Tiffany's half marathon training: Baby bump edition

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich (WOTV) - I love to run! Running has been my choice of exercise ever since I finished swimming for Hope College in 2005.  Running is more than just exercise to me. It is my stress reliever, my time to be alone and think, and time to cherish with my 2 sisters who also have a passion for running. I have ran countless races in the past years including 4 marathons, 2 half marathons, and 6 triathlons. Needless to say, running is in my blood!

The Gazelle Girl Half Marathon will be different from every other race I have ran in the past not only for it being the first women’s only run in Grand Rapids,  but because I will be 30 weeks pregnant on race day.  Training for the Gazelle Girl has looked very different from my past training due to being pregnant. Instead of being focused on my pace and distance, I am focused on my breathing and how I am feeling- listening to my body and running when it feels good and stopping when I don’t.  I have had an easy pregnancy so far without any complications and have been running consistently.  I’ve been having many conversations with my doctor about running and she is okay with me running the half marathon. That may not be the case for all the soon-to-be-mommas, so make sure to check with your doctor :-)

My sisters and I did a nice 10 mile run along the lakeshore to kick off our weekend longs runs. Bundled up with hats, gloves and compression socks, the run started off pretty chilly but became comfortable about a mile in.  I ended up trailing behind the girls for most of the run- listening to my body instead of my competitive spirit. The run was great and got us girls very excited and motivated for the Gazelle Girl Half !  What a way to celebrate women!

What do you enjoy the most about running?