A pleasant surprise... with a challenge

Yes, it's official. As of 2 days ago, I have confirmed that I am indeed pregnant. Honestly, it came as a relief. My body was feeling very off the last few weeks, and I felt like pregnancy was the only cause that made sense of it all... so at least I know what's wrong with me.

This is my 3rd pregnancy. I have a 3 year old daughter, and a 1 year old son (and of course our little mystery now on the way). Life is crazy and will only get crazier. But I wouldn't have it any other way. I am excited for our growing family!

I am also excited for the new challenge ahead of me in my running life. I started running off and on when I first got married. That's what happens when you marry a runner. Can't stop them, might as well join them. At first, it was painful and obligatory, but now I love it (most days, that is). I didn't run during my first pregnancy, but picked it up again a few months post. For my second pregnancy, I cut down in the first trimester (it was a long, snowy winter), but then ran from the second trimester right through my due date. Not much mileage, but I did it at least. It made me feel so much better... mentally and physically. And after the easiest birth I ever dreamed possible, I decided at that moment that I HAD to run all the way through any subsequent pregnancies. I just had to.

This is me at the 8 month mark of my second pregnancy.

So here I am, surprised with pregnancy #3. But I feel ready. I average about 30 miles per week right now. I just got a new 5k PR on New Year's Eve with 22:19, which was super exciting. Most of my runs average between 7:30 and 8:00 miles. I haven't decided on a lot of specific goals yet... like I said, this is all still new. But for now, my general goal is to maintain through the first trimester. This maintenance is two-fold:

1. Keep my 30 mpw average

2. Keep all my runs at or below 8:00 pace

And because of how desperate I was for any blogs by other pregnant runners when I was first deciding to make the effort in my second pregnancy, I have decided to share my journey for others to observe, learn from, or scoff at (if you feel that's necessary)... Don't worry, I won't take it personal. I grew up in a house full of boys... I can take it.