I am clueless on this… could you help me out? +

I did it.  

Sixty minutes straight on the Peloton.  

It was kind of by luck, but it happened.  I got on the bike thinking I only had 20 minutes before my kids would be up, so I chose to take a Tabata class from Robin to get in a good workout since I didn’t have a ton of time.  I finished the class, and the kids were all still asleep, so I started another 20-minute class… and then they were still sleeping when that finished (I’m guessing this is Christmas break recovery), so I decided to take one more 20-minute class to reach 60 minutes on the bike finally.  

I was so excited to text Andrew and tell him because he rocks an hour on the bike, and now I can join the club.  Now to be brave enough to push start on a 60-minute class;)

Picture hours later when the sweat had all dried.  

IMG 0711

(Shorts, tank, bra)

I can’t tell you how much of a change Beck’s ear tubes have made in his life.  This little boy is so much happier now…  it has been a night and day difference.  

IMG 0834

I had my eyebrows dyed and waxed, gotta love the way they look before she wipes them off…

IMG 0838

We read our book club book together (there are two members in our book club).

 IMG 0841

We attempted a major clean-up of the toy room (I wish I had a before and after shot but the after shot looked pretty much the same;)…

IMG 0842

We’ve been eating a bunch of these healthy applesauce oat muffins because my kids are in love with them.

IMG 0757

PJs by 5 pm… completely normal;)

IMG 0845

In yesterday’s Garmin pausing talk… a few of you brought up the fact that after you pause your watch and then start running that you sometimes forget to push start again.  I feel that pain deeply.  It is the worst, and I hope we all remember from here on out to start our Garmins as soon as we resume running.  Let’s make it our 2022 run goal.

PS If you want a review of my Garmin, it is here.  I love it so much.  I used to have the white Garmin Fenix 6s pro but sold that one and got it in tan because I love the tan color and I had cracked my previous screen.  The one I have now is the Garmin Fenix 6s Pro Solar HERE and my review of it is the same as my white one (besides the Solar having a better battery life and scratch-resistant Power Glass which I NEED).  

I’ll stick with the Garmin Fenix 6s Pro Solar forever. 

IMG 0835

————————————————————————————————————-

I thought today would be a good time to get your help on a topic from a reader:

“I read that you went for a run at noon, and I immediately thought about how I’d spend the whole run peeing myself… and I’ve only had one kid!  I can only run first thing in the morning without any liquids or else I’m in trouble.  I’m a long-time reader and I don’t think you’ve written before about the pelvic floor after having your babies, or maybe I missed it?… Everyone says “see a PT” and I am doing PT with a specialist but it feels like it’s going to take me a full year to see any real improvement during running and progress is soooo very slow.  My son was nearly 10 lbs., had an enormous head and was crowning for a full hour, so maybe that has something to do with my personal circumstances.  I did it without any pain medication so it couldn’t have been that bad, LOL.”

IMG 8441 jpegIMG 2161 2

I am so glad she asked about this because I would love to learn more about it, and I know that SO many women have struggled with this problem.  For some reason, I have never had problems with this besides towards the end of pregnancy a tiny bit, but right after I have the baby, I am fine again.  I have done some pelvic floor/deep core workouts that BECKY offers (her account is amazing) after having Beck and Skye, along with a few random pelvic floor workouts I found on Youtube, but that is it!  I am pretty clueless on this topic…

I would love it if anyone could share their experience, what helped them the most, and how long it took them to recover!  Any experts you love following on this topic?

What watch do you wear and do you love it?

Any big or small fitness accomplishments recently?  I would LOVE to hear!

Do you find yourself going to bed earlier in the winter?  If the sun is not out, I’m in hibernation mode at night.

You May Also Like

42 comments

Reply

Yup – that’s me too! I have to run first thing in the morning after three kids. Every said, “Do kegels!” but that did nothing for me.
In fall I have to run in the afternoon because my husband and I coach, and so it requires me wearing a pad, but honestly wish I just wouldn’t pee my pants every time. It’s not the most comfortable feeling to run like that! Looking forward to hearing what others do.

Reply

Oh Tracy, that is so so hard. Thank you for sharing with us! It is so important we discuss these things. I am hoping these comments help, SO many awesome ideas/sources. Have a beautiful day and I love that you and your husband coach!

Reply

We just got a peloton and I LOVE IT! Robin is my favorite instructor. I did her core strength workout a few nights ago and my abs are still killing me!

