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| ~#PregnantNotPowerless~ |
I'm sorry I haven't posted in a while, I've been quite busy trying to adapt to this mum to be mumbo jumbo.
Since I left you in June, when I was 12 weeks pregnant (I'm now currently 37 weeks+1) a lot has happened to say the least, that is just over 5 months of living! Don't worry, I'm not going to bore you with my life story and every intricate detail of whats happened, because quite frankly, I cannot remember what I did yesterday, never mind 5 months ago- BABY BRAIN ALERT! I'm just going to update you on the changes I've experienced since becoming pregnant and my (lack of) running.
I can start off by saying, I've went from having a nice hourglass figure to an elephant one! I don't think I'm waddling like a penguin that much, no swollen cankles either. I've still been able to tie my shoe laces, but I must admit, its getting slightly more difficult now. But all in all, I have had such a great pregnancy experience. My body has adapted so well to meet the demands of pregnancy, I've been able to sustain some sort of active lifestyle, (not like the ones these incredible women I follow on Insta, still squatting 30kg, running 3 miles a day- I wish I could do that, but for me that's more of an aspiration than a reality). I have continued cycling, swimming, running, (exceedingly short, and somewhat embarrassing distances in an irregular pattern). I have been managing to exceed 10,000 steps on a typical day, maybe the exceptions of my days off. Yes, I have been tired- but that's to be expected. As you can tell, I have started to use the hashtag #pregnantnotpowerless.
So it begins... I was sick badly once when I attended the Wolf Run back in June, but I think that was either too much chicken or a dodgy burger van at the event. The next one, I basically threw up an orange after having a bad case of the flu... making me bed ridden for 4 days. I'd honestly say that's the worst illness I've had since becoming pregnant. Actually... scrap that, the only one burden of my pregnancy would be my heightened RLS, short for Restless Leg Syndrome. Certain members of my family on my mums side get it. A simple explanation to this would be:
"a condition in which you have an uncontrollable urge to move your legs, usually due to leg discomfort. It typically happens in the evenings or nights while you're sitting or lying down. Moving eases the unpleasant feeling temporarily."
It's not painful, but its annoying as f@ck- to the point where my own partner has had to sleep on the floor, because every 2 minutes I'm having to jerk my legs to get some sort of temporary relief like a spaz. Mostly it affects one leg, but the worst nights-its both, it certainly disrupts your sleep, for the life of you, you just cannot nod off. I get so frustrated sometimes that I literally break down crying in bed, or i get angry and stand up, stomp around profusely and stretch. Mine has increased, whereby i'd get it once or twice a week just before nodding off to sleep, whether that be through lack of exercise or too much exercise (running long distances over 10 miles)... to having it every night. This is partly the reason why I've tried to keep as active as possible during my pregnancy, I think it helps, as a result its not as sever. I have got desperate at times in search of something that will help, but to my utter dismay- nothing has. There is no complete cure and causes as to why certain people get this, they know it is hereditary and may be something linked to lack of dopamine in the brain and nerves, the doctors just give you temporary medication like muscle relaxants. To this end, I haven't even bothered to seek medical attention for it. Purely because, my cousin who had a baby last year said she had it to the same extent as me. She, on the other hand, went to the Dr's and all they did was prescribed some cream that didn't make the slightest of difference. I think i'll save the NHS a little money and just get on with it. After all no cure, no point.
I'm not huge, in my and many peoples opinions. Even my bump measurements have come up 2 to 2 and half weeks behind my gestation (which is of no concern to my midwife, by the way). Don't get me wrong, I look in the mirror and see a whale, my self esteem has taken a great hit, but all it takes is for my little lady to give me a boot or a foot in my ribs to come to the realisation that after all, my body is keeping a tiny human growing and alive inside of me. My apatite has been great, I don't think it has upped massively, my cravings have consisted of spaghetti hoops on toast with grated cheese, chopped tomatoes, melon and carrot sticks, with the occasional chocolate binge and of recent, the need to chew on chewing gum. So again, we have some great healthiness involved.
Nothing has stopped me from biking it too and from work (around 7 miles- there and back) up until last week (36 weeks) and then this week with the drastic snow fall, I've gritted my teeth and had to get to work on public transport, which has confirmed my hatered for it, I have gained 2 colds in the space of 3 weeks! Ewww, germs! People have moaned, I know all in good faith, concerned about me crashing and risking my baby's life, but I had been cycling like this for just under a year before baby implantation. It has also been a reoccurring topic at my MW appointments and she's always said as long as you're comfortable and you're safe, I cannot see the issue to stop something you did before pregnancy. This is the reality of the life we live in, women are becoming slowly less and less bubble wrapped during pregnancy. Studies and technological advancement has assured this. No longer are we living in 16-17th century when, for example, Queen's were laid to complete bed rest with blacked out windows for the last duration of their pregnancy for fear of miscarriage due to physical exertion (not to mention medical illnesses which have since been discovered and counteracted now). I'm so glad I was born in this generation, I'd have been jailed for being a looney tune by now if I were pregnant in that era!
I may as well just keep off Mrs Viking (my road bike, yes she has a name- how gay am I?) due to my last shift being this Saturday. The only bad experience whilst partaking on my bike commutes would be an occasional bad stitch, but I think that's mainly because I lowered my seat, so in case of an emergency stop, my little legs could reach the ground to avoid loosing my balance, face planting the floor or worse and causing harm to my unborn child. This tactic has worked, I can't even recall a near fall experience. My balance has been put off, to the extent of my heart going "holy shit. That was close" but that occuring was very rare. I think the worst I've had was biking down Broad Lane and a lady in a car decided to be impatient and pull out from the opposite side road onto my side, seeing me completely, due to her lack of timing my inside knee and elbow was early touched her window screen and forced me to nearly mount the kerb on a road bike!! This could of potentially been very dangerous. Safe to say, I made my presence known and screamed and cursed at the top of my lungs. Then she put her foot down and off she went. I always wear a helmet and of course a high viz. No skipping traffic lights, no forcing my way to the front of the traffic if the gap is tiny etc.... Of late, my bike has also been lit up via bike lighting to look like Blackpool illuminations, or seen as though we're in the season- a Christmas tree!!
