Running while pregnant is a humbling thing. I must admit that I never thought it would be this hard. I didn’t anticipate that running continuously without walk breaks would become near impossible. Or that I’d feel the sudden urge to pee in my pants the moment my feet hit the pavement, whether I really need to or not. My three to four-mile shuffles a few times per week don’t look much like “runs” these days, but I keep on keeping on – to run for as long as I can and to hopefully send a subconscious message to Baby rUnladylike that she is a strong girl who can do anything. What better way to be even more humbled by running pregnant than by signing up for a race? Last weekend, I ran my first race while pregnant: the inaugural Fit Foodie 5K in Tampa, Florida, sponsored by John Hancock, Cooking Light and Health.

Somewhere in my {demented} brain, I thought participating in a race might make me feel better while running. The magic that’s in the air on race morning does something to me. Be it the extra adrenaline or all the runners surrounding me, races almost always give me an extra push.

It also doesn’t hurt to get some pre-race motivation from running legends Bill Rodgers and Ryan Hall. I had the chance to interview them before the race weekend and chat with them at a VIP event the Fit Foodie Race Series invited me to as a guest the evening before the race. They couldn’t have been nicer as I told them this would be my first pregnant race. Don’t you love how interested Ryan looks (or is pretending to look) in what I am saying!?!

Since Mr. rUnladylike was out of town, my mom and dad joined me for the race.

It started in downtown Tampa and ran along the well-known Bayshore Boulevard, a long flat stretch of road adjacent to Tampa Bay with views of the water from every direction. Both the 5K and 15K courses were an out-and-back route with almost no turns and no shade. This makes for nice views but a very mentally challenging race in hot and humid conditions.

I had planned to run the race with my mom, but once we started I realized I wanted to run faster. I could see my dad ahead and asked her if she would be OK with me trying to catch up and run with him. She said yes, so off I went. Yes, I realize I kind of ditched my mom, but luckily she had a running partner to run with and had a great race.

I spent my first mile trying to catch up with my dad. He was so close, yet I just couldn’t quite reach him. My Garmin chirped showing that my first mile was 8:31. I hadn’t seen that pace since early July. It’s hard to believe that’s nearly 30 seconds slower than my pace for a marathon, but I am where I am and so many of my mom friends give me hope that I’ll be back there (and maybe even faster) eventually. I was already feeling gassed. My heart rate was up and the heat and humidity were pretty intense. My dad, who once seemed just 30 yards in front of me, now felt out of reach.

Just after the first mile, the one and only Bill Rodgers ran up beside me. We chatted for a minute before seeing the first water stop. I needed to walk. I figured I’d grab a cup of water and walk until I finished it. I walked for about 30 seconds or so and continued on. Since the course was an out-and-back, my dad and I waved at each other when he turned the corner. He was about 200-meters or so ahead of me at this point, and I knew I wasn’t going to be able to reach him. The only thing I like about an out-and-back course is getting to see all the runners in front of and behind you. I got to wave to all my friends running the race and my mom as I started the second half.

Mile 2: 9:15. Ok, not bad considering I had that walk break.

Mile 3 was where I really felt my pregnancy and lack of running kick in. At this point, I was tired and fatigued from the faster paces of the first two miles. Most of my weekly runs now that I’m nearly 25 weeks pregnant are between 9:40 and 10:00 pace with walking interspersed throughout. I walked twice during mile 3 to catch my breath and keep my heart rate in check. Mile 3 was a 10:32 pace.

Finally, we rounded the last corner and I could see the finish line. I tried to run hard the last 0.1 miles. My Garmin said I ran 7:04 pace for the last little bit. Not bad for the big pregnant lady.

My official time was 28:28, an average of a 9:10 pace. I was 12th in the 30-39 age group. My dad won his age group, so he was a happy camper!

