Running While Pregnant

Yep, that's me in the orange tank there finishing up the Boilermaker 15k a few years back!

I haven't always been a runner. In high school I was on the track team beginning in 7th grade and ran the 400 hurdles and since I was a dancer the hurdles were really easy for me but I hated running more than 400 meters. That was until my senior year of high school when Tom was in college so I decided to start to go to the gym. I began running a little and actually started to skip out on track practice early so I could go to the gym to workout and run (I was a treadmill runner and was too embarrassed to run outside just yet). I had always been a size 6 but once I started running I really noticed a change in my body and dropped to a size 0/2 even though this was never my intention. I ran throughout the summer (still on the treadmill of course) and when I went to college that fall joined the crew team where we had to run to practice everyday and so began my obsession with running. I actually quit the crew team after my freshman year since I would run 7 or 8 miles before practice because thats what I really wanted to be doing. I loved to run and loved to run in Ithaca along the lake and on the trails. I ran a marathon 2 years ago and loved training for it (the run itself was the worst run of my life but I still did pretty well). And I am by no means a fast distance runner - pre-pregnancy I ran between an 8:30 to 9 minute mile depending on the distance.

Me and Tom with his sister Jess (on the right in case you can't see the resemblance!) and a friend after the Boilermaker and before the many beers we consumed courtesy of Saranac Brewery.

So naturally I wanted to continue running through my pregnancy. In the first trimester I was so tired but managed to get myself to the gym to run at least a few miles and at least two days a week. I could barely run five minutes though because I was soooo congested. Once I was in my second trimester and I wasn't as congested I could run much longer and usually run about 3 times a week and total around 10-12 miles in a week. However, it was like the second I was pregnant I couldn't run nearly as fast, like my body just wouldn't let me no matter how badly I wanted to go faster. The body just knows you can't go as fast and shouldn't go as fast so it doesn't.

Tom and I after the many beers post race under the finish line!

My runs have been great this trimester up until about two weeks ago. I went for my first run outside (I live in VT and hate running in the cold so I am stuck inside for at least 4 or 5 months) and within the first half mile I was getting pretty terrible shin splints. The only time in my life I have ever had them before was once when I was training for my marathon and was running outside on rough snow. I stopped four times throughout my short three mile run to stretch them but no matter what they came back. I thought maybe it was from running outside and my shins weren't used to it. I ran inside the next two days and was fine but then last week I had shin splints when running inside all three days - some days worse than others but I had them nontheless. I ran this morning on the treadmill and again had shin splints. It is making my runs MISERABLE and runs are usually stress relievers for me but this is more stressful.

Tom and I after the Disney Marathon except he was crazy and ran the Goofy marathon which means he ran the 1/2 marathon on Saturday and marathon on Sunday!

Is it time for me to hang up my sneakers already? I thought I could at least make it to 30 weeks running and then run/walk the rest of the weeks, I never imagined giving it up so early on. Has anyone dealt with this too or know what I can do? I'll be so sad if I can't run for at least a few more weeks. Oh, and I already stretch my calves and shins daily to help but it hasn't so far. Any advice is helpful!!!