Skodsborg 30km race - aka the land down under

Since the race was run in honour of the Day of The Danish Constitution, it doesn't really make sense that I bring up Australia yet again, but just keep reading.

So, Skodsborg is, of course a half marathon or a marathon. One can choose. I just decided to make my very own race yesterday; 30k sound like a nice race distance to anyone else? Well, it was more or less my stomach that chose the distance, if you were wondering.

So, Skodsborg is simply a marathon among friends in the woods and that's why we keep going back. We can show up 5 minutes before the start and get a good picture taken, fumbling to get things ready.

(Thanks to Karen for all of the following wonderful pictures!!)



In honour of the Danish constitution, I wore my Thai tank top. I think that is what Jerk had in mind when he said we should wear red or white. (I'm not actually sure it's Thai... anyone?)

The odds were stacked against me. Every time I have run since The Copenhagen Marathon, I've gotten sick to my stomach, not that it hurts, but it's more like I have some mild gastroenteritis that even daily iron tablets won't reverse, if you know what I mean.

Here is a quick race summary:

It was a warm day made cooler in the shade of the woods.
SR was going for the course record, which was 3:10. On a warm day and on a tough course, I knew the odds were also stacked against him. Here he is among the early leaders.



My race, not surprisingly, started out pretty "crappy". Let me just say I can totally respect why women don't run at all at this point of pregnancy. Every 5 minutes I was behind another tree. My stomach was a wreck. This lasted about 10 km! Most people would stop, I know. But it was getting better all along. After 10k I started running with two really sweet girls who were running their first half marathon. They had gotten lost on the first loop (just like I had the last race). We had a fun time and I navigated them through the confusing turns.

So 10-20km was lots of fun.

Here Karen told me to pull up my shirt for the picture - how silly.

But problems started again - if it wasn't a side stitch, it was a Braxton Hicks contraction, or both at once. What an awesome surprise when SR came to meet me. He had started out well, but by the half, he realized he was not on pace for the course record, so let it go. He was pleased with his first place in 3:16 until we were informed by Jesper H. that Jesper Noer had actually won and had run it in 2:55! SR had thought he was running a half and I had thought he came late and was trying to catch up. Anyway, awesome race, Jesper! We made it to the aid station with Jesper and Helle (pictured here)
to round 30km for me in 4 hours and 3 minutes--- and I was more than done. But SR and I thoroughly enjoyed another Skodsborg Marathon! So great to see so many friends again.

Here's Birgitte Nielsen, my dear friend, looking beautiful and well on her way to winning for the women in 3:59.



And here Jørgen celebrates running his 100th marathon

- by receiving a Houston Oilers helmet ????? (again fitting for the Day of the Danish Constitution!)

---doctor's appointment---

So, lots to write about today. I saw the nurse practitioner today, who is very nice, but was very adamant that I stop running now. Not for any particular reason that I could get out of her other than she thought the pelvis muscles couldn't take it. I told her my pelvic muscles were stronger for it and she started to hone in on the fact that I wasn't completely normal. We discussed that there really no evidence saying I shouldn't run at this point in pregnancy, but I told her I was cutting back without intending to due to stomach issues.

She did an abdominal exam and said the head was down and that he probably wouldn't move out of that position, so I learned something very good! Then she measured me and I was only 1cm more in fundal height than at 29 weeks, thus WAY under the chart for normal growth at over 32 weeks. I was kind of like - you're not worried about that? "Well, it's just cause you run so much". I actually begged to differ because I think lots of women who run measure normally. But since I measured small last time (though we don't have the records), she said it was probably just me. But this time I had measured at 50th percentile just 8 weeks ago. I told SR and he was like "are you worried?" and I was like "I don't know. Are you?". Okay, so we both are a little worried and that was my last doctor's visit before the birth. Though there is another with the midwife in a few weeks.

I hate how my growth trajectory resembles that of women who have had Malaria in the beginning of pregnancy. Of course it is hard to make sense of it, but does it just naturally go along with running and exercise that one measures small at the end of pregnancy? And should I be worried I haven't gained any weight since week 29?

Of course, everything is probably normal - but I'm also crossing my fingers it's not a fluid problem or growth restriction or any other thing that women who read this blog might feel like mentioning just to make me not fall asleep at night...

But seriously, should we "demand a scan" as SR has suggested??