Pregnant Mother's Dilemma : 2012 Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon

I am sitting here alone at Singapore War Memorial Monument as I write this piece while waiting for my husband, sister, brother in law, and friends finishing their 10km run. I could have been running together with them, in fact, I am the one who initiate the registration because we missed Standard Chartered Kuala Lumpur Marathon early this year, but God knows best, He gave me something more precious to be with.

Prior of knowing that I am pregnant, me and my husband have been trying to conceive for more than 1 year but never got lucky. Every plan we made for the past 1 year plus had been with the assumption of "what if I got pregnant".. So as you guess, we planned for nothing. No "air asia" tickets purchased, no "next year big plan" or whatsoever.

Until one day, I got tired and stop thinking about conceiving. So I started running and register myself to all the big runs.

I never run before. Last year if u had ask me to run a 10km, I would say I can't even walk 2km. Haha. That's the truth. Although I was quite active in my teenage years, but I've been spoilt so badly since I started working that I cannot even climb 2 floors without grasping desperately for air. Hehe.

So my 1st fun run was TM Fan Run earlier this year. It was a 3km run and boy it feels good! I was quite amazed that I can actually finished the run and I was actually running instead of walking! Then i started following my friends to other runs (at some point, I even became a ghost runner because the registration had closed and I desperately wanted to run!) but 5km is the only distance that I was comfortable with at that time.

After some point, I think I have to upgrade. I can easily run a 5km, why not try the 10km? So I started to register and train for them. Lucky I have a supportive husband who would run together with me at my pace (although I know he can easily ditch me). I am having so much fun and keep craving for more until 10km seems possible for me. The joy of running...you'll never know until u started.

But as I said, God has better plan. 1 week before my 1st competitive 10km run, I found out that I am pregnant and been advised by the doctor not to run a 10km since the baby is quite fragile. I know that there's nothing wrong with running while pregnant but one sentence from the doctor lingers in my mind and make me think twice before proceed with it, "you have waited 5years (my 1st born will be 5 soon) for this baby, and trying hard 1 year plus for it, do you really want to risk it because of a run?" and yes I agree. I am not the kind that decided to get pregnant one day and get pregnant the next month! (irregular women's cycle problem. You don't need to know)

As much and I know (I googled a lot and ask several professional advise) that running doesn't affect pregnancy, but I decided not to run because I own my body. I took a step back and think what is it that that makes me wanna run so badly? The fun and medals (vain of course) and challenging myself to be better? And I have a lot more years to come for me to do that (with God's willing). With that, competitive running become "immaterial" compared the the gift that I am risking with.

But if you ask, yes! I will keep on walking 5km-10km (very slowly) until the day I give birth. (walking is good for pregnant mother, you know?) After that, BRING IT ON BEBEH!