Reply

THIS MAKES ME SO SO HAPPY! Which ab workout was it that you did? I want to try it (might just have to try splitting it up though ha). Have a beautiful day!

Reply

We just got a peloton as well. I haven’t scrolled through all the comments yet, but Robin has a Post Partum core and pelvic floor series I’ve started and going to see if it helps with post pregnancy issues!!

Reply

Congrats on the 60 minute class! I am trying to convince my husband that we “need” an exercise bike, lol. We already have a treadmill, but I love the idea of a bike for cross training (plus he has joint issues that flair up when he runs, so I think a bike would be great). I’d love a Peloton but can’t find any good deals locally on a used bike, so I’m also looking at the Nordictrack. Maybe for my birthday in April ;) I already follow Becky (found her through you) and she’s great! No advice on pelvic floor issues because I haven’t had kids yet, but I know it’s an issue for so many women. So glad Beck is feeling relief after his procedure! Happy Wednesday!

Reply

I was soooooooo reluctant about getting a bike. Andrew has wanted one forever but I just couldn’t understand the price until we had one (I hope you are able to find a used one)! So I totally understand where your husband is coming from! I have heard amazing thing about the Nordictrack ones and the instructors there too. I think it would be the perfect birthday gift! Thank you so much friend and I hope your day is a great one!

Reply

In the summer of 2020 I had an elective surgery to correct this issue, after trying PT for several years! It’s called a bladder sling and the scar that is formed afterwards helps to prevent leaks. Prior to the surgery I would owe my pants in almost every run, even after using the bathroom right before I left. This past summer I ran a marathon with ZERO pee issues. It was incredible.

The surgery itself was a pretty easy outpatient procedure. The hardest part for me was the six weeks afterwards of no running, lifting, baths or sex. In other words you have to take it REALLY easy so the scar can form properly.

I hope this helps others know of the option. I would do it again in a heartbeat!

Reply

Same here! My first son has a large head and having a second baby only 21 months later didn’t help matters. No amount of PT or other non-surgical options helped. I had the bladder sling procedure done almost 5 years ago and it was life changing. Agree with the easy recovery aside from having to take it so easy for so long! I know pelvic floor PT has worked wonders for so many women but for me the only definitive fix was the surgery and I highly recommend it to anyone for whom PT isn’t enough.

Reply

LAURA! I am SO so happy that the surgery was able to help you so much too. Thank you for sharing and helping other women struggling with this too! You are incredible.

Reply

Kristin, thank you thank you thank you for sharing this! I am SO happy you were able to get the surgery and the success that has happened because of it. You are amazing and thanks for helping out other women!

Reply

I wish I had advice for your reader but I had to comment as I felt I could have written her exact post – down to baby size, huge head, crowning time, no meds and everything. 5 years on and sadly I’ve not really fixed it, just found ways to deal with it. I mostly run alone and on trails, and consider wet patches when picking leggings or shorts. Grey leggings are a big no!

Reply

I am really so sorry Helen. That must be so so hard. Did you by chance see the previous comments about the bladder sling?

Reply

I don’t know if this would help but after my baby I have focused a lot on deep belly breathing which engages your core and pelvic floor (practicing it during yoga, in bed, and during runs, anytime really). I also used a lot of tools and tips from the book “Go Ahead Stop and Pee” by Kate Mihevc Edwards & Blair Green as I was getting back into running and I wish I would have had that book sooner! And always a plug for everyone is different – I didn’t feel like I really back to 100% energy and function until 9 months post nursing, so just keep that in mind if that’s something you are doing, everyone needs their own time to recover and your body could still be adjusting even though a 10 month baby feels like it should be “long enough.”

Reply

Congratulations on 60 minutes!! That’s awesome!
And I am so happy to hear what a huge difference the tubes have been for Beck! Yay ?
I’m sorry that I have no advice for that reader. I had 2 C-sections, which went really well, and I recovered super quick. I have heard from a neighbor who had twins (they’re now 8) that doing pelvic floor exercises was a game changer for her. I don’t know if she worked with a specialist or not. I hope your reader find good help and advice!
I have the same Garmin that you had, and I love it! When it’s time to replace it, I will probably just upgrade to the newest model.
I started a month long pilates challenge Movement with Cailin on YouTube) which is awesome! But the last 2 days have been super busy, so I have 3 days to do today… Ha ha.
Have a great day Janae ?

Reply

I personally don’t love spinning but I have done some of Becs 60 min treadmill classes and sometimes feel like I’m going to puke at the end. She’s so tough! She has a class where she spends 60 mins talking about her experience at the British Olympic marathon trials you need to take it!

