Making the call

A couple of weeks ago I made the decision to stop running. I thought it would be a tough decision to make but actually it was surprisingly easy - probably because it was natural, unforced, and without a doubt the right call for me to make.

Although I'd originally hoped to keep running - parkrun only - into my late pregnancy, the reality is that I made it to 30 weeks, and I'm incredibly proud of that. I possibly could have gone on longer but to my own detriment, and I would've lost the enjoyment factor and therefore it would have been pointless.

I really noticed a difference between my last two parkruns, at 29 weeks and at 30 weeks. At 29 weeks I ran a reasonably pacey 28.49 complete with a sprint finish - could've been something to do with the fact that my mum and dad plus Dave and my best friend Emily were waiting at the finish! Despite the dreich day I'd enjoyed the run and gone steadily, finishing a minute faster than the previous week's effort of 29.49.

I was certainly very tired after that run at 29 weeks, and was a write-off for the rest of the day / weekend! It was a blessing in some ways that it was a wet dreary weekend, as I got to spend the time resting and spending quality time with Emily - who incidentally had flown all the way from North Carolina to surprise me! It was incredible, the best surprise I've ever had. We had a lovely five days together, including a wonderful day at Stobo with my mum, and she spoiled me rotten with baby and birthday gifts. Memories to last a lifetime!

 

The following Saturday the sun was shining and it was a beautiful morning at Vogrie Country Park. Dave and I ran together and I instantly knew that this was a very different run to the week before. I felt a lot heavier, and a lot more breathless. I finished in a time of 30.08 which I was very pleased with - and liked the symmetry of 30 minutes at 30 weeks!

I didn't know it at that point but this would turn out to be the last run of my pregnancy.

Again I was very tired after this parkrun on the 13th of April, but the next few days were tougher than previously. I started to notice Braxton Hicks (practice contractions!) which were uncomfortable and made me feel even more exhausted. My stomach hasn't been great since having to take iron tablets, and in general I felt run down. I saw the midwife for a routine appointment at 31 weeks and she emphasised the importance of taking it easy. The decision to keep running or not was up to me, but I knew myself that the time had come.

Dave and I had originally planned to visit Lanark parkrun on that weekend, the 20th of April, but it just would've been the wrong call. We've been itching to go back to Lanark since our first visit there in October with Ross - Dave's first parkrun! - but just haven't managed. It's such a challenging course and I really struggle with inclines, so at 31 weeks pregnant it would have been too tough!

We made the call to go to Vogrie instead, and I got to marshal on another lovely sunny morning.

Last weekend I tailwalked at Vogrie, which actually I found quite tough as it was a pretty fast walking pace with a bump! I love that the tailwalking role gives you a volunteer credit and a run credit too. This weekend I'll be a barcode scanner for my 17th volunteering role, having done 65 parkruns. I can't wait to get my 25th volunteer milestone t-shirt, although I'll have to wait until baby is here as there just aren't enough Saturdays between now and my due date!

I can't imagine my Saturdays without parkrun, and I just love that you can stay involved even if you don't want to or can't run. It's such an inclusive and welcoming place. Parkrun has given me so much, it seems only fair to give a wee something back.

Although I didn't know at the time that my last run would be my last run, I'm pleased with the way it has panned out. Perhaps it was even better because I didn't know. Despite seeing other runners - such as Jasmin Paris! - running at Vogrie at 37/38/39+ weeks pregnant and thinking I'd be the same, I'm so chuffed I managed to run until 30 weeks pregnant. I can look back at my seven months of pregnancy thus far knowing that staying active and healthy has been good for me and baby, and feeling so fortunate I've been able to keep running. I find myself looking back at the Nice Cannes Marathon and feeling so grateful baby and I got to run together :)

Running up that hill

...okay, 'running' might be a bit of an exaggeration for this blog title. 'Getting up that hill' would be a more accurate description but not quite as catchy a song...

I've just hit the big milestone of the third trimester!!! And talking of big, I certainly am getting more that way. Bump has 'popped' out a bit recently (seriously, Dave and I noticed a difference between Sunday morning and Sunday night!) and keeping active is getting that bit more challenging.

The slightest incline has me going at a snail's pace - and this is a struggle given that every dog walk or run from our house has an incline of sorts! It doesn't need to be much, but anything of the uphill variety is a struggle. Baby is pushing on my lungs and diaphragm, which is causing breathlessness. I'll not talk about my bladder issues here but let's just say I can't get far!

That being said, I've had a very straightforward pregnancy thus far and I am so grateful for that. Keeping active is something that's very important to me, and in my naivety of the first trimester I thought I could manage at least one Munro before my due date. Unfortunately I know now that's not a realistic possibility (well, I could possibly manage Carn Aosda at Glenshee with the very high start!), as it would just be too much for me.

However, we had planned a few days break on Skye to visit our friends Bill and Line at the end of March, and I was keen to get some good walking done if I could. It meant sacrificing parkrun last Saturday morning which is never easy for me to do (one day there will be one on Skye!), but annual leave and fitting in around the tourism season (check Bill's tours out here: www.realscottishjourneys.com) saw us travelling up on Thursday and back on Sunday.

Unfortunately Friday wasn't such a nice day weather-wise, although we got out for a few walks. Firstly a wee stroll alongside the River Snizort, near Bill and Line's house. Then to St Columba's Isle, to visit the MacNicol burial site. Line took us to what would normally be a great viewpoint of the Old Man of Storr and Trotternish Ridge from the Storr Lochs, however the weather was really against us by this point. Soaked and weather-beaten, Dave and I made our final stop of the day at the Faerie Glen, somewhere Dave has been visiting for over fifteen years. Thoroughly soaked, we made our way home for pizza, non-alcoholic beer, and the warmth of a log fire!

What Friday lacked in decent weather and views Saturday made up for in abundance. We couldn't have had a more different day. We decided to head back over to the Isle of Raasay and attempt the hike up Dun Caan, where we got engaged in October 2015. I wasn't sure how I'd get on with this, but we agreed to take it easy and stop if it was too much.

On the ferry with Dun Caan in the background

We did take it easy, and thankfully I found it much more straightforward than I thought I would. It's not a strenuous climb, but enough to challenge me. I was delighted to make it to the top - and we had it all to ourselves (except for two tents; we met the lovely couple on our way back down who were spending their Saturday night at the top!). It actually felt surprisingly sheltered at the top, so we took some photos, had some snacks and enjoyed being back in this special place.

Then we made our way back down and enjoyed a picnic lunch in the sunshine in the lay-by.

I was unsurprisingly very tired after this adventure, but I was so chuffed to have managed it. It made me think I could probably manage a jaunt up the Eildons or the Pentlands when the weather gets better again and before I get even bigger!

I haven't run for two weeks now but I'm hoping to manage Vogrie parkrun this weekend.

Whilst on Skye, we also celebrated Tig's third 'dog day' with us - we rescued her on 31st March 2016. We think she had approximately three years in her previous life (farm/rescue centre, but there wasn't a vet record of her before she was given to the rescue centre) so this year marks her being with us for longer than that!

Tig's highlights March 2018-19