I seriously contemplated posting a week-in-preview, trying to plot out a course of exercise for the week… but then I got smart and decided against it.
There were wonderful comments on my post about running during the first trimester and the general consensus was to do what feels right for me. So if I make myself some kind of schedule and don’t feel like sticking to it on a certain day, I feel like I would be setting myself up to feel badly about myself.
But I do have a fun plan for this weekend! I am going to be doing The Color Run here in Vegas.
There are a bunch of my Team Challenge peeps entered into the race and my mom is going to do it with me as well. The awesome thing is that the event is not timed and there’s no way I would want to wear my Garmin through this course… so I’m just going to have fun and run/jog/walk the whole thing with my mom.
My husband was a little uneasy about the idea of me doing this since I’m pregnant. Honestly, I didn’t even think anything of it… but I promised I would stay in the low color zone lane.
Truth be told, I hate all the restrictions that are in place for pregnant women. The books and articles that tell you to “microwave your deli meats” and “don’t eat soft cheese” all start to make me angry. I feel like saying, “Oh yeah?! Well, I’m going to go scuba diving and follow that up with a meal of bratwurst, soft cheese, and a pint of beer.” (Which is ridiculous because: a) I don’t like the ocean all that much, b) I wouldn’t eat bratwurst, c) all the soft cheese I would eat is pasteurized and I don’t eat much dairy anyway and d) I don’t drink. So the little rebellious tirade is really all for naught.)
But seriously? Why is there so much out there telling pregnant women all the things they can’t do? Women in other countries where those items are so much a part of their culture probably eat them and have healthy pregnancies… since populations in other countries continue to thrive. Basically I have pretty much given up on reading articles. I figure people got through pregnancies for year and years and years without relying on Google to scare them about all the ways they can do it wrong. I’m already terrified enough!
Why am I talking about pregnancy again? I swore to myself I wouldn’t let this turn into a pregnancy blog or eventually a mommy blog. I swear, there is strictly running-related stuff out there too… it’s just that this feels so pressing on my brain and now that I’ve announced it publicly I almost can’t help spewing stuff about it out onto the keyboard!
Jill Will Run 
I’ve heard about the color run before and while it’s not something that I’m personally into, I’m sure it’s a lot of fun. I look forward to reading about it so please post a report! 🙂
I debated whether to comment on this since you said you didn’t want this to turn into a pregnancy blog… but it’s so refreshing to read your take on the pregnancy “dos and don’ts”. I can’t speak from experience since I don’t have kids or even any close friends who’ve been pregnant. But I somehow stumbled upon the microwaved deli meat thing recently while surfing the Internet and was shocked that this was even a thing. Seriously, who comes up with this stuff?
Lisa (and Jill), the deli meats thing is because deli meat can sometimes harbor listeria bacteria. Pregnant women are at a higher risk to contract listeriosis than non-pregnant women, and listeriosis can cause miscarriage, premature labor, and even in severe cases fetal or matenral death. THAT SAID, only a teeny tiny fraction (something like 1/10,000 of 1%) of Americans get sick from listeria every year, and only about 15% of those are pregnant women. So while there is a slightly increased risk for pregnant women, it’s infinitesimally small. During my recent pregnancy, I ate deli meat maybe five or six times, and I never microwaved it once. 🙂
I had no idea that your hubby had hesitations about this race. It didn’t even cross my mind that this wouldn’t be okay for you, but if he really objects, we can re-think. If you have a child anywhere near as awesome as mine, it will be fine if you don’t microwave your deli meat 🙂 Of course, you know what I think about all of the advice. I sometimes wonder how I ever got by without google, but now I wonder how we survive with it, too!
AMEN on the Google thoughts!
I think it’s okay for us to do The Color Run.
As you have probably gathered from my comment above, I agree with you that all the warnings and restrictions put on pregnant women are a little ridiculous. Educate yourself on what the risks actually mean, use common sense, and you’ll probably be fine. It makes perfect sense to me that Kevin would be cautious with you during this time, though. He loves you and wants to make sure you’re okay. Also, correct me if I’m wrong, he isn’t a runner, right? So he might not understand how different doing a jog/walk is from pushing yourself to get better and better times.
As for turning this blog into a pregnancy blog, well, anyone who has been pregnant or had kids will completely understand if that happens. It’s just kind of the way things work, for the majority of people. 🙂 When you’re pregnant or have a baby, it’s really, really hard to think or talk about anything else for very long because babies are so time-consuming and take so much energy! It seems overwhelming and all-consuming when you’re in the thick of it, especially with a first baby, but it won’t be that way forever. As a friend of mine is fond of saying about anything to do with kids, “This is only a season.”
Anyway, I think Lisa is right, you can offer a perspective on running from a different angle, and it might help other runners who are pregnant!
I really appreciate your insights, Bethany! You’re right, Kevin isn’t a runner. I think he’s more concerned about the “color” aspect of the event over the actual job/walk/run possibilities. Since they throw colored powder on participants so we all end up a rainbow at the end, that’s the part he’s worried about.
You’re right… it kind of is all-consuming!
When I asked my midwife about the deli meat thing, she kind of rolled her eyes and said, “Yeah… that’s the current recommendation. If you’re eating out somewhere with high turnover, you’re probably fine. But if you’re eating deli meat every single day, maybe you should try it. Just turn it into a grilled sandwich or something!” She seems to have a “moderation” approach on lots of things, which I find comforting!
im so excited for the color run! and super stoked you are goign to do it. never crossed my mind either that it might not be ok to do while pregnant. its going to be so much fun it wont even matter! hope to see you there:)
I’ll keep my eye out for you Katy Beth!
Hi Jill,
I’m not a mom, nor am I pregnant, but I still find your pregnancy-related posts interesting. Blog about what ever is on your mind…your true reader-friends want to support you!
Also, have you read Caitlin’s blog, “Healthy Tipping Point”? She is a runner (among other things!), is currently pregnant, and I think you might be able to relate to some of her experiences, especially those around fitness.
Take care,
Katie
I do read Caitlin’s blog and have enjoyed following her experience, especially in regard to fitness! It’s kind of nice that she’s about 10 weeks ahead of me or so, so I can have kind of a chronicle of things to come. I’m also reading about Kath’s (http://www.katheats.com) experience… she’s a couple of weeks behind me in pregnancy! 🙂
Thank you though, I like the reminder that my true reader-friends are there for me!
You’re awesome!
THIS IS AWESOME! Thanks so much for posting info about this run! I have looked up locations near our new Duty Station and there are 2 very close! YeeHaw!
I hope you get to do it! I will definitely be posting a review and plenty of photos… as long as I figure out how to take photos without destroying my camera! 🙂
lol. it’s ok, you can talk about the pregnancy! i can’t imagine the “advice” people want to offer. i got tons of it for the wedding… and i know the baby comments are right around the corner for me. people just love to give their advice, especially if it’s not wanted!
Ugh… some of the advice sucks already, people basically tell me that either I or the baby are going to die if I do XXX, even things my doctor told me to do! And I can only imagine as I actually start showing it will become more freely available.