I have two kids and don’t pee myself running but coughing is another issue. It’s really unfortunate women have to feel weird about or are not even advised to seek help for this. At my postpartum checkup I wasn’t asked about it and was only asked am I in pain and do I have postpartum depression. From what I gather it would be pretty hard to diagnose yourself with postpartum depression!!

Reply

My big accomplishment lately is training for a race for the first time in over 3 years! I had some medical issues in 2018/2019 and then the pandemic happened…so this is the first time I’ve followed a plan and am actually training to race instead of just for fun. It’s scary but I feel so strong lately. 1 more month to go until race day!

I also usually go to sleep earlier in the winter, but I’m a huge tennis fan and they’re playing in Australia now. The matches start at 6 or 7pm my time and go all night, so it’s been so hard for me to fall asleep lately. Once the Australian Open starts it’ll be even worse!!

Reply

Gretchen. This brought me the biggest smile. I am SO happy you are able to train for a race now. I want to come cheer for you at your race next month. I bet that strength just feels so amazing after the last three years. Keep enjoying the matches! Have a great day, thanks friend!

Reply

I love that you raised postpartum pelvic floor health!!! This is such an important quality of life issue that is so sadly neglected. I had no idea about this stuff until my second kid when I had prolapse and diastasis recti and basically had to figure out what to do via Instagram. Leaking is so common but NOT normal and not something women should just “accept”. You can rehabilitate your deep core and pelvic floor and get so much better. But it takes time and it is a very different type of exercising than running. But it is so worth it for you long term health and every day quality of life. Going to a pelvic floor PT is great, do it, but I also I STRONGLY recommend https://getmomstrong.com/ for anyone looking for an exercise program that can change their life due to diastasis recti or prolapse issues or incontinence issues. It did for me.

Reply

OH I LOVE Get Mom Strong, her stuff is amazing. YES YES YES to her. Thank you so much for sharing, Claire. I am so happy that you were able to figure this out and do the work it takes to get to this place. Have a great day!

Reply

I second Get Mom Strong. She’s the best for pelvic floor stuff and then integrating that into regular exercise.

Reply

I’ve had four kids (9 lb babies) and did see a pelvic floor PT after my fourth which at least made me more aware of engaging my core better. I noticed a huge difference in running and this area once I stopped nursing and my hormones regulated a bit. I also don’t eat a lot of citrus before a run as it irritates my bladder and make sure to use the restroom literally right before I run.

Reply

Alexi, these are awesome tips! Thank you so much for sharing and FOUR 9 lb babies, that is amazing! I hope your day is off to a beautiful start!

Reply

Follow @empower.your.pelvis on instagram! SO MANY good tips, and she has some classes you can purchase as well. Hugely helpful. She says that peeing when you run/jump/cough/sneeze is COMMON but IT IS NOT NORMAL, should not be happening and can be fixed! She’s also hilarious. :)

Reply

I had a major peeing issue after my second kid, and I just accepted it for a couple years. Then I learned that it’s not okay, you have to rehab those muscles because it’s am important part of your core. If those muscles aren’t functioning properly it will lead to injuries down the road. I did a pelvic floor rehab routine that I found on the internet- can’t remember exactly what it was, but it was like kegels combined with different movements, and coordinated with your breathing. It does take a while, but I”ll never forget the first time (in several years) that I actually had to STOP AND USE A BATHROOM during my long run! My bladder held it! I was so excited.
So yes- get that problem fixed. You can do it!

Reply

I wear a Garmin Forerunner 645. I really like it, but it’s my first Garmin! So we’ll see in the future if I find another I like.

Yes, in winter I want to hibernate too!! When the sun goes down, I want to go to sleep, but I’m trying to get out of that. Thinking maybe if I schedule a late walk or a nighttime activity that will help, even if it’s just saying I’m going to do a puzzle tonight or read this book.

Reply

I unfortunately wound up with two c-sections, so different challenges… but I guess one benefit is that it did not impact my pelvic floor. I feel for you all – that sounds tough!
I love the sign/saying on your laundry room wall – I may need one of those for my house.
YES to pjs by 5pm in the winter! Unless we’re playing outside in the snow after school/work.. then it’s 6pm. I NEED to go to bed earlier than I do lately – nothing good happens after 9pm anyway!
Thanks for the Garmin review – I still have the Forerunner 235 so am going to need a new one soon. It died at mile 20-something during my 50k. YES to the resolution of always remembering to restart a paused Garmin. :)

Reply

I did this post partum, which was recommended by my Pelvic physiotherapist.
https://www.vaginacoach.com/buffmuff

The community of women that participate in the challenge at the same time is wonderful – encouraging one another and sharing experiences, etc.

