I hope your weekend was a fabulous one. We had a busy one but it was really great so here’s a little recap.
I talked more about our run yesterday but it was just the confidence building run that I needed after missing a big workout and having some not-so-great ones over the last month. Emilee and I hit a new PR of 37:25 for our 10k (on hills galore and we lucked out by never having to stop for any stoplights) and I felt really in control of the pace. I kind of wonder what we could do in a flat 10k race now:). It’s going to be sad when St. George is over so I’ll need your help with the post-race blues! I’ve loved working with this team. Splits for the 6.2—> 6:12, 6:05, 6:03, 6:16, 5:51, 5:56 and a sprint for the last .2.
Knox’s bday is on Friday but he won’t be with us so we decided to celebrate all day yesterday instead. Andrew didn’t have work so we started off the day with a special breakfast and presents. I love their friendship!
We watched their soccer games and Knox scored an awesome goal which seemed perfect for his day.
Then we spent the day at the arcade with one of Knox’s best friends followed by ordering his favorite pizza (if you live in Utah, Two Jacks is the best!) and having a movie night at home together.
We had a normal Sunday morning of pancakes and relaxing together.
Followed by church. These two were in the Primary program for our main meeting meaning they sung songs and talked about how they can be good friends to people in front of everyone!
After church we had our families over for a bday party for Knox!
Knox’s request for his bday party meal—> Pizza of course;).
My niece is catching up to me in height…how is this happening?!
My niece is rocking her running… in just a few weeks she has improved her mile time!
Skye sneaks in every cuddle possible with my mom.
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I thought we would talk about an email that I got from a reader the other day and I would LOVE if you could help her out too:
“I was wondering if you could do a post on comparison trap while pregnant? I know you’re not currently expecting, but I am for the first time and surprised by how much my slowing down has gotten to me! Of course, I am excited to have a baby, but I am having such a hard time watching my fitness slow down and watching everyone around me speed up. I can barely keep up at my group runs (and I wouldn’t ask someone to sacrifice their training and goals for me) and I’m watching others nail PRs! I am trying to be grateful that I can still run, but I am struggling.”
I definitely think this is something that many people have experienced. I definitely had times when it was hard to see my fitness drop or to see how far behind I was from a lot of my running friends! I think that this can also happen to us during times of injury, illness or stressful life seasons too. It’s hard to see something that we’ve worked so hard for (our running fitness!!) start to fade!
Here are some of my tips for situations like this!
*Ditch the watch. I think I remember hearing something about how Kara Goucher didn’t even wear her watch during parts of her pregnancy (I could be way off but I think I heard this in a podcast). Slowing down is an inevitable part of pregnancy and if seeing those miles get slower causes you sadness, take away the thing making you sad (your GPS) and keep doing the thing that makes you happy (running)!
*Find other ways to measure your success. It’s hard as runners because for most of our running days we focus our success as an athlete on new personal speed records and personal distance records. During pregnancy/injury/illness/etc those new PRs are just not going to happen for a while. Find success in things like setting a goal to have a positive mindset about yourself for the entire 5 miles. You could find success in working on your form during a run. Find success in trying new places to run or find success in volunteering at races to help others achieve their goals! Find success in wearing an AWESOME costume for a themed 5k (I did that when I was pregnant with Skye and I loved that). Find success in talking to your new little one (I talked to Brooke/Skye a lot during my pregnant running miles with them) and planning your future together. If we can shift our minds from defining our success based on paces/splits to other successes, we will enjoy it all a lot more.
*If running with others is not great for you right now… then definitely stop! I’m sure they will be there for you when you are ready to run together again but if the comparison game is sucking the fun out of you then take a step back. Your friends will want the best for you and if that means you need a few months of solo running, take it!
*I really and truly believe that I came back after having both girls much stronger/faster than I was before. I’m not sure scientifically why that is BUT I do think that taking about a year off (between pregnancy and recovery) from speed/training plans helped me to get faster afterwards. So while running slower doesn’t seem like it would make us faster, I think it can in the long run. I think our bodies need breaks (and long extended ones sometimes too) so if you get frustrated by going slower during pregnancy, remind yourself that it is SO good for your body to take a break and you’ll come back faster. Having that time off during pregnancy made me crave/love speed more than ever and my body felt more refreshed and excited to do it again afterwards!
