Running While Pregnant

Last November 18, we learned that I’m five weeks pregnant with a little Gablet. We were so happy when we found out and immediately announced to family and friends. We got the usual congratulatory greetings but also a lot of “then you have to stop running, Mench” kind of messages. Although those messages were really meant well, i could not help but feel a little upset. I’ve been training to run a full marathon and have been running quite regularly for most of the year. I’ve come to really love this sport and have become really passionate about finally running a full marathon before the year ends. The messages on my running dampened my spirit a bit but the fact that i was expecting was a stronger and happier emotion. So Gabs & i agreed that before we decide on anything, we will consult our doctor and get clearance that it’s perfectly okay to continue my training.

So we consulted and we we’re happy to find out that it is alright for me to continue my training since i have been running regularly anyway. It is not a drastic change nor an introduction of a new exercise regimen so it is okay to continue. However, our doctor strongly reminded me to “listen to your body always and more closely”. This should be my mantra whenever i run. This means that i should be very alert on changes in my body as i run. I have to check that i am not overexerting myself, gasping for breath and over heating.  Hydration is  very important since my body temperature should not rise more than 38 C. Overheating my body affects the baby severely. I should also be mindful of my heart rate per minute. It should not exceed 140 beats per minute. Good thing that with training, i was able to lower my resting heart rate to 55-60 beats per minute therefore, it takes a lot of effort to reach the maximum level. Although it may seem like a lot to think about, a good gauge that i’m okay while running is that i can still carry on with a conversation and not  be breathless during the exercise.

So i’ve still been running to prepare for the upcoming SIngapore marathon scheduled next week (Dec 7). I am more careful, running at what i call a “pregnant pace” and listening to my body with every step. I do my 10k runs but finish it in an hour compared to the usual 53-55 mins. Although sometimes i miss the speed, i’m just happy that i can continue doing something that i really love to do. I still have to go to the doctor for ultrasound and check up before leaving for the marathon so that she can assess if the baby’s condition is okay before giving me the green light.

With the little bundle in my tummy, i may not finish the marathon in four and a half hours as targeted but i’d still be happy with any time that i finish. I also promised to myself and to Gabby that as soon as i feel that something is wrong, i will stop and not force myself to continue. Good thing also that my running partner Eddie Liew is there to check on me during the race. And i just feel really blessed that Gabby has been very supportive of my running.

This marathon will be truly memorable to me not just because it’ll be my first but because i’m running it with my little Gablet