Would highly recommend!!!!

Reply

Dear hungry runner girl reader-
Oh, the pelvic floor. One of the best teachers of patience for me. Let me tell you it does get better, but it does take time. (years).
I considered the surgery pretty strongly, decided against it, and after 6 years back to marathon mileage without an issue.
Do your PT exercises. But I hear you, this will be such slow growth that after a year it’ll surprise you like t”oh, his is better”
Avoid picking your baby up directly from the floor with a bend over and pick up. Kneel on one knee, lift and use the quad muscles. Same for cleaning toys off the floor. (Or kneel for baby, husband has toy duty).
Start run on treadmill if you have one. I tended to go in the first mile or two, then take your run outside.

Reply

I’ve got through so many watches, currently love my Garmin 945….but liked the Polar V800 I had..am thinking about the new Wahoo…they used them in last years Tour de France, and apparently has a no touch transition feature, so for triathlon would be perfect…….I’m old enough to remember having to use a Timex Ironman and just guessing the distances and pace

Reply

It is sooo ironic you brought this up today. For years I have been unable to jump rope. For the last year, I have had a small leak on some runs. Recently it has been tons and yesterday after alot on a run I told myself I have to do something! I will be researching ideas you guys gave!

Reply

Hi Janae!! I can’t offer any input on the pelvic floor issue, but did find myself wincing when the commenter described her birth story. Dang – woman are superheroes!!
I have a basic Garmin Forerunner and that works just fine for me. I don’t like a lot of bells and whistles and remember the days of checking the clock on the microwave before and after runs to know how long I went (mileage was measured with the car!) LOL!
My biggest small fitness accomplishment is that I have done every day so far of the Yoga with Adriene 30 Day Yoga Journey that started on the 1st :o) I love her classes!
In the winter, I definitely find myself WANTING to go to bed much earlier (like as soon as it gets dark!), but not being able to, because the rest of life still needs to happen. The days are already getting just the tiniest bit longer, so we can make it LOL!
Have an awesome day, Janae :o)

Reply

I had the same issue with running even pre baby. Once I was pregnant I had to stop running because I couldn’t go more than 10 minutes, even first thing, without having to pee.

After baby, my pelvic floor actually became stronger than pre baby due to seeing a PT who focused on pelvic floor and did some internal work on me to release tightness. I also followed workouts from this account
https://www.instagram.com/thebellemethod/
(she is amazing and I highly recommend for anyone pregnant or postpartum). She has a lot of free workouts on her Instagram but also offers full virtual (live and prerecorded) workouts.

I hope you find something that works for you! I was so exhausted from getting up to pee all night and I no longer have to do that so there is hope!

Reply

I definitely had some PF issues after my first. I didn’t know how to correctly do a kegel and wasn’t engaging my PF when doing core exercises. I also had other issues unrelated to bladder, but my PF was weak when I got pregnant with my second. A few things that I would recommend…
1. See a Pelvic Floor PT
2. Seek out a program that specifically shows how you engage your core when doing exercises. Some suggestions, Bloom Method (the app is awesome and has SOOO many workouts), Momma Strong (very affordable option and all workouts are quick – to me this is more supplemental workouts rather than a full workout on it’s own), Belle Method (I haven’t done this, but she has a lot of free content on Insta).
3. Don’t rush into running, as Janae has mentioned, it’ll be there when you are ready. I had a small prolapse after having my 2nd and did my exercises and met with my PT and recovered completely… so much faster than with my first (even though they were different issues) and can now run with no problems.

I still have my Garmin Forerunner 220… I wish it had more options outside of just running, since we do also hike, but there’s also no issues with it, so I’m hesitant to get a new one.

I’m now 7.5 months post partum and I’m feeling so much stronger and my runs are feeling great! I need to try a 45 min spin class before getting to 60 mins! haha Loving have the Peloton bike as an option though! I started with renting a spin bike from a local studio a year ago and then in September, my husband started using it and fell in love with the classes and so shortly after they had their sale and we jumped on and he’s been addicted to it as well! I’m glad he’s found something that he can stick to!