*Take the power! I really think that in life we don’t have control of the first thoughts that pop into our heads. They just zoom in based on past experiences or our situations or our personalities etc. BUT I really do believe that most of us have the control over the second thought. We can choose to dwell on the negative thoughts that pop in or we can choose to change them!
*Your body is so hard at work making a baby right now that slowing down is part of the equation. Don’t forget that this happens to every single person out there! You aren’t alone in this!
*YOU ARE ENOUGH EXACTLY THE WAY YOU ARE RIGHT NOW IN THIS MOMENT. No amount of running or money or popularity or travel or jobs or anything will change that about you. What you are doing is enough. You are enough. Whenever I remind myself of that, my anxiety lessens and my entire body relaxes and I feel like those are pretty clear signs to me that it is TRUTH!
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And in case you missed last week, the top 3 most viewed posts were:
*Shed the Fatigue & HOW YOU CAN WAKE UP THE GLUTES for your RUN!
*Lessons from Each of My 11 Marathons
*A Training Setback & Stories from my iPhone
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I would love to hear from you guys on this topic! What has helped you with the comparison game? What about during pregnancy or an illness or an injury?
What was the best part of your weekend?
When was your last PR… give me the details!
How long do you prefer to taper for a marathon?
-This time around we have a 10 day taper but I usually do a 2 week taper!
49 comments
Catie
I’m pregnant with my second and when I feel down about how I feel or look I remind myself this is a phase in life. You’re not pregnant forever. It will be over before you know it and then you can get back to whatever it is you’re missing or your goal. You have the rest of your life to run. This time while pregnant is short in the grand scheme of things and is a really important time to listen to your body.
The Hungry Runner Girl
“You have the rest of your life to run.” YES!! So so true and important to remember when dealing with any running set-back. Congratulations Catie on your pregnancy, I am SO so excited for you!
Kristin
Reminding myself of times I COULDN’T run makes a huge difference to me–thinking back to that makes me feel so grateful for my body being able to move, no matter what speed it’s at. I felt that way last week; my run in the morning felt good and I felt like I was going fast, but when I looked at my times after . . . I was not. And then I was disappointed, even though I’d been feeling good!
My most recent run was also a bit slower–but in some pretty high mugginess (ick), AND I ran up a big hill! I want to work more on hills, so I was happy I was at least able to run it, even if it hurt. And a runner passed me and said, “Good job!” which made me feel so happy!
The Hungry Runner Girl
Runners are the best people… I love that he/she said that to you:) WAY to go getting up that hill in the mugginess (humidity kills me). Thank you for the help Kristin, perfect advice. I hope you are having a wonderful day!
Krista S
I am 33 weeks pregnant now and can no longer run. It can be hard to watch everyone out at this beautiful time of year running in my town but I think it is important to take everything into perspective! You are growing a little baby and you need to be kind to your body as you go through all of these amazing changes. Your body is working overtime and if there is ever a time to slow down, go for a walk, do some gentle yoga and eat that donut it is now.
I go to the gym twice a week to do weights with a trainer to maintain my strength that I will need for delivery and to care for a newborn. I walk every day and get lots of fresh air. I am at the stage now where my hips are killing me and my stomach is feeling very heavy so I am not stressing that I can’t run. I know my body will be back soon and I can exercise the way I used to but in the meantime I am focusing on what I can do and to make sure the baby and I am being as healthy as possible in other ways.
So I guess my best advice is to be kind to yourself, go for a walk, focus on what you can do and remember it will be back one day but your main job now is to look after yourself and your growing babe. Good luck!
The Hungry Runner Girl
Best advice for all of us–> be kind to ourselves. Thank you Krista for sharing with her, it means a lot. Congratulations on your pregnancy and I hope you feel well (and your hips start feeling better) these final week! That is so smart to be doing weights with a trainer leading up to delivery, you are doing awesome.
