The running community sat up and took notice this year as one elite runner after the next announced their pregnancies. There has been much said about Kara Goucher and Paula Radcliffe’s shared due date this month, as well as Deena Kastor’s recent announcement that she will forgo regular training for the next nine months. To the interest of many, Sara Vaughn blogged about her day-to-day experience of pregnancy and the journey back to the roads after giving birth. Carrie Tollefson, who had her first baby in April, has been frequently cited discussing the 2010 birth and the 2012 Olympics in the same breath.
While the existing literature on exercise and pregnancy has come a long way, a certain stigma remains attached to running with child. Although the DAA Industry Opt Out Running Safely Through Pregnancy suggested, their 2002 research basis has already been trumped by emerging evidence that advocates for the safety of longer bouts of exercise. In fact, a literature review published last year examined a wide base of recent studies that monitored the health of both the mother and child, showing that the former half-hour guidelines of the early aughts may be outdated and underestimated.
The recent research, as well as stories of pregnancy from the best of the best in women’s running, serve as testaments to the fact that running through pregnancy can be both safe and beneficial for most running mothers and their babies. That being said, it is no jog in the park. As the research elucidates, pregnant runners encounter plenty of changes and physiological surprises as they run through their nine months. Consider a few of the following common issues associated with running during pregnancy and always consult your doctor before entering into a running regimen.
Overall Fatigue
While all pregnant women experience low energy, it can serve as a major roadblock to a pregnant runner’s regular routine. “Fatigue is the first thing you’ll notice when trying to get out the door to run,” says Dr. Nadya Swedan M.D., author of The Active Woman’s Health and Fitness Handbook. Especially during the first few months of the pregnancy, the decision to take a nap versus going for a run can get more and more difficult. In addition to a rise in the hormone progesterone, changing sleep habits can contribute to exhaustion.
Setting realistic running goals during pregnancy is of the utmost importance. Rather than trying to increase fitness when you’re feeling worn out, simply focus on maintaining. “Even if you are running only half as much as you did before the pregnancy because you’re exhausted, after the pregnancy you’ll be back to where you were before,” she explains. As a result of the heart muscle pumping more blood to accommodate the baby, pregnancy can actually assist in improving your cardiovascular system. Although some of the newest research says that more than 30 minutes of exercise a day is safe for most pregnancies, it takes less work to maintain the same level of fitness, so it may not be necessary.
During Tollefson’s pregnancy, she cut back on mileage, but continued with weight and agility training. By the end of the nine months, she was running 3–5 miles a day, five days a week, lifting two days a week and doing agility training one day a week. She credits her high energy levels throughout the pregnancy to that combination.
Aching Bones
With added weight and a shifted center of gravity, many pregnant runners worry about stress fractures. Goucher recently blogged about a stress fracture that her doctor thought might be linked to the positioning of the baby. Paula Radcliffe experienced a stress fracture in her sacrum soon after giving birth to her first child. To be sure, mom is sharing everything with the baby, including her calcium stores.
Tollefson assuaged her stress fracture fears by doing much of her pregnancy mileage on an underwater treadmill, thereby lightening the load by 80 percent. “When I was on that underwater treadmill, I knew I could run as hard as I wanted to without getting a stress fracture or hurting the baby,” she says.
Dr. Swedan says that Radcliffe’s post-labor stress fracture is more common than incurring such an injury during pregnancy. “The baby leeches calcium out of the mother when she’s pregnant, but even more so when nursing. All the calcium is going to the baby first, so the mom is at a deficit,” she explains.
Loose Ligaments
Since a pregnant woman experiences a ten-fold increase in the hormone relaxin during pregnancy, she is at a higher risk for ligament injuries. Beginning at the fourth month of pregnancy, joints loosen up and shift more than usual. It is most common to feel this in the pelvis and the knees. “Some people describe it as a slipping or shifting in their pelvis when they run,” Dr. Swedan explains.
Since the sacroiliac joint isn’t accustomed to moving, that shifting of the ligaments in this area can cause inflammation, which leads to pain. Rather than pain, Tollefson noticed weakness in her pelvis. “It’s still hard to do some of the core exercises I was doing before pregnancy because I’m not quite as strong as I was before, but I’m getting there,” she says.
Marathon of Birth
As Tollefson suggests, pregnancy is akin to training in many ways. “It was kind of like I was getting ready for a big race,” she explains. As her due date neared, she tapered, the same way she would for a world championship race. “You have to let your body rest,” she says.
As the research suggests, in most cases, runners are encouraged to run through much of pregnancy, but not to set any big training goals. While more than 30 minutes may be safe, this is not the time to hog mileage. Smart training will ward off stress fractures and sprains, as well as keep the baby healthy. Like a monster hill at mile 25 of a marathon, knowing what to expect can make all the difference.
As any pregnant runner should, Tollefson did her research and mapped out a plan for her pregnancy. So far she has been satisfied with her training as she eases back into her regular running routine. Priorities, however, have shifted since Ruby came into the world. “I’m thankful to be an Olympian, but I’m a mom now and nothing in the world is more important than that,” she says. “If anything, the pregnancy made me more hungry to start kicking some butt again.”
Mackenzie Lobby is a freelance journalist, coach and runner based in Minneapolis, Minn.
