Back to Running and My Thoughts on Postpartum Running
I am officially back to running and I couldn’t be more thrilled. I’ve been counting down the weeks since around three weeks postpartum (those first three weeks I really enjoyed doing nothing) and now that I am running again, I feel so much more and more like myself.
When I went back to running after having Benaiah, I ran (not quite) but almost as fast as I could for as long as I could. I remember crashing around 1-.1.5 miles and eventually built to running three miles total. Shortly after hitting three miles, I ended up fighting some hip flexor issues which pushed back my running for a couple weeks. Looking back, I know I could have come back WAY smarter and this time around I am determined to come back with more patience and use a smarter approach.
Right now, I am running around 3 days a week (my goal is three to four days a week) and run/walking. The Bethany three years ago would NOT have wanted to walk/run. But, the Bethany today has grown so much in my running knowledge three years ago and I know that this approach will help me only gain fitness faster in the big picture than pushing myself too early. And honestly, I am enjoying run/walking these last week and a half or so. I’m able to run further and longer since I am run/walking because I can handle more distance since I am getting a walk break every 2 minutes or so. I also feel like it is gentler on my body and my mind too.
There’s something magic about being on the ground, pounding the pavement for thirty minutes and I am really enjoying being out there for that amount of time.
Another thing I am focusing on doing right away is strength training, runner specific strength training. Coming back to running, postpartum makes me really susceptible to injuries (since of natural occurring weaknesses + the six weeks off) so I am doing all the light strength work (mostly using bodyweight) and stretching/foam rolling. The little things really really do impact training and I am determined to do all the little things right , even in this smaller training period.
I can’t wait to see what is ahead and I hope to be training hard this summer for some big races! But, until then, I am focused on remaining patient, doing the things I know I can do right now, and enjoying each season I am in.
What about you? Are you training for anything, currently?