Maria
Hi Janae! I had a lovely weekend here in the Netherlands, we had the last sunny weekend of summer :) It was so lovely because I am relocating to Switzerland for my job at the end of this week so it was a great way to say goodbye. My fiance was visiting (he lives in Germany, I told you about our engagement in a recent comment and you were so lovely congratulating me :) ) so we spent a great sunny day walking around Amsterdam on Saturday and then yesterday I run a 10 mile race with my company and we then went for a lovely lunch at the beach (including a swim!).
This was my first time racing 10 miles. I have been chronically injured the last year and only been running consistently again for the last 2 months and super low mileage so I am pretty happy with my 1 15 finish time and feeling like with proper training I can get some speed going!
As always,I am loving your posts and you bring a smile to my face every single day when I read them :)
Sanne
(fellow?) Dutchie reading along..did you run the Dam- tot damloop? I heard not everybody was allowed to start the race due to the weather!
Rhiannon
I try my best to not focus on comparing myself to others (or previous versions of myself). It can be SO hard, but I try to just focus on the joy I get from running and the fact that I CAN run, and try to not let those negative thoughts invade.
Best part of my weekend… I’m going to get really cheesy on you here, but it was probably yesterday afternoon. I started dating someone and now I understand why you and Andrew moved so quickly… we are just getting along so well and he makes me so happy, literally seeing him just brightens my day. So that was my highlight! :) Oh and I ran a 5k yesterday morning which was great, it was a super flat course so I ran faster than I anticipated and I am a liiiiittle sore today!
Have a great Monday, Janae! :)
The Hungry Runner Girl
BAHHHHH RHIANNON!! I have the biggest smile ever on my face right now! PLEASE KEEP ME UPDATED WITH ALL OF IT. I am just so happy for you:) . And way to go on your fast 5k yesterday!
J.L.
Best part of my weekend: I ran 5k. Longest run since my double mastectomy in June. Not sure how I feel about that, honestly. Reader question… because I sure can’t find much about it … have any of your readers run through the reconstruction process? (I start that in 4 weeks.)
The Hungry Runner Girl
CONGRATULATIONS!! You are absolutely incredible to be back running a 5k after your double mastectomy. Would you like me to ask this question in a post because I think more people will see it that way. Good luck and I’m cheering for you?
J.L.
That would be great. But definitely a “reader” question, not a Sue from Spokane question, so to speak. THANK YOU… it’s a very long process. The question is “how is it running or exercising at all during the reconstruction process of having spacers put in and the fill process every couple of weeks?”
Sanne
What a great topic to talk about! Due to medical reasons I can’t run during pregnancy and I’ve always missed it. I try to swim a lot to stay fit but I also love to do special work outs for pregnant women. I use youtube-videos now, but during my last pregnancy I joined this work out group and it was great. All the women were pregnant, the work out still was pretty hard but I didn’t feel the need to compare myself with my not-pregnant friends who could still run.
And if you look back on it; these nine months fly by so fast. You’ll be running super fast again in no time! And growing a baby is hard work, don’t be too hard on yourself!
Tracy
I’ve never been pregnant, but my thyroid has completely died in the last few years and it has really taken a toll on my active lifestyle compared to what it used to be. Sometimes my energy level is really down, I have trouble with my weight (whereas I never did before), and it caused osteopenia and a dozen stress fractures in my legs. Needless to say, I don’t get to run much anymore and I was really depressed and in denial about that for a long time. I’ve found other ways to cross train and exercise (spin, toning classes, hiking, biking, elliptical, yoga) and anytime I’m feeling down and comparing myself to others or what I used to be, I tell myself ‘I am doing exactly what I should be doing for myself right now’. It instantly gives me a little peace of mind! And when I do get to run, I enjoy it so much and have the biggest smile on my face!
The Hungry Runner Girl
Tracy, I am so incredibly sorry about what you are going through. I am SO thankful that you have found amazing ways to cross train and get those endorphins and I love what you tell yourself. You are 100% right. Keep enjoying every mile and I hope that you are able to figure out your thyroid soon!
