At the 2010 Catnip 5k my husband and then-three-month-old Eliza. My “return” after she was born was slow, but I did it! Here’s hoping after baby #2 I come back stronger than ever.
Here’s the spoiler: Morning sickness wins.
I know some people who LOVE being pregnant. Who can exercise on pretty much the same schedule – even if a little lower on the intensity – right up until that little bundle of joy arrives. Heck, I even have one friend who WON a 10k the day before her son was born. Not first female, first outright. (She is an outstanding athlete, but still.)
I am not that person. Or anything like her. I am almost 4 months pregnant with my second child, and despite my best intentions, this pregnancy is going much like the first. That is to say … every time I try to go for a run, the nausea kicks in and then for the next day or so is amplified past “max.” I have tried slowing down, I have tried going for short runs – hey, when you have to pee after a mile, that’s not hard – and eventually I’ve given up. At least until the end of March.
So, here you have the founder of the Run Oregon blog, who hasn’t run a step in at least a month. (That last three-mile attempt, with a friend who is due on Tuesday next week, only got to the turnaround before I had to walk. That friend – now 40 weeks pregnant, can still roll out for three miles on a daily basis.) It’s hard writing about running when you can’t actually run.
I still do, however feel motivated. I want to get that feeling back … you know, that feeling at mile three that tells you it’s going to be a good day to go long. It’s hard when that motivation gets smashed to pieces the second you start moving, so I’m taking it one week at a time. Maybe next week is the week this nausea will finally subside (or my Zofran will kick in at a higher gear) … until then, I’d love it if any of our readers wrote in to runoregonblog@gmail.com with your inspirational stories.
It doesn’t have to be about pregnancy – it could be about bouncing back from illness, injury, or a deep, deep rut. It could be about how you’re balancing single parent-hood with training for a half marathon, or even just why you keep lacing up day after day. It doesn’t have to be long, or have some big life lesson – it just has to be the heart of what motivates you.
Reading your stories, perhaps, I’ll manage a full mile before I find a restroom and turn around for the walk home! So send them on in – with a photo if you have one – and we’ll share the motivation for anyone trying to get back out there.
And the next time you see a pregnant woman running or walking, feel free to shout, “Great job momma!” in her direction. She deserves it.
P.S. Why doesn’t anyone make maternity running clothes? I’m talking about real running clothes, not some cutesy tank top that may or may not be tech material and has some tiny footprints screen on the belly. Just something that covers my belly and doesn’t cost $72.
