(re)Becoming a Runner

I ran through my first two trimesters of pregnancy, but by 27 weeks my ligaments were too loose to keep running safely. I took several months off of running for my third trimester.

My plan was to jump right back into the game 6 weeks postpartum.

But I had an emergency cesarean birth, leaving me feeling less than bouncy.

Within a few weeks, I was speed-walking and doing strength training to rebuild my decimated core muscles. I started running again as soon as I was cleared by my doc...

I even ran a 5k.

But then my baby started waking up every 90 minutes at night, and I fell off the wagon.

Now, slowly, I'm (re)becoming a runner.

I've joined a couple of running groups.
And in the past couple of weeks, I've even attended group runs!

I'm slower. My muscles are mushier. Between child-care, cooking, commute, and work, (and naptimes. and mealtimes. and EXHAUSTION) it takes all my creative scheduling energy to cobble together 45 consecutive minutes of running time. But I'm beginning to regain my stride (literally and figuratively).

Yesterday I did my longest (or close to longest), definitely hilliest, and undoubtedly FASTEST run in well over a year.

One step at a time...