This morning I finally did it- I signed up for my first postpartum race. I have only been running a handful of times since giving birth to Edith but I am ready to get back at it. I finally have a new pair of Brooks running shoes and honestly there is nothing better than a new pair of shoes to help motivate me to get out and use them. I decided to sign up for the Hippie Chick Quarter Marathon (which is sponsored by Brooks) with the possibility of switching to the half (I have until 4/30/2013 to decide if I want to switch).
I was going to sign up for the half but then looked at a calendar and realized the race is only 19 weeks away and that for the next 2.5 weeks I am going to be in snowland and then another week of transitioning/moving into a new home and time zone so I’m look at closer to 16-15.5 weeks of real training time. Since I haven’t been running regularly I didn’t want to over do it so I think that a quarter marathon is a good place to start for my first postpartum race, although I might sign up for a 5k before I run the quarter.
So here is a loose training plan:
Weeks 1-3: Yoga, Core and Cardio Workouts- at home
Weeks 3-12: Get back to my 5k pace
Week 12(ish): Run a 5k
Weeks 12-19: Work up to 6.5-7.5 miles
Week 19: Run the Hippie Chick Quarter Marathon
Q: For the moms out there did you run during your pregnancy? How was it getting back to running postpartum? When did you run your first postpartum race and what distance did you run?
On Saturday we spent nearly the entire late morning/early afternoon making our way through the RnR Montreal Expo. First stop at the Expo was race bib pickup and then on to t-shirt and swag bag pick up.
Once Neil had checked in and picked up all of his goodies it was time to make our way through the expo.
Our first stop was the Brooks Running game area where we had some fun playing a few games. We even played a competitive game skee ball which I won even with Edie sleeping in the Ergo (