As this second pregnancy draws to a close, I thought a bit more reflection was in order. After all when will I again have a little time to write? I will be lucky to eat a meal and shower. Yet somehow with all the chaos babies and toddlers bring, the end of this pregnancy has me excited for the return of some very necessary rituals and habits. Of course indulging again in fresh sushi, good wine, a strong margarita and cold cuts without concern are top of the list for me but those are just things, mere menu items. The real excaliber is returning to a long run through the trails, short sprints or strides on the track or in my backyard and the notion that if I want to race or train for anything I can.
Funny how once something is taken away from you, something that you likely took for granted, didn't appreciate and really don't always embrace--that is the very moment you miss it the most. I am a life long runner, I have had a few decent races in my day but nothing special, nothing spectacular. Injuries certainly plagued me at various times during peak training periods like they do many an athlete. I made a decent attempt to run in college, have completed a few marathons and even qualified for Boston once. However, the runners I watch during Olympic trials and again on the Olympic stage have surpassed me on so many levels with their dedication and desire. I include this preface to establish that I am no expert, no certified trainer or nutritionist--just a girl who found a love for running long ago for many a reason.
Throughout this pregnancy and the preceding I ran as long as I felt comfortable. Carrying Max that was until about 38 1/2 weeks and with this second little guy it was probably about 36 1/2 weeks. Neither time was I trying to prove something to anyone, not even myself and I wasn't determined to make it so many weeks or months necessarily. I simply wanted to stay as active as I could for as long as I could. Along with running, some yoga, walking and swimming accompanied my pregnancy regime. And of course this second time around I had a toddler to keep up with at all hours--probably the most rigorous challenge of all. So many neighbors and friends both new and old, along with the occasional stranger have seemed intrigued by my activity level, so I felt prompted to journal a bit of my experience here.
The most important thing I can share with others (regardless of your phase in life or age) is to create a lifestyle and exercise routine that will help you maintain your weight and more importantly give you various outlets for lowering stress, working your heart and truly making the body, mind and spirit connection. Pregnancy is just one phase or experience in life that provides you with the power to take a look outside yourself and ask if you are doing the best you can. Just as you prepare for surgery by following the pre-op instructions, you can prepare for pregnancy by organizing, saving up money for an addition to the family and by readying your body. We have all likely heard the mantra that you can do whatever you have been doing throughout pregnancy but don't introduce anything new to your exercise routine. For many women starting a family or hoping to alter that wedding gown size are great motivators to get active. I do not condone these short-term factors, rather I always encourage anyone who asks me about exercise to start today and never stop--regardless of what you have going on, what is coming up next or what you think is going to happen to you.
Life doesn't work the way we plan. Too many unexpected roadblocks, tragedies and unthinkable acts happen to so many of us and there is nothing we can do to prevent it. I think becoming a parent really helped me to understand how very little we control. But that doesn't mean we should give up, it doesn't mean we should say what the hell and eat the entire box of chocolates. And it doesn't mean we should exercise only when its convenient or when a big event is coming up.
I don't have great words of wisdom or even a real rationale for how I keep myself motivated. For whatever it's worth, I can share that I found something I love and decided to never let it go for as long as my body lets me. And with this love came a commitment, an addiction really. Running gives me so much freedom in this life. It provides me an outlet to think of everything and nothing all at once; it often is the only chance I get to be outside or alone in a day; and it is the catalyst for other activities like hiking, yoga and swimming to come a little easier to me at various times when I need to rely on something less rough on the old joints.
My last few weeks of pregnancy and post-pregnancy hiatus from running will certainly set me back and I will be fighting the pain to get back those miles I lost. Yet I know my outlook on excercise and activity have kept me in the game longer and will help be bounce back faster. I haven't raced or trained for anything serious since I had Max, but I still keep the same equation from a beloved high school coach in my mind as if I am training for something. He always told his runners, it takes us months and weeks to prepare for the season, to peak at the right time but mere days (3 typically) to lose it all. Your ultimate fitness won't come in a week, it won't happen over night--it will take time and once you get there don't look back. Besides the end of pregnancy and the recovery to follow I never let even 2 days go by without doing some level of cardiovascular activity, usually a run for me, but for so many a bike ride, long swim or challenging class accomplishes this.
Maybe this was all self-indulgent, maybe no one reading this will even get the point. I do hope someone out there is inspired, perhaps to stay fit, get fit or just give something a try. My life would have such a void without running. I am thankful to have the limbs, the stamina and the self-motivation to have stuck with it all these years. Yes I am very anxious to meet this baby boy and I bet he gets to go for a run pretty early in his life, just like brother Max. Enjoy the ride boys, I know I have.
