I’ve been a runner for as long as I can remember. From the ripe age of 7 or so, daily, my dad would get home from work and off we’d go for our 4km trot around the block, which often ended in a swim in the sea. From running for KZN and even grabbing a 2nd place in SA’s nipper champs, I’ve loved my running right from the get go!
And never, since then, had I lost my fitness until my babies started growing in my tum. I say ‘babies’ because I was only preggy-free for 9 months before I was pregnant again, so I feel in many ways that I’ve been pregnant or mommying a tiny tot for the past 2 and a half years.
I ran a sub 90minute in the 2 Oceans half marathon in 2015 and then fell pregnant with Sarah the following month, and on hearing I was pregnant, I chose to stop running immediately. Your story may be different, and that’s awesome, but for me whilst I loved staying fit during my pregnancies, running was a no-go.
After Sarah’s birth and my 6 week postpartum check-up, I attempted my first run, in what was then 8 months with no running (AT ALL). I remember struggling but I’ve clearly squashed those memories, as on returning to running this time around (8 weeks after Noah’s birth), I got the fright of my life.
My 2 greatest learnings from hitting the road again
- Supportive sports bra’s have a whole new meaning
I’ve always been pretty flat chested, and I’ve loved it; sports bras were more for shaping your boobs then for support; but now as a breastfeeding runner, WOW big boobs make running HARD! Never again will I judge a woman with big boobs, for choosing not to do high intensity cardio. Good gracious, can these unruly body parts get in the way of a good workout.
- Gracious it’s hard to get into running when you’re un-running-fit
I’m a firm believer that we all need to find what makes us come alive…and then do those things. And so when people tell me that they are desperately trying to ‘love running’ but are struggling to get into it. I always say “STOP”. Find something that you do actually enjoy. Well, at least I did say that…until last week, when I found my un-running-fit self, huffing and puffing, with bouncing boobs, desperate to just make it to that ‘next pole’. I can’t say I hated it, because God-knows (literally) how much I LOVE pounding the pavement, but sjo it was genuinely HARD!
So, YES I am currently eating humble pie AND hats off to all of you who have worked through those first few terribly uncomfortable runs, determined to get fit..or to the girls who place their trust in supportive bras, in an attempt to keep your twins under control.
PS: And here’s to my running come-back. Short and slow runs for now, as I breastfeed Noah for at least another 3 months, but after that, I can’t wait to get back into racing again!