Thanks to everyone for all the kind words on my pregnancy IRL, email, text, twitter, instagram, facebook, etc! It’s an exciting time and I’m so thankful for your thoughtfulness!

A few things about running this pregnancy:

• I’m exhausted pretty much all the time. If a run doesn’t happen in the morning, it’s really hard to get done. I have the most energy in the morning. I’m down to maybe a half cup of coffee a day (because I can’t stomach it and anyway, caffeine isn’t exactly a great thing to have during pregnancy). I sometimes drink one cup of tea instead. Just not the same…

Tea is fine, but coffee is my first love!

• I have to pee even more while on the run. My daily “fun-yet-somewhat-needed” outside pee has become a total necessity. Sometimes I go more than once in just 4-5 miles!
• Food Baby + Poop Baby + Real Baby = Uncomfortable! Did you realize digestion slows WAAAAAY down during pregnancy? Let’s start with Food Baby. I have a hard time running on an empty stomach and always eat breakfast the second I wake. Usually, I can start a run within 15 minutes of chowing down an almond butter chia seed sandwich. Now, that breakfast requires at least 60 minutes to get to the point where I’m ok to run. And even then, I feel like I’m carrying a food baby the whole run. Not the most comfortable. Next, Poop Baby. Guess what else happens when digestion slows?! That’s right, the normal poop schedule goes out the window! Long gone are the days when a little breakfast and a hot cup of joe was all my body needed to clear out the pipes. Everything kind of hangs out in the bowels for awhile. Add that poop baby to the uncomfortable equation. Finally, don’t forget there’s a REAL BABY growing in there! Three “babies” competing for space in a little body (though it’s not so little anymore).

Fantastic diagram for your viewing pleasure.

• I get (needlessly) nervous about every run with others. I love running with other people, but something about being pregnant and getting winded so easily makes me so nervous! My first friend-run of this pregnancy was with Matt and it’s a good thing I was given exactly 5 minutes warning that we were running together and I was still in my pajamas at the time so most of my thought process was spent wondering what the temperature was and what I was going to wear. Matt is a speedy dude and I was sure the run would be a disaster for me. But, I made it through 7 miles alive. In fact, he kept it at my pace. Thanks Matt! The next friend-run was last weekend with my husband and our friend Josh. I was equally nervous, because Jeff and Josh are both speedy dudes as well, but they were also kind enough to keep the pace super easy. Thanks guys! Finally, today I ran with Hollie and Laura and was once again nervous. I was actually happy a friend came over last night and suggested we eat pasta because I wanted to carb load. We were going to run 10-12 miles which is the most I’ve done this pregnancy, but they said we’d keep the pace easy and we did. Thanks ladies! The run went by so quickly!

Already sporting the baby bump on my run with Matt, but still fit in my running clothes. And this was about 6 weeks ago!

• Big boobs. Whoa, things have changed in the chest region. My little chest that fit my little running body so well has expanded just as quickly as my belly. They aren’t knocking me in the face or anything, but I have to laugh every day when I can literally feel the extra weight (and jiggle) when I run.

Those are the main running differences I’ve had the first 15 weeks. I promise I will post a pic of me and my growing belly headed out for a run soon. I surprisingly haven’t taken any pictures this pregnancy. With my Currie pregnancy, I took pictures almost daily. “And here are my 15 weeks, 2 days pictures! And here are my 15 weeks, 5 days pictures!” This pregnancy seems to be flying by and I haven’t taken a single belly pic!

What were some of the biggest changes you noticed the first 15 weeks of pregnancy? Do you get nervous to run with others (due to pregnancy or something else)?