10 Things Only Third Trimester Runners Understand

Pregnancy can be both one of the most satisfying and most difficult periods of your running career. On the one hand, continuing to work out can help relieve aches and pains and keep you sane and healthy. On the other hand, sometimes there’s just absolutely nothing fun about it. And once you hit that last trimester, all bets are off.

From your expanding waistline to your shrinking bladder, these are the problems only third trimester runners understand.

1. When you get ready for a run and forget your shoes upstairs and get so winded going up to get them you contemplate calling that your workout.
2. You’ll discover your body is capable of feeling cramps in places you didn’t know existed.
3. It’ll be hard to decide what’s making you huff and puff more—your pregnancy congestion, declining fitness level, or the fact that your lungs are being pushed out of your chest by your growing baby. Either way, you cannot breathe.
4. You thought your post-run hunger used to be bad? Yeah, no. This is exponentially worse. Do not go grocery shopping after a pregnant workout under any circumstances.
5. The sweat. Dear God, the sweat. Running + pregnancy hormones = sweat city, population, you.
6. You will stop caring if your shirt rides up but refuse to leave the house without two sports bras. Comfort trumps everything.
7. Support belts while running are the worst. You’ll spend a lot of time trying to make running while holding your belly with your hands look natural.
8. You will become intimately familiar with every public restroom along your route (as well as the employees of any coffee shop with a bathroom. And a couple well-hidden bushes).
9. Your stride will change from your normal, strong pace to a weird, lopsided jog. Thanks, sciatica.
10. You’re very likely to cry when you get tired or can’t run as far as you planned. Also when you see a cute dog.