Victoria
Maybe for after StG you could have a baking training plan to follow. Start off with PB candy corn cookies, of course.
It is definitely hard to run slower than what you are “used to” and not feel bad about yourself, whatever the reason is. I try to remind myself that for an easy/aerobic run, any pace is OK! Even working in walk breaks is fine if you need to so that you can manage heat, etc.
Also I have read that women can excel athletically after pregnancy because of the increased blood volume and exposure to HGH? IDK.
Jen W
Knox’s chocolate cake is 10 inches high! ha ha ha I LOVE IT!!!!!!!
Megan
Thanks for your inspiring posts. I’m watching for one that tells us a little more about your heart rate during your runs :) I’m always curious what that would look like, as you vary your runs/training.
Thanks so much! Hoping for a great couple of weeks leading up to your race!
The Hungry Runner Girl
AHHH yes… that’s next!! Thanks Megan and I hope your Monday has been wonderful so far!
Sara
I reframed the way I thought about running. Rather than running for me, or to be more fit, or to get a better time, I wanted my runs to be a time of gratitude and bonding with my baby. Your unborn child running with you while in your belly is such a unique thing, I continuously reminded myself of that. I ran with friends from time to time, but not with any kind of training group. Just random friends who wanted to run and chat on their easy days. That worked best for me!
The Hungry Runner Girl
Oh Sara…. this gave me goosebumps and I can totally relate. There is just something so special about being out on a run with your little one. The bonding during the run is the absolute best. I hope you are having a wonderful day!
Jenny
What a strong run crew and family crew you have going on there! So cool!
When I feel like I’m comparing/judging someone too much, I make changes. On IG and facebook I simply unfollow them. On Strava, I just keep strolling. IRL, I pull back and examine what is going on in my life that I feel this way towards this person. I didn’t have a run crew during pregnancy and luckily wasn’t on IG too much then but I quickly learned baby comes first. Baby runs the show and since pregnancy is the best race to run (like EVER!!!), I was the one coming out on top.
Best part of my weekend was spending one on one time w/ my mama on Saturday and then also going on a very last minute trail run in the pouring rain on super muddy trails.
Last PR was probably my sub 4 hr marathon but my most memorable race was the half I ran last month where I PR’d on trail segments I’ve been running the same pace on unintentionally for years. It helped that I was chasing down a girl who looked super strong and fierce; my only goal was to catch up to her and then when I past her just before the steepest climb of the day, I felt like I was floating!
My last marathon taper felt like only a week and I didn’t feel as rested as I have in the past but it worked because I scored a PR!
Have a great day!
The Hungry Runner Girl
Jenny, I really loved what you had to say about YOU make changes when you find yourself comparing etc. I love the idea of taking control of the situation. Thank you for sharing that with me.
YOU PRed on a TRIAL half?!! And passed someone on a crazy uphill? You are incredibly strong and you were floating. Hmmmm good to hear about your last marathon taper = pr because ours will be short too. Thanks!
Damjana
I’m 27 weeks pregnant and I feel blessed I can still run. I run 5k or up to 10k, sometimes without stops (only to pee, everytime). I can still fit into xs tshirts and feel I’m faster than most other runners. I watch my heartrate to not go too fast. I’d say this period goes by so quickly that the comparison with others is not needed as you focus on yourself and your baby..and feel how your body feeels while exercising. I think if you manage to keep your fitness level, you did a lot already :).
Amy
It was hard, no two ways about it. My first trimester I couldn’t run until a subchorionic hematoma cleared up. And then, I had to stop running at 21 weeks because it just felt awful. I was pretty devastated. Most of my close friends worked out, ran or cycled right up until their water broke.
Around that time I went to a pregnancy/postnatal workshop hosted by my favorite local studio and talked to a lot of women, outside of my personal little group, and found out each of our stories were so vastly different. And several were just like mine, working out was a large part of my life pre pregnancy, would have to take to the back burner until my son was born.
