For many expectant mums, pregnancy might be a time to take the weight off the feet — but Lauren Rooke is instead putting her running shoes on.
The Coromandel Valley physiotherapist is almost 26 weeks' pregnant and about to run 26 miles, or 42 kilometres.
Ms Rooke described the prospect of taking part in this Sunday's Adelaide Marathon with relish.
"I know that if I can finish the marathon, I can get through the birth," she said.
She said she thought the marathon would help her.
"They do say that pregnancy is like an ultramarathon, so it seems quite symbolic in that way," she said.
"Normally I do ultra-runs — they can be six hours, my races, so for me this is a bit of a step back."
Ms Rooke, 32, and husband Kieran are seasoned runners who place a high value on their health and fitness.
But around the time of the birth of their first child, a sewerage leak at their property threatened the wellbeing of Ms Rooke and her newborn daughter.
"We spent the first night with Isla at my parents' house [with her] sleeping in a laundry basket because we couldn't use any of the furniture at our house in case it was contaminated," Ms Rooke said.
"I had very severe septicaemia and we had a week in hospital."
On top of that, Ms Rooke suffered a spinal nerve injury during labour and feared she might not be able to run again.
"After having Isla and having a bit of a difficult birth the first time the midwives really remarked on her resilience, based on the fact that I was fit and healthy and active," she said.
"I had to do rehab, so getting back to running after having Isla, when I was able to, was just the most brilliant feeling."
The experience inspired Ms Rooke's commitment to the Adelaide Marathon to raise money for aid agency Bright Futures.
Funds, she said, would go towards midwifery services in northern Uganda.
"Something like septicaemia or unclean water are things that lots of women face in other countries, especially in places like Uganda," she said.
"Whether it's a mum or who ends up with an emergency caesarean or a baby that's breech … there are so many different issues.
"A marathon for some crazy reason seemed like the perfect way to raise money."
'Really special thing'
Marathon running in the second trimester is not unprecedented, but Ms Rooke is not blasé about the challenge ahead of her.
She said she had trained for it and recommended anyone contemplating such an endeavour to seek medical advice first.
"In pregnancy, it's just about going by how your body feels and not trying to set any records and time goals," she said.
"I have a sports physician who has been really great with all the guidelines and has really encouraged me."
Adelaide obstetrician Amy Hercus said remaining active during pregnancy was important, and suggested "around 30 minutes of moderate exercise most days" as a general rule of thumb.
"If you didn't do much exercise before the pregnancy, now's not the time to start anything particularly heavy," Dr Hercus said.
"Pregnancy isn't a good time to run your first marathon."
But a key message, she said, was that any such exertion should be tailored with a person's pre-pregnancy exercise levels in mind.
"If you had previously been running marathons or winning the Australian Open while you were pregnant, you're probably safe to continue doing that — provided that you've had the rest of your pregnancy checked, and that you're still well and fit at that point in time," she said.
"There isn't really any good evidence to say that there is any harm or anything that is wrong with doing that higher-level exercise."
She also recommended seeking advice from an expert such as a sports physician.
Ms Rooke said Sunday's event was likely to be a "hard slog" but she was also determined to enjoy herself.
"The last couple of kilometres I'm going to take [along] my little 22-month-old," she said.
"Throughout this whole pregnancy I've done a lot of long runs with her in the pram. It's a really special thing for our family."
