Training for Two

Every so often a girls’ weekend is in order. My idea of a perfect girls’ weekend is not wining and dining, or going to the spa. My idea of a perfect girls’ weekend is combining my favorite passions with my favorite people. Hiking, running, and mountains! Michele’s Rugged Running Boot Camp in Conifer, Colorado was the perfect opportunity to combine all of these things and to continue to learn more about how to train effectively and efficiently – especially with a growing baby bump!

I attended Michele’s camp in March with a good friend, and with two other lovely ladies that I had the joy of getting to know and hope to spend some more time on the trail with in the future. In addition, I got to know Michele better as she welcomed us all into her home for the weekend. It was the perfect mix of learning, running, and fun.

While training at 8500’ when 13 weeks pregnant may sound like a ridiculous idea – my doctor was completely on board. She explained that I would have a significantly higher blood volume at that point in pregnancy anyways which she felt would lower my risk of altitude sickness. This information combined with the fact that I’ve never experienced altitude sickness when at that altitude previously allowed my doctor to give me the all clear, so long as I listened to my body and stayed hydrated.

While at Michele’s bootcamp, we all received some 5-star coaching and Michele was super accommodating and helpful with alternative exercises, ideas, and ways to continue to train as I progressed through my pregnancy. She also was quick to point out things I shouldn’t try to do while growing a human! We went over hill drills, agility, strength, nutrition, gait analysis, "riking" (SUPER important for ultra-runners and especially us pregnant ones!), speedwork, and anything else that we could think to ask her about while we were out there. I came back home fulfilled with energy and excitement to continue my training as long as my pregnancy would allow and armed with a bunch of ideas that I’ve executed over the past few months to keep back, hip, and other pregnancy niggles mostly at bay. I’m entering the last week of my pregnancy confident that my stronger core and hips will allow me to come back to running faster than I did after my first pregnancy.

To all the ladies out there that are training through pregnancy now, keep it up, and if you want some one-on-one time to get some specialized training advice, I definitely recommend a trip out to Conifer for one of Michele’s Boot Camps.