Running

Eight weeks after giving birth to my son I finally got the approval from my doctor to begin working out again. I had done prenatal yoga and went for daily walks during my pregnancy but I missed working hard and really sweating. M and I joined a gym the next day and I started going 6 days a week for an hour. It was fun people watching but after a month I realized I hated the gym. I was anxious to get my pre-pregnancy body back but not that way. I had never been a gym person. When I was younger I participated in a lot of outdoor activities like ropes course, hiking, soccer, biking, and going for walks. I continued this for my first year of college until I met M who is an indoor person. I’m not an indoor person at all, in fact I hate being cooped up inside.

I decided enough was enough and on one extremely cold February morning with snow and even a little ice on the ground I found it in me to bundle up in layers lace up my running shoes and hit the pavement. I never felt so liberated in my life. It was like the world was lifted off my shoulders, I had time to myself to think and be with my own thoughts. No arguing with M, no crying baby just peace of mind. Now granted I couldn’t run very fast at the time and had to take some walking breaks but I kept going for 30 mins. I finally found an activity that I could enjoy that was just my own and on top of that I could ultimately lose some of the weight I put on. I continued doing this for the rest of the week and even downloaded the Couch to 5k program for my iphone so I could have an actual plan of action and possibly improve how far and long I could run.

Around the end of February I had been doing this for 4 weeks. I was starting to feel pain and discomfort in my calves and feet. I knew for a fact it was my sneakers (they were Nike running shoes but I bought them more for style not performance). I started telling my mom and she told me about this running store that her doctor had recommended she go to and get fitted for proper sneakers. She emailed me one of their newsletters and I saw they had a program for beginning runners that was like Couch to 5k but you have coaches and other group members to lean on for support. Immediately I knew I wanted to join. I thought to myself if I don't join I would eventually give up.

Ten weeks ago I went to Fleet Feet Sports Hartford I was fitted for that new pair of running shoes (why do they call them shoes and not sneakers lol?) and signed up for their No Boundaries Training Program. I can now say that I’ve come a long way from that cold morning when I first laced up my shoes. I can now run a whole 4 miles without stopping and will be completing my first 5k race this Saturday. I’m super excited to be racing and to have not given up on myself. I love what running has done for my sanity and how it has made me love my body and appreciate all I can do which I find extremely important as a mother. So on Saturday I won’t be worried about my time or what place I come in I will just be amazed that I accomplished this goal in my life.