But someone said something that I held onto and am using now. The cool thing is? I am getting to rebuild my body now, all the little form fixes and imbalances I’ve always wanted to fix I get to address them right now. Without worrying about losing my fitness. And that has gotten me pretty excited to see what I can do in the future!
The Hungry Runner Girl
Amy, thank you so much for sharing that… I completely agree! All of those little areas are getting fixed up to come back stronger and faster than ever! I hope you are doing well and thank you so much for taking the time to share!
Melly
Some gyms offer workout classes and yoga classes specifically for pregnant women – so everyone in the class is in the same phase of life and dealing with more similar limitations and the movements or exercises are tailored to a pregnant belly. Perhaps your reader would enjoy something like that more?
The Hungry Runner Girl
Okay, that is AWESOME! I hope she has some in her area…. such a good idea. Thanks Melly!
Corey
Yep, being pregnant or injured or otherwise not at the “top of our game” is tough to handle. I like to think of “seasons” of life–sometimes it’s my season for being consistent, my season to build up my training toward a goal, my season to nail it with my nutrition, etc. And the flip side is that I have to give in to my season of self-care/resting myself more, my season when someone else’s priorities (kids, aging parents, even work) need to come ahead of mine, etc. The thing is…they’re all temporary. We’ve all had various seasons of life and training, and there are many more seasons ahead of various duration. One of the long-term benefits of this season is that the capacity a pregnant body builds to support the baby’s growth doesn’t entirely disappear–we keep a somewhat increased blood volume and respiratory capacity after the baby comes, so it’s not all bad :)
Janae, I have to say that Knox’s chocolate cake looks a mile high and is making me jealous ~haha~
Stacey
To your reader — congratulations! I am currently pregnant with my second baby (yay!). We tried with my first for four years to get pregnant, and during that time, I was cut my training back tremendously. So, apart from an occasional ultra (while not pregnant or going through intensive treatment, or miscarrying) I haven’t been “in it to win it” for quite awhile.
It is hard, especially if you identify strongly with being a “fast runner.” But I agree with every piece of advice you gave, Janae. Our lives truly come in seasons, and now is the season to rest a little bit more to grow a baby. There will always be time for PRs, and everyone slows during certain points in their lives, or just with age in general.
I used to race 5k-ultras pretty much every weekend from Spring to Fall. Now that I’m rarely racing, and definitely rarely winning any races, people really don’t treat me any different.
I like the idea of focusing on something different about running, like using it truly for fun and socialization rather than winning races. Or, try something new altogether. This can be either fitness-based, or just a new hobby/activity. Take the time you typically used on long training runs to enjoy brunch with your friends, for instance. I have found how much I enjoy just walking. We are so much more than the speed in our legs.
The Hungry Runner Girl
AHHH STACEY!!! Congratulations! I am so happy for you! Love every word that you said. Thanks for helping Stacey and keep me updated on all of the things… so thrilled for you!
Marissa
Oh my goodness, how often I tell my xc runners to stay in their own lanes! It’s so easy to get sucked up in the comparison game and I love your advice! My husband ran about 400 more miles this last year than I have due to a stress fracture, then two sprained ankles. It is what it is. I made sure to hit up the weights and bike when I was injured and that helped me so much! Plus, when I got back to running I realized that I could get my running fitness back much more quickly since i was still active.
Best part of the weekend is always church and Sunday naps!
My last PR was in December of 2017 at CIM. Now I’m just trying to figure out this whole overcoming injuries :)
I like a 2 week taper for a marathon.
gina
Just curious (definitely none of my business) but why do you have to stop running with your group/team after St. George? Will you not still be part of the team? Happy Monday.
The Hungry Runner Girl
Good question!! I just meant that the group runs are a little less organized and they don’t tend to all get together as much as they do in preparation for St. George. St. George is kind of the team race where everyone is on the same schedule and then after that people break off a bit more. So I’m sure we will all still get together but after St. George a lot of us have different goals if that makes sense. I hope your day is a beautiful one Gina!
April
This was just what I needed to read today, how did you know??
