Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Childbirth and Running...Like Peas in a Pod

I've been battling with some serious Mommy blues lately.  With our oldest going to school 3 mornings a week and pouring his own cereal I feel like he might as well be starting his first year of college...dramatic much? I am.

His 4th birthday is on the day of my half marathon.  Ironically it's 4 years to the day from the hardest thing I've done in my life.. i.e....shooting a 8 pound 2 ounce baby out of my hoo haa without an ounce of pain meds.  Oh yeah...I felt it all...and my sister and Dana saw it all...good times.  Now...4 years later I will be doing what I think will be the 2nd hardest thing in my life...running a half marathon. It's amazing how similar these two events are.

Natural Child Birth: Something I never thought I would EVER do...drug me up, knock me out, wake me up when it's over.

Reality: I married a chiropractor so my previous child birth plan was out the window.  AND I'm so glad it was.  I was up and out of the hospital 24 hours later. And we went on to have 2 more kids so it couldn't have been that bad right?
Leaving the hospital 24 hours after he was born

Half Marathon: Something I NEVER thought I would do EVER EVER EVER. Running? I'm a jiggle jogger thank you very much.

Reality: How quickly I've gone from jiggle jogging to running has amazed me.  I'm not tooting my own horn here (TOOOOOOOT TOOOOOOOOT FREAKING TOOOOOOOOOOT).

Natural Child Birth Preparation: Nothing. Zero. Zilch. Nada. I didn't take a class. I didn't get my mind ready. I just knew there was only one way out and I'd figure the rest out along the way. DUMB. There are quite a few things I wish I would have done differently.  One being to higher a dula (somebody that keeps you from envisioning horrible ways inflict the same amount of pain you are feeling on your husband).  I would also have drank A LOT more water.  I was so dehydrated by the time I started pushing I had to get an IV of fluid and it took that Natzi Needle Nurse 6 times to find a vein. I was not prepared physically or mentally. I was not ready.

Half Marathon Preparation: Running, spinning, running, spinning, chasing my crazies, sprints with Zack in the yard, and wearing high heals to coach volleyball...that shit works muscles I didn't even know I had.  I've followed a decent running schedule with 2-3 short runs a week and one long on the weekends with cross training on the off days. I've tried different clothing to figure out which one feels the best on my body, I've bought new shoes that feel like I'm running on clouds, I've iced my sore feet and muscles, I've gotten massages, my hubby has kept my body inline, I've figured out how to hydrate on long run days so I don't puke from to much water or pass out from not enough...I. AM. READY.



Post Natural Childbirth High: As soon as that squishy baby was placed on my chest I was in love. All the pain, the fear, the I can't attitude was gone.  He was here.  This beautiful little man that I had grown and protected for 9 months was here and we was ours.  8 pounds, 2 ounces and 22 inches of squishy baby perfection.  I was so in love. Now I wasn't jumping for joy to do it again but I did it.



Post Half Marathon High: I don't know what this will be like but I can already tell you that I am not the same person that started this blog.  I am tougher physically and mentally.  I am a better mom, better wife, better friend, better coach.  I have learned so much about myslef.  I've felt how great it feels to come out of my comfort zone and accomplish something I never thought I could.  Whether it was my first mile I ran under 12 minutes, the first time I finished 3 miles running, the first time I ran 5 miles pushing a stroller, the first time I ran 8 miles and felt like I could go farther...All these are things I thought would take me years to accomplish...It's been 6 months.  TOOOT TOOOOOT.

Just. Keep. Moving.

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