“I can still do the marathon, right?”

That was my first thought when I saw those two lines appear. At the time, I was deep into training for the London Marathon with the New Balance team, logging up to 30km runs and finally feeling ready, especially after my first marathon in New York completely derailed (hello, anaphylaxis the night before!). I’d managed to avoid nuts this time, but pregnancy? That was a curveball I didn’t see coming.

Before falling pregnant, I genuinely believed I’d be one of those people who ran right through pregnancy. Running has always been a huge part of my life, and with the marathon due at eight weeks, I really thought I could pull it off.

The fatigue was next level.

People talk about first trimester fatigue, but I don’t think I grasped how deep it ran until I was in it. I was so exhausted. It felt like I had already run a marathon, except I hadn’t done much at all.

Still, I gave it my best shot. My loose plan was to keep up three runs a week. Not long after finding out I was pregnant, I tried a gentle 5km, taking it slow, just to see how it felt. But honestly? It was incredibly tough. I couldn’t believe the change, from knocking out 30km to struggling with five. That’s when it really hit me: things were shifting, and fast.

That run was a turning point. The gap between where I was and being ‘marathon fit’ had never felt bigger. After what happened in New York, I wasn’t willing to take on another marathon unless I was truly ready, and more importantly, I wouldn’t put my body or my baby at risk. So, I made the tough decision to step back from the marathon. It was hard. I felt like I was letting everyone down: New Balance, the Kic community, and especially myself. But deep down, I knew it was the right thing.

The emotional rollercoaster.

Up until about ten weeks, my mood was really low. Like… depressed. I honestly thought it was just part of early pregnancy. I even asked a girlfriend, who’d just had her first baby, half-expecting her to say she felt the same. But she didn’t, and that made me wonder if it wasn’t actually “normal.”

There’s so much happening with your body, hormonally and physically, during pregnancy. I expected nausea in the mornings, but it often hit at night too. (Why is it called morning sickness?) And, maybe TMI, but the thing that surprised me most was how sore my boobs were! I couldn’t run without super supportive sports bras or the run was just not enjoyable.

Letting go of the plan.

Thankfully, that depression fog lifted as I got closer to my second trimester, and my motivation started to return. But in those early weeks, my drive to exercise (or do anything, really) was almost gone.

My biggest lesson from the first trimester was letting go of what I expected exercise during pregnancy to look like. I had to let go of pressure and ditch the plans. My usual exercise routine? Out the window. I think I managed four runs total, and dropped down to 3km. I mixed in yoga and walking when I could, but mostly, I just listened to my body and accepted rest.

I thought I’d keep active through pregnancy, just tweak my routine. But what I actually needed was rest. Slowing down, and telling myself that sometimes, doing nothing really is okay.

It’s completely normal.

Talking with our Kic Physio & Women’s Health Educator, Ash, made a world of difference. She reassured me: it’s totally normal for your movement routine to shift or stall during the first trimester. Some people keep up with their workouts; others, like me, feel completely wiped out. Both are normal. If you’ve got clearance to exercise from your Doctor, moving your body during that first trimester can be really supportive. But rest is just as important.

If you’re finding movement really tough in your first trimester (or it’s not even on the table), I was right there with you. There’s no ideal or “right” way to move through this time. Some days I moved, some days I didn’t, and that is SO okay. Our bodies are doing something amazing, even when it feels like nothing. Listen in, trust your instincts, and give your body what it needs. It knows what it’s doing.

Laura xox