36 weeks pregnant over here and so happy that I am able to continue running. However I have found myself coming down with major FOMO the last couple of weeks, since many of my friends are in peak marathon training right now. I have thankfully been able to jump in for portions of long runs and I find that so energizing! It is just what my friends are looking for, and I am able to help them through those tough middle/end miles when they just want to quit. I can’t wait to get back to my old self, but for now have been listening to my body and taking all the breaks I need…which sometimes means 10 in an hour :-) And there are days when truthfully that brings me down, but its all for the best. I am holding onto the notion of being stronger and faster post-pregnancy!
SO excited to hear about your race coming up! You’re going to be amazing!
The Hungry Runner Girl
Oh April, I am so so glad it could help and CONGRATULATIONS! You are so close to meeting your new little one! 10 breaks an hour is exactly what I was doing at your point too! SUCH a great idea to jump in for portions of your friends long runs. I love that so much! Thank you so much and I can’t wait to hear about your new little one and your post-baby CRAZY FAST RUNNING!
Leah
Looks like Knox had an awesome birthday party! He is so blessed to have an amazing family and great friends to celebrate with him. Also, I love the niece watch selfies! She is doing great with running. Do you have more than one niece, because I thought she had curly hair, and in the last cross country meet picture, I swear she looked about three years younger.
The comparison game is real, and not just for your pregnant friend, for all of us! I love all your advice, and I think it’s good for pregnant runners to remember that even if they are slower than they used to be, they are still way more fit (and in most cases faster) than your average American. Check out @angeladanielle26.2 on Instagram, for example. The girl is three weeks away from her due date and as fast as I am. Amazing. I think what you said about being faster after pregnancy is totally true too, many runners have said pregnancy made them tougher, and I can understand how that would be true. Pregnancy is such a gift, and infertility is heartbreaking for so many women, so we need to treasure every moment of pregnancy, filling up the moments with dreams of the exciting future, not comparing ourselves with others.
Three weeks from today, I’m trying to set a 5k PR, and I am feeling in need of some advice. How do you prepare yourself mentally for distances you feel are not your strength? How do you not get nervous before races? How do you keep a positive attitude and enjoy the experience even if you don’t PR? (I’m NOT planning on that scenario, but I am the type of person who hates surprises and must be prepared for absolutely everything.) What helps you run the fastest if you only have three weeks left to train? Do you find a lot of speedeork, time trials, or long running to be beneficial? I need all the help I can get, so any reader who happens to see this can comment, not just Janae. :)
The Hungry Runner Girl
Hey Leah!! I have a bunch of nieces (I think 12 now ahh)… I just don’t post there names so I need to find a way to set them apart from each other better haha. I AM SO SO EXCITED FOR YOUR 5k PR… You are going to do amazing and I am hoping it’s okay if I post a blog post about this this week… would that help? For me I think it is important to not throw anything new in on these last few weeks before your race. With the 5k you don’t need to taper too much (but some extra sleep will help:) so continue doing the speed workouts that you have been doing and maybe pull back a bit the week of the race! Trust in your training, you’ve done the work and you get to celebrate your hard work on race day. Smile whenever you think about the race (tip from my mom that really helps) and I’ll have a blog post up soon about this! Thanks Leah!
John
Hi Leah.
I am a bit older, 54, and only run twice a week – but am still very competitive in my age group in 5K’s. The only real formal “training” I would say i do is a tempo run here and there at slightly less than 5K pace. So, maybe a tempo run or two and maybe even some 400’s at 5K pace.
It’s fine and very normal to be nervous before a race. It’s your body getting you ready. Even elite runners get nervous, some so badly they fake an injury before a race, lol. I recall reading that Grayson Murphy has GAD (General Anxiety Disorder) issues prior to races. I find having a pre-race routine helps. Maybe just follow along with the group warmup they have prior to some races to take your mind off things.
