1st Trimester- Training?

I have deliberated with myself (which never seems very effective) whether or not to blog during pregnancy.  I finally caved in- not because I think the majority of anyone who reads this cares about this particular subject- but for the random reader that would benefit from stumbling upon this page during their pregnancy.

The first trimester can be pretty isolating if you have not told anyone you are pregnant.  And, if you are like me, if can also be pretty isolating if your pregnancy doesn't even slightly seem to resemble the journeys of your friends or other bloggers.

So, I am going to touch on a couple of subjects that really stood out to me for the first part of the pregnancy as an athlete- the first post being training and the second weight.  I hope they are helpful to anyone that might need them, and they are written specifically for that woman that does have some trouble with the 1st trimester.  Fortunately I have not really suffered from horror-mones (yet) that make me snappy and freak out, but you never know when they are going to kick in, so beware and go easy on the advice if you choose to comment--- and don't make me disable comments in a fit of pregnancy rage.  I am already getting more unsolicited advice than you can imagine.  (or you can, if you have been pregnant.  I have a feeling this happens to everyone.)  :)

Training in the 1st trimester.

What training?

Early on, I thought I would just stay incredibly fit through pregnancy.  Why not? I have a big athletic background, I train a lot, and I love it.  Why would this be different?  

Then, I have all of these friends that were running FAST during pregnancy.  They were riding LONG!  They were winning races!  No one could even tell they were pregnant.  They were training like champs and upping their aerobic capacity and really taking advantage of all of those good pregnancy benefits.  Plus, pregnancy didn't slow any of my friends down!  Even if they were puking, they were puking through morning sickness then running 10 miles.  Rock on!

Of course that would be me too.  I would race and train and just kick butt with life until I got too big (at week 38) to move.  Right?  I was motivated!  I have goals for 2013...2014.  No time to stop now!

And the reality for me looked quite different.

2 months off with that dern walking pneumonia, and I was in piss-poor shape.  That is the longest time I have been inactive since my 2005 soccer injury, and even then I was allowed to swim and lift.  By the time I got pregnant, I was chomping at the bit to train.  Not only that, but I was determined not to let any more time go by without working towards fitness.

Week 1-4:  Still sitting out.  

By week 5: Start with some easy and short efforts.  I could hardly breath.  Ask Kari about our 10 minute per mile run...for 3 miles.  My poor friend had to do all of the talking, with the exception of my little snarks and lectures while I huffed and puffed.  But, I was determined to get back to routine...a little running every day if I could.  It will only get better I said!  Pretty soon I will be reaping all of these training through pregnancy benefits!

By week 6-7: I felt like crap 24 hours a day.  Nausea, constipation, and fatigue.  ALL. DAY. LONG.  It was all I could do wake up in the morning in time to get to work.  Forget a morning workout.  And....forget and evening workout.  I was bloated, sick, and tired. My joints also hurt...BADLY.  I didn't realize it at the time, but it was progesterone surging.  I felt injured when I attempted to run.

Week 8-10:  More of the same.  My focus had become making it through my workday.  Not only was I now not getting back in shape, I was getting even more out of shape.  Sometimes I could jog 20-30 minutes at an 11 minute pace if I was lucky.  Most days I could only barely make it through work before ending up on the couch for the rest of the night.  I attempted to swim and ride the trainer, but the positions made me nauseous, so they were no longer and option for me.  It was run if I could, or do nothing that day.  90% of the time it was do nothing.

Week 11-12:  Guilt.  Shame.  Embarrassment.  I was no longer an athlete.  All of my friends did AWESOME.  Why was I such a failure?  My muscle was gone.  I was running an 11 minute pace for 2 miles.  WTF!  I hated my bike.  (NEVER happens).  I was a LOSER.  People were still racing at this time in their pregnancy, and I couldn't even be a recreational weekend warrior.  LOSER.  Actually, a very lonely LOSER, since no one even knew what was going on.

Week 13-14:  Oh....hmmmm.  Not sick 24 hours a day now?  Bike trainer doesn't make me sick?  Swimming doesn't make me sick?  I can exercise again?  Still fatigued, but not dying through the day?  Halleluja!  Starting to feel better on most days. 

I knew my friends and other athletes had been fast, barely pregnant triathletes.  What in the world went wrong with me?  How could I have gone 3 months with no exercise!


Early on, I watched a webinar with Gordo and Monica on her training through pregnancy tips.  I am linking it here in case it is helpful to you.  But for me, I just wanted to ball up and cry when I listened to it.  She was averaging 3 hours a day of training and a log book that boasted "no zeros" during her pregnancy.  I had more zeros than not, and I found that I just could not train like I had hoped.  It was demoralizing.  I am a huge believer in "no zeros," so to not be able to fulfill this ideal was a huge hit to the athlete ego. 

The best thing I did was get OFF of the internet.  I got off of the blogs.  I love my friends, but I had to make my own way.  I stopped reading articles from professional/elite/AG women that maintained a good amount of speed and racing during pregnancy.  It didn't resemble my experience, so I found it to be more stressful than helpful.

What was helpful, and what do I recommend if you are struggling to train/exercise in 1st trimester?

-Practice the art of letting go.  Think positively.  Love yourself.
-Know that not everyone flies through this time.  There are others of us that struggle to stay fit.  
-Give permission to do your best to be healthy throughout pregnancy, which looks different from the goal of training throughout pregnancy.
-Give yourself permission to walk.  Extend your workout time by walking every few minutes of your run.
-If you are struggling with speed, take your dogs with you and just enjoy quality time outdoors with no garmin and no pace. 
-Use your time of fatigue and sickness to spend more time at home with your husband, snuggled up and talking.  I know Dave was appreciative to have me home more after all of these years of dedicated training.
-Keep priorities in order.  Spiritual health. Physical health.  Family.  Maintaining job/employment.  Suddenly worrying about being super fit-athlete-pregnant mom doesn't seem like such an important goal when you put it in perspective.
-Remember that everyone is very different.  Some people don't get sick at all.  There are also varying degrees of sickness.  Just do the best with what you have.
-And if you can't get up in the morning to train because you are requiring 12 hours of sleep to just function at work, be okay with it.  You are not lazy.  This is a small part in our lives, so sleep in while you can!

I have absolutely no solution for nausea.  You are on your own for that one!  ;)

Hope this helps.  I wish I had known more athletes that struggled to exercise during first trimester, so if you need some support or tips, feel free to facebook me.

Next post- Weight gain in the 1st trimester...not what I expected as an athlete....

Cheers!  xo