After Phinn was born, it was pretty easy to fall back into running. I tried starting back around six weeks postpartum. Although I was mentally ready to run again, my body just wasn't. I tried again a few weeks later and my body was ready to go.
Once my body was on board, I was able to make time to hit the gym in the early morning or evenings, and Hubs would give Phinn a bottle. I could also do a long run on Saturdays. As Phinn got older and the weather warmer, I would strap him into the BOB, and off we would go together. I was a happy runner and a happy mama.
After Hudson was born, I started to ease back into running around seven or eight weeks postpartum, and everything was going beautifully. I still had pretty good endurance. My speed was picking up. Hudson was taking a bottle, and I was sneaking in early morning runs. I also had been hitting the treadmill during nap times.
But then, running started to become really uncomfortable about a month after resuming. Not to go into too much detail, but after running, I would have debilitating discomfort. It was as if I had a bladder infection, but I knew that was not the case. I saw my OB/GYN and she confirmed that it was not an infection and couldn't pinpoint any source for my problem, but I was still in pain after running.
Luckily, my mom is a nurse and she spoke to a urologist friend to see if he had any recommendations for me. He advised cutting out alcohol, caffeine, and spicy food, making sure I eat a clean diet, and remembering to do kegels to strengthen muscles that had been weakened by in utero baby punches and kicks.
Cutting out the spicy food I could handle. It was summer though, and who doesn't love to eat Mexican food, but I felt like I could forgo it. Giving up my coffee and wine was much more difficult, but at least it was only temporary. Once I gave my body some more time to heal, I would be able to resume enjoying my vices.
A few weeks into my new regimen, I was able to increase my distance without discomfort. I successfully trained for the Charlottesville Women's 4 Miler (a great race to run if you're local or semi-local) in August. I was able to set a new PR of 32:22. Not too shabby for someone who had a baby four months prior and had a few training set backs!
Next up was the Richmond Half Marathon in November. I had my training plan, and was ready to go. The first few weeks went well - I was meeting my mileage and still feeling strong.
As the weeks went by, and my runs were increasing in distance, I was finding it more difficult to make them happen. Hudson had started refusing bottles, so early morning runs were out. The boys were only content in the double BOB for about 3-4 miles (okay, Phinn's complaining usually started around 2 miles in, but I was usually able to distract / bribe him with animal crackers in order to make it to 4!). The only run I could reliably count on was my long Saturday run. Thank you Hubs for helping me make that happen!
Two days before the Richmond Half, I woke up with another bout of the "toddler virus" that cycles through the house every few months. My head was stuffy, my body ached, and my ears felt like they were going to explode from all the pressure. I made the call the morning of the race not to run. I was disappointed, but I knew running this race would set back my recovery from toddleritis, and I couldn't do it. Being sick as a mom makes your job exponentially more difficult.
As I reflected on my training experience, I decided to take a break from long races. It is just not feasible for me to train properly at this point in my life. It causes me to feel unnecessary stress, and it was really robbing my favorite hobby of a lot of its joy.
So, what am I up to these days?
I try to enjoy 2-3 runs during the week. They're short 2-3 mile runs, and I can easily squeeze them in during nap time or while the boys play.
On the weekends, I am still getting in my long runs - they just aren't as long as before - usually about 5-7 miles. I find these are necessary, though. It gives me an hour or so of freedom to stretch my legs and mind. It gives me an hour of silence where I can think about nothing (or everything). Even though the last few weekends have been pretty darn cold, I find myself bundling up and looking forward to feeling the cold air on my face and the invigoration I feel when I am finished.
As for my race schedule, I currently only have two races on it. The first is the Four Courts Four Miler, which is a bit of a family tradition and the second is the Monument Ave 10K. I have been thinking of doing other races, but I'm going to take it as it comes and just enjoy my hobby and the invaluable mental and physical benefits it provides me.
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