As far as the 5K, just know it’s going to hurt from beginning to end if you are going to PR. I took notes from Tina Muir’s Instagram talking about running a 5K – “I try to remind myself the burn I feel in my legs and lungs is a GOOD thing. It means I am rising to the challenge, it means I am embracing the discomfort and making myself tougher, it means I am building speed to use later in longer distances.”
Hope this helps you out a bit.
Have fun and go get that PR. (And if you don’t, there will be plenty of opportunities in the future!)
Leah
Thanks for the tips, John. I appreciate it. I don’t do tempo runs, but I do a long run of 10-13 miles every week, and most of the time it’s at 10k to half marathon pace, which really helps me build speed endurance. And I do speed work at least once a week, preferably twice. Sometimes 400s, sometimes other stuff cause I like to switch it up.
John
I sure wish I could run that much! Sounds like you are more than prepared.
Here is a link to that Tina Muir Instagram post: https://www.instagram.com/p/Bzi9sEtH-gw/
Good luck!
Leah
Wow, that’s a lot of nieces! You could make up a pretend name for each of them if you wanted. :) And I would LOVE if you did a blog post answering all my questions!! Thank you so much!
Nina
I have had my share of injuries and watching my friends rock their training was tough. My doctor helped me remember that I could maintain being fit so that my time would come when I was able to train harder. I did pool running, swam, and cycled when I was able.
I also mostly trained alone or took spin classes at the Y so I didn’t compare myself to others.
Pregnancy and giving birth are endurance events. It may help to think of them as the goal you are training for, rather than a road race.
Lee
Pregnant and not working out at the same paces – sometimes it can be nice to see someone who worked out at a high level, is still working out at a high level for many pregnant women, but KNOWS, like KNOWS, they’re not working out at the same level. IMO Shawn Johnson, US gymnast, has really cool Insta posts and stories and YouTube videos. She’s so petite and pregnancy looks huge on her, so we can almost think, “How does she do anything?”
There is one Insta post with her standing in a hot tub with forearms on the edge, and her husband gives everyone the whole view (3rd trimester)! The post shows her face and she’s got a ponytail on.
Then… the fabulous YouTube video (it shows what she does now and what she used to do side-by-side (see 6:26)): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqgCt9FRsNY
Hope you like it! Hope it makes you FEEL BETTER!!
Milfrunner
When I was pregnant I would keep reminding myself that I was making a whole actual PERSON from scratch inside my body. And I would really shift my focus onto getting to keep moving…because not everyone gets to. These things didn’t always work, but they usually helped at least some.
Now I’m just old. Coming to terms with being less good at stuff because you’re old is s little more challenging to manage for me because I feel great! I’m just not as strong or explosive or fast. I work to focus on how much I absolutely LOVE what I do and how lucky I am that I get to do it.
I’m so redundant. That also is part of being old ?
Nikki
Oh my goodness, I am so happy to see a reader ask this question! I am currently 12 1/2 weeks pregnant with my second and I understand her pain! I just ran a half marathon this past weekend that I had to drop down from the full b/c of the baby and felt like I was on the struggle bus the entire time. It sucks! BUT you made some incredible points and I will probably be referring back to this post many times to keep reminding myself that all of this is normal. Also, if she is reading any of this, I recently just got the book Go Ahead Stop and Pee which was recommended by another runner mama and just wow! I highly recommend she checks it out. Thanks again for sharing your tips and hope you have a great day!
adrianna
i’m not pregnant and no where close, but can completely relate to slowing down and falling into the comparison trap lately. its like my body just doesn’t want to/can’t run like it used to? and mentally its such a challenge bc i know its going to be so much harder than taking a spin class or the stair mill, that i’m always opting out. then i go into this mental downward spiral how i should be running and loving it and be faster and etc etc. maybe i am just going thru a period where my body needs some time off and i can come back better and stronger. so THANK YOU :) and to the emailer reader…YOU ARE AMAZING!!
deltastrike
My doctor helped me remember that I could maintain being fit so that my time would come when I was able to train harder. BUT you made some incredible points and I will probably be referring back to this post many times to keep reminding myself that all of this is normal. just don’t post their names so I need to find a way to set them apart from each other better, like you.