See Mommy Run

Those are not my children, but they are in the double jogging stoller I have, the Bob Revolution Duallie, and it is a cute picture.

I had been running about ten years when I got pregnant with Elijah. I went ahead and kept running throughout both my pregnancies. I am thankful that I did not have any complications or health problems that would prevent me from going about my normal exercise routines. With both babies I was able to run 5k races at five months, and won my age group both times (OK, I admit both times it was a really small race, but still...). My doctors knew I was running and were perfectly fine with it. In my second pregnancy I was still nursing Elijah, so between nursing, growing a baby, and running, my body was doing alot. I did more spin classes than running in the second and third trimeters that time. Now I am nursing two little ones and training for a half marathon. Since Beatrice started sleeping through the night, I am able to do more. I was dissapointed at first when I couldnt jump right into training again after she was born. I had to be patient with my body and cut back my running days to only three per week. I think the lack of sleep was keeping my muscles from recovering as effeciently.

The most helpful thing about running when pregnant and with babies has been learning to listen to my body. I dont push it too hard. I have found that when my body is too stressed it is impossible to increase my fittness level. I have found that there are times when I get better results from taking time off. At the same time, exercise helped me alot when I was sleep deprived. It actually energized me and made it easier to get through those days. In some ways having two little ones has been easier than having one because they keep me moving around more, and it is often when you sit still that fatigue is really hard to bear. It keeps me in touch with my body, trying to tell how much exercise helps me without going overboard and doing it until it wears me down.

Moderation takes more focus than going to an extreme.

It also sounds ironic, but having less time to exercise makes me more motiviated. I do most of my running at the YMCA, while the little ones are in the nursery. Whenever I have an opportunity when someone can watch the children while I go for a run, it is really a treat and I just take off.

Someone said to me today, "wow you have a six month old baby and you are doing a half marathon, thats great!" I said, "Oh, that does sound good, doesn't it? I forget to look at it that way!" Basically, with babies, just getting out there makes you a winner! Thats nice, isnt it?