Second Trimester Running Happiness

Having been in the second trimester of pregnancy for several weeks now, I can safely say that it is oh-so-much-better than the first. I read this and heard this from friends over and over again and thought, "How can that be?" But let me tell you: it's true. Especially with regard to running.

1) My morning all-day ickiness is gone. I can't really say "sickness" because I never threw up. And for that, I am so very grateful. But there were times I thought I might feel better if I did throw up. Nothing sounded good, even foods I normally love. I spent a day subsisting on potato chips because I could not stomach the thought of putting anything else in my mouth.
Here in the second trimester, my food aversions are mostly gone...except for one: salad. Before the pregnancy, I could eat salad for lunch every day, no problem. But now I have to force it down. And salad dressing is just the worst. Pregnancy is weird. Despite the continuing salad aversion, I have been able to eat healthier foods and a wider variety of foods than in the first trimester. And not feeling gross has helped me be more consistent in my running.

2) My energy levels have bounced back. I still sleep more than I did before pregnancy (which was already a lot), but I got to about thirteen weeks and suddenly wondered where all this energy had come from. My running schedule is once more comparable to what it was pre-pregnancy, minus the long-long runs. And I'm able to do a longish run now and still be able to go grocery shopping afterward.

3) The bump. This doesn't have much to do with running, but it's a second trimester perk nonetheless! By ten or twelve weeks, I was starting to just feel chubby. Most of my jeans weren't exactly comfortable anymore. I wanted to stay in my sweats instead of trying to button normal pants. But now the extra weight is (slowly) forming itself into a recognizable baby bump. Soon I will have a very visible excuse for any fatigue, and for my occasional cart full of weird foods at the grocery store.

Speaking of pants: While this is not the most clear or flattering photo, it gets the point across.  This piece of white stretchy fabric (called a belly band, with different brand names) is my new favorite thing. It holds my unbuttoned non-maternity pants up while looking like nothing more than the bottom part of a tank top under my shirt!

And now for the one running-related downside I've encountered: frequent bathroom breaks. This started almost as soon as the second trimester started. While running, I suddenly need to go. And sometimes stopping to go doesn't actually help. So I've accepted that there will just be some runs where I will feel that way the whole time.

All-in-all, this middle third of pregnancy has been good to me so far! I can't wait to see what the upcoming weeks and months bring.