoga.
I was so excited when I heard about your pregnancy! Congratulations again. I was not a runner yet back when I had my kiddos. So many of our MRTT moms run through their pregnancies with great success. Good luck to you!
Thank you! It seems like many people can run through their pregnancies and others don’t, so I guess I will just see how far I can make it!
Oh my goodness. First, congratulations! Also, major, major kudos to you for running through your first trimester. I tried once or twice and gave up. You are one strong mama!
Thank you! It was much different running than what I am used to doing (LOTS of walking breaks!) but it definitely felt good to get out there.
Fantastic news! We have an almost 2 year old girl and running with her has been so much fun (and challenging)! Best of luck with pregnancy!
Thank you! I can definitely see how it could be both fun and challenging.
I am glad you’re still enjoying running… I think as long as you listen to your body and take it easy, it should be just fine 🙂
Thanks- I hope so!
I guess you just have to listen to your own body. I’ve seen some women run through most of their pregnancy, others who just don’t feel good enough or don’t want to. I’m glad you’re feeling better though, the first trimester can be tough.
Thanks! Yes, it definitely seems like its different for everyone.
I’m so glad you wrote this post! I haven’t started a family yet, but I’ve always been curious about how women manage running during pregnancy. I’m glad that you’re doing so well! And who doesn’t love a good nap, lol! 🙂
I always found it interesting to read about different experiences as well! And naps are the best.