Reply

I’m embarrassed to write this but I have found a good solution . Try using a tampon. For some reason it helps close off things, maybe the pressure? Not sure how or why it works, but it is life changing. I had that problem bad and this works!

Reply

The reader said they are seeing a PT but is it a pelvic floor specialist because if it isn’t I would find one. There are surgical fixes but pelvic floor therapy is suggested first. I didn’t have this issue until recently and so my midwife suggested kegels ( based upon exam) and if don’t work then pelvic floor therapist. My issue is minor.
You can also ask yours doctor about a Pessary as a temporary fix or use poise pads. Caffeine also can make things worse. But eating and drinking before a run are so important so don’t skip hydration before a run.

Reply

I almost never do a 60-minute Peloton… which is so funny because when I first started going to spin classes they were 45 minutes and they felt so short to me. Peloton feels different maybe because its at home? I don’t know – I can do 60 minutes like you by accident – stacking feels better somehow. I will say though that the 60 minute classes I have done were easier … the hardest classes are often 20 minutes! It’s a short but hard 20 minutes. OR, I can do 30 min ride, 30 min strength, no problem!

Have you tried the bootcamps? I admit I was intimidated by the off/on but that part is super easy and they’re really fun. And you don’t really get off and on that much. You bust your butt just long enough to want the break and then you get it!

Reply

I relate to this issue so very much, even 23 years after having my huge baby :)
I’ve tried the exercises and non surgical tools and nothing helped so felt resigned to black shorts/leggings only.
However, I recently discovered these undies for bladder leaks and they’ve been great and more comfy than a pad.

https://www.shethinx.com/pages/speax

I’m also now curious about the bladder sling after reading a few comments here!

Reply

My running partner shared this with me! I have a three year old. No birthing issues or anything but I have this same issue. Pee just leaks out with each step when I’m running if my bladder isn’t completely empty & if I’m pushing my pace really fast or jumping.
I agree with one post above. If I use a super plus tampon if seems to help. I think it just helps close the space or something! I found this out on my time of the month and noticed it wasn’t happening. Smaller tampons seem to wiggle their way down and get uncomfortable. Starting kegels. We’ll see if that helps.

Reply

I 100% recommend specific pelvic floor physical therapy for anyone struggling with leakage! I’m a physical therapist myself so you NEED to make sure you are going to someone who is certified with the right credentials-as of right now the APTA and Herman and Wallace are the main institutions that offer pelvic floor certifications. There are also other certifications out there where a PT can specialize in things like the postpartum athlete etc so I highly recommend doing your research to make sure you find a PT who can help you the most and don’t be afraid to shop around if you’re not getting what you need. That being said, our bodies take longer to heal than we’d like (in general! But especially after baby) so the blanket statement of “6 weeks postpartum” to return to running or higher intensity activity is really outdated- everyone is so unique in this and it makes all the difference to work with a PT from early on to make sure all of these muscles are firing correctly, etc before you’re cleared to do these things. I know it’s tough and feels like things move slowly in this department but if you’re working with the right specialist they can use things like biofeedback or internal exams to make sure you’re truly targeting what YOU need. Pelvic floor strength, tone and coordination are so much more than kegals!

Reply

My fitness accomplishment at the moment is committing to the Power Zone Pack challenge for the winter. http://www.pzpack.com. They set up teams and a schedule of rides that you complete to score points for your team. Many classes are 45 minutes long, but the warm up is usually 12-13 minutes of that, so it can fly by!

I think you’d like the Power Zone rides and their approach. They are coached by Matt Wilpers and Christine D’Ercole, who have raced professionally, and a couple other really good instructors. Having a 10+ minute warm up helps my joints and muscles SO MUCH! Three minute warm ups just don’t do it. And you truly do ride to your own fitness level and can see improvements in the numbers. Discover Your Power Zones is a great way to introduce them.

Also, there is a facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/1298368960295466/about #Hard CORE on the Floor, that publishes a monthly calendar with daily stacks of core, strength, etc. The creator has done every single class herself and puts together a calendar that is truly amazing and takes all the decision making out of it, because we Moms don’t need to make any more decisions, amiright?

Reply

Thank you SO much, Janae for bringing this up! I delivered first baby in October of 2021 and was diagnosed with prolapse at my 6 week appointment. It is so helpful to read all these comments and know from the running community I am not alone! I also signed up for Mama Strong for exercises and added It’s ok to stop and pee, the book, to my Amazon cart! So incredibly helpful since I can’t get an appointment to physically therapy before February. Janae, you and your readers are the best!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *