Prepping for Postpartum Running

So I am getting very anxious to start running after Baby Smith arrives. I have high hopes for what I am going to accomplish. I have been planning to start marathon training after he arrives as soon as my midwife gives me the green light. I even used one of my race shoes as my focal object during our childbirth class. The instructor did have to ask why I brought a shoe to focus on, and it made me excited just to talk about running out loud!

However, after talking to my cousin (a seasoned marathoner and mother) and doing a little research, I have learned that running is not going to be quite the carefree activity it used to be. Instead it is going to be a whole new experience! One of the major changes being a shift in my outlook on running from "I want to run" to "I need to run." Every new mom's (according to what I have read) experience is going to be different, and it even differs from baby to baby, but there are certain aspects of being a new mom that every runner has to work around.

In trying to conduct some online research about postpartum running, I have found that there is very little out there. I do commend all the mommy bloggers out there who write about their experience getting back in the running game after giving birth. There are actually two women professional runners- Paula Radcliffe and Kara Goucher- who were both pregnant this year and wrote about their experiences (Shout out to my cousin Laura for sending me these articles!!). Hopefully they will continue to discuss their experience and tell me how they are getting back in the game. If it weren't for this small group of blogging mommy runners, there would be hardly anything out there for me.

Here are some of the challenges that new moms returning to running will most likely encounter:

Challenge #1: Sleep (or should I say lack there of!)

Sleep deprivation- I cannot fully comprehend it now, although I think have been given a small dose of what it will be like since I have been struggling with sleep for months and seem to have developed new sleeping patterns. However, it probably won't hold a candle to sleeping with a new baby. A lot of the running moms out there that I have read about site lack of sleep as one of the big challenges to getting back into the running game. It is hard to find the motivation to go run ten miles when you have had three hours of sleep.

Challenge #2: Nursing

This seems to be the BIGGEST challenge. If you are a breastfeeding momma, which I plan to be, there are a lot of other things you need to work around. First, I'm going to have to figure out when to feed the little guy. Everything I've read says to feed the baby as close to your run as possible that way he is happy and you can at least begin your run on empty. If the baby is not hungry, then pump. But as moms out there know and I will learn, babies don't always work on your schedule so this is where flexibility comes in. I am going to have to be okay with readjusting my schedule from time to time. Some of the blogs I have read say that it seems like the best time to get runs in is either EARLY in the morning (5 AM) or LATE at night (10 PM). Side Note: If I had a larger house, I would invest in a treadmill. I think it would be worth its weight in gold!

Another challenge with breast feeding that some running moms have encountered is having their milk dry up. It seems like if you are running too much (or maybe it is pushing your body too much), your body does not have the extra materials necessary to produce milk. Also some times the lactic acid that your body produces while running can cause your milk to taste funny and the baby may turn his nose up at it.

The other challenge that I read about that relates to breastfeeding and running is that you must find a SUPER-HUMAN, BULLETPROOF sports bra. As someone who was never really well endowed (just average), this will be something new to me. I have had some recommendations for Title Nice Sports Bras, so I'll have to give those a try.

Challenge #3: Bladder

I have not had too much experience with this while being pregnant probably because my workouts have been 45 minutes or less and I have been doing lower impact exercise (walking and the elliptical). A lot of moms have cited that your bladder, similar to the rest of your body does not magically go back to normal after the baby is born (Shocker, I know!), so plan to have your runs interrupted by bathroom breaks.

I am sure that there are more challenges out there but these seem to be the most common.

I will admit that reading about these things and others' experiences does have me a little discouraged. I don't want these challenges to stop me from trying to get back in the running game or even offer me an easy excuse when things get rough (because unless I just get plain lucky, running is definitely going to be hard work!). I just hope learning about them before Baby Smith is born will help me prepare to better face them and have back-up plans for when something isn't working.

I know not many of my readers are mommy runners, but maybe this entry will come up on some pregnant or new mom's Google search and will help them as other articles and blogs have helped me prepare for postpartum running. It seems the big key to being successful as a new mom getting back into the running game or any other type of physical activity is listening to your body.