[Continued from Part 1…]
According to the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) “Becoming active and exercising at least 30 minutes on most, if not all, days of the week can benefit your health during pregnancy in the following ways: helps reduce backaches, constipation, bloating, and swelling; may help prevent or treat gestational diabetes; increases your energy; improves your mood; improves your posture; promotes muscle tone, strength, and endurance; helps you sleep better.”
When I first started out with the training plan, I could barely walk three miles without feeling tired and winded. A horrible first trimester kept me feeling nauseated, tired, and dizzy. Most days were spent on the sofa or in bed. Coming from someone who was fairly active before pregnancy, this took a toll on my energy levels and self-esteem.
So, my New Year’s Resolution was to become more fit and active this pregnancy than any previous pregnancies. So, I started the training program and stuck with it. Week after week I followed the schedule and eventually got stronger, and my energy levels began to increase too.
By race day, I was physically and mentally ready for the challenge, albeit for a knee/calf injury that liked to nag me. I told myself I was going to take the first few miles easy and pray. It was a goal of mine to take the first few miles to take in the experience and talk to God and praise Him for the changes and challenges I faced during my training the past seven months. I wish I could say I completed this goal during the half marathon, but unfortunately, I didn’t. But I know God understands why I just couldn’t.
For the first quarter mile, I was being lapped by older people who seemed to have absolutely no problem passing a pregnant woman. I tried to keep positive but then the urge I had dreaded crept up—I had to pee.
I knew this was inevitable as I usually chose practice routes that had an accessible bathroom within the first 2 miles. But this urge came on fast and hard—despite having just used the porta potty 20 minutes prior. It’s hard to pray when all you’re thinking about is emptying your bladder.
Luckily, I had contacted the race coordinator a few days before the race, so I knew that there were going to be porta potties at or near every mile marker. I was grateful to spot that first porta potty right at the 1mile marker. But to my dismay, when I came out, there was no one around. Everyone had PASSED me; I was now last.
At that point, I wanted to quit. “What did you think when you thought you’d be able to do this,” I thought to myself. But the will to not want to fail my family and friends that were cheering me on virtually and at the finish line made me keep putting one foot in front of the other. So, I turned on my iPod, and I got to work.