I was pleased to be under 30 minutes. To put this in perspective, my best 5K time is 20:30. This past November, after a full year of running for fun with no speed work or training, I ran 22:30 at a 5K. While the Fit Foodie 5K was my slowest 5K to date, I’m happy with it. I pushed myself but also backed off and was smart when I felt my heart rate going beyond where it needed to be, and I had fun with friends and family which is always the most important part.

The best part of the race was the post-race party and Vitality Village. As you would expect from an event that claims to be all about food and fitness, there were tons of tents set up from local restaurants offering food samples and other goodies. Cooking Light and Health also had a booth that included a maple bourbon waffle recipe from the October issue of Health and free issues of their latest magazines.

I ran into my friend Meghann and her adorable little girl Annalynn who rocked the 5K with the stroller.

The Final Word on the Fit Foodie 5K

When any new race comes to a city for the first time, the question is: Would you do it again? The Fit Foodie Race Weekend is currently in four cities, including Tampa, Fairfax, San Diego and Austin. I would do this race again, but I would strongly encourage the event organizers to make a few adjustments in Tampa before next year. Here’s what I thought worked well and what needs improvement.

What I Loved about the Fit Foodie Race Weekend in Tampa

• The post-race party was one of the best I’ve been to at a race. There were tons of food and samples to try and many activities happening, such as food demos and workouts. There were even food trucks set up giving tasty samples.
• All of the sponsors and participating businesses were very generous with their giveaways. We walked away with a lot of loot from the event.
• The event offered a fun environment for the entire family. I saw couples, moms pushing strollers and lots of friends. There was a playground that kids could play at while parents enjoyed their food.
• You can opt not to get a shirt when you register for the race. Not only does this lower the cost of your race registration, but I find that most race shirts don’t fit me right, and I don’t need another one to give to Goodwill. That being said, the shirts and apparel they had were really cute, including tanks I’d enjoy wearing while working out.
• The event gives a medal to each finisher, which is not always typical for 5K or 15K races.

What Needs Improvement

• Race day information wasn’t emailed out until the afternoon before the race. While there was information on the website, I wasn’t sure where to park and other details until late the night before the race. Additionally, we had to pay for parking. There were adequate lots near the start, but it would have been nice if the race could have been more specific about where to park and worked with the city to make parking free for the runners since it was a pretty small field.
• It was extremely humid and hot during the race, but there were no cold beverages on the course or at the post-race party (other than beer). Many of the 15K runners I spoke to said there was not enough water on the course. Given how hot and humid the conditions were, this race needs to have ice and adequate hydration on the course. A cold sponge or washcloth would be a nice touch for the 15K runners.
• Before the race began, someone led the runners in a pre-race stretching routine that was all static stretching. Runners should do dynamic stretching before a race or run to prevent injuries and to prepare the body for a hard effort. {You can see the kind of warm-up routine I recommend here.} Similarly, there was a workout in the post-race village that appeared to be a pretty intense leg workout with squats, lunges, etc. Not exactly what runners need to be doing immediately after a race. I would suggest yoga, a stretching routine or something that focuses on recovery. Aspects like this made me think that the people planning the race may not be runners or that running experts may be absent from that process.
• Since this was a morning event, it would have been nice for the post-race party to offer items like fruit, coffee and other similar amenities as part of the many food and beverage options.
• The race held two events the day before and after the race: a pre-event VIP party and a post-race sweat session. Both were $55 each and were not worth the value. Although my mom and I paid for our own race registrations, we were invited to both events as a guest, and therefore our tickets were comped. I would have been really disappointed if I had spent $110 (plus parking) for these events. The pre-event party didn’t feel like it was sponsored by Cooking Light or Health. The food offered was cold and very marginal. The Sweat Session had great instructors but the sound system had problems, the workout only focused on legs (again, maybe not something people want to do the morning after a race) and the post-workout meal (smoothie bowls) had issues blending due to a poor power source. I would recommend the race, but skip both events surrounding the weekend.

What is your favorite food to eat after a race? What is the next race coming up on your schedule? If you’ve ever participated in the Fit Foodie 5K, tell us about your experience.