Back in the Saddle: What Did I Miss?
Written by Christina // June 23, 2011 // Running With Two // 1 Comment // 758 views
Running With Two is a series on LV Running Scene written specifically for women who balance running and motherhood. Christina began writing for LV Running Scene while she was pregnant with her second child, covering topics such as active wear, racing while pregnant and cross training and stretching. Now, with a toddler and a new baby, she tackles the challenge of finding a place for her running while raising two beautiful daughters.
On June 2nd I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl weighing in at 6 lbs. 8 ounces via scheduled C-section. I did my best to maintain an active pregnancy for the past nine-plus months which I contribute to my already, quick recovery. During those months I dialed down my training and desire to race for the newest PR. As this time passed I watched my buddies step up their training and smash their personal bests. Friends I couldn’t imagine lacing up a good pair of running shoes were signing up for 5K’s left and right. I joined some of them in these races – they maintained great pace in the middle of the pack while I pulled up the rear. We all finished with smiles on our faces which, I guess (hard swallow), made us all winners.
As expected, the desire to run outweighed the joy of having another little girl. I upgraded my software to Mommy 2.0 and was quickly reacquainted with caring for a newborn. The family has settled into somewhat of a routine and it’s back to business as usual. Now, the need to run has been moved up in my ‘To Do’ list. I’m nervous. I spent months hanging back as those around me killed their best. They formed training teams, without me; they reached unimaginable milestones, without me; smiles beamed across their faces in post-race photos, without me. I’m going to have to put in some serious training in order to get my butt back in gear. I needed to take a breath and a nap – I was already exhausted.
Ironically, I was closing in on the end of Kristin Armstrong’s latest book Mile Markers. She reflects upon spending part of a summer in California, while her training group starts marathon training in Texas, without her. Just like me, she’s fearful of the progress that her group is making. And, just like me, she spends a few sentences obsessing about the situation until realizing that she needs to come to terms with it. No one was left behind; we, as individuals, decided on different paths for that time. Those paths will cross again. As Kristin sums it up, “They are just doing their thing, and I need to do mine.”¹ I didn’t really miss anything; I gained experience. This is just another milestone for me. I’m ready for the next chapter.
¹ Armstrong, Kristin. Mile Markers: The 26.2 Most Important Reasons Why Women Run. Rodale, Inc.: Rodale Books, 2011
Christina “Muffin” Roberts, wife and mother, ran through her second pregnancy. Disappointed with the lack of information on pregnancy and running available today, she wanted to write about her experiences in hopes of sharing what she’s learned and to encourage fellow pregnant runners to keep on running. She continues to write post-baby about the challenges of balancing running with motherhood. Christina blogs at http://muffinmadness35.blogspot.com/.
One Comment on "Back in the Saddle: What Did I Miss?"
Congrats on the birth of your baby girl! Your outlook on viewing this as another milestone is great, and so healthy- I wish you all the best in your future running (and motherhood!) endeavors!