Since becoming pregnant, I have partaken in the Brum 10km at 5-6 weeks, 3 Wolf Runs- one before I even knew my little seahorse was floating about in there, one at around 9 weeks and one at 22 weeks (which caused a massive hoo-har with a certain granddad to be!) and a Mo Run 5km at 33 weeks! During my second trimester I managed my highest mileage at just over 4 miles. It was hard, not to mention the added weight and pressure down there. You either need to wee constantly for jiggling about or, as I personally noted, i'd get a case of the runners trots and excessive bowl movement which kinda put me off running outdoors after nearly having to take a shit in a park in Tile Hill. After that I have continued to just turtle run on the beloved treadmill, never exceeding 2 miles during my 3rd trimester.
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| Brum 10km- 1:02:05 |
I can start with the Wolf Run, yes- I did 2 events knowing full well I was pregnant. Safe to say, this was a breeding ground for certain peoples opinions. The Wolf Run, if you don't know already, is a 10km obstacle course race, through mud and different types of terrain including fields. obstacles, a massive slide, climbing wooden walls that are 7 ft tall and climbing over log structures, going through lakes etc... As always I had my bestest friend Vickie to accompany me, a too be Godmother and practical Aunt to my daughter. There was no way in hell she'd let me go over or through any obstacles that were to cause any significant harm to my child. If anything, she was very overprotective and, at times had to pulled me away and around obstacles that I, myself, deemed safe. Unless you have witnessed or partaken in this event, people automatically assume you have to do all the course- NO! UUUHHURRRR! WRONG! you do not. We walked most of the way in ALL 3 events, as much as I wanted to have a gentle jog at times, I was pulled back by sister from another mister to a brisk walk. But the experience and mud was still splendid, I came back with less bruises than before and felt great caped in mud. I can safely say I will be entering Freya into Mini Mudder when shes old enough to do so and I hope she becomes a little mud monkey like myself. At Septembers event my Dad caught wind and being naturally protective, we had a massive tiff about me doing it. But I know he was just thinking of me and his Granddaughters interests and safety. We have since then, made up and are fine.
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| Before I Knew I Was Pregnant With Sea Monkey |
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| We Did It- Safely! |
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| That Face Doh |
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| "Why Am I Paying £49 To Do This To Myself?!" |
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| Actually, I Love It Really |
The Mo Run 5km was another fantastic event of which I was suppose to do with my half aunt in November of 2015, but I ended up with a big fat DNS next to my name because I could not get that Sunday off work and needed the money too much to call in sick! This event will be remembered, purely due to the fact my own mother attended- but didn't spectate, she actually surprised me entirely and paid entry on the day to run with me and her adopted daughter Lizzy. I was so proud of her, she hadn't ran for 16 years, I didn't think she could with her bad ankles, but lone and behold she did it. Even though I look like a double chinned man in the images below, but I couldn't resist the need to buy the event photo of all three of us sprinting to the finish. This event on the other hand really highlighted the difficulties of running during late pregnancy. Although I did not train following a schedule of any sort, just a kinda adopted an ... I'll run when I wanna attitude- I still made it. I believe my training only seen me run 4 miles over 8 weeks though!! Anyways, race day arrived quite quickly, I'd never ran through Sutton Park before- It was beautiful. The first mile was mostly down hill. After this though, I started to get a dodgy stomach and shooting pulling pain similar to that of a stitch (even though I wore my bump support). As a result, and probably due to lack of training on my part, we decided to walk up the hills and then gentle jog when I felt up to it, and take advantage of running down the hills. We finished it in around 42 mins. But I was not at all concerned with time. I was happy I had completed this race and got my cool moustache medal, not to mention finishing it with the woman I cherish and love most in the world!!
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| A Better Version Of Charlies Angels If I May Say So Myself ;) |
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| Just For Mothers Smile |
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| Just The Coolest Medal I Have Ever Earned |
The week after, I FINALLY graduated with a Bachelor of Art in History ...
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| Bump Pose- I Just Had To! |
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| Me All Over Pose |
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| The Most Expensivest Pieces Of Paper I Will Ever Own! |
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| He Was Happy Really |
I now sit here, with just under 2 weeks till my due date, on maternity leave, feeling great might I add, but exceeeeeeeedingly bored and impatient... Googling 2018 running events, which have so far included finally doing my Alpha Wolf (4 seasons), Running the Liverpool Half (event paid!), Birmingham 10km as per, Compton Varney Half/ Birmingham Black Country Half (both events on the same day... I still haven't decided which one i'll do yet!), not to mention cycling London to Brighton (54 Miles- Event paid) and maybe (if i gain a ballot place) doing the Ride London Surrey 100 miler. I honestly cannot see myself doing a marathon in 2018 unfortunately, however, if all goes well, I'd like to still have a crack at the Birmingham Half in October. My focus at the moment is looking towards post pregnancy blogs about getting back into fitness and running healthily and 100% correctly. But at this present moment in time, i'm crapping it about pushing a melon out of my lemon for sure, as well as coming to terms with someone other than my partner sticking fingers and hands in and around my foofe area and getting really anxietyish about becoming a......
M-U-M-M-Y to little Miss Freya Pamela McClelland-Worrall!!!
Stay tuned and thanks for reading as always... I really hope you do not feel like you've just wasted 10 minutes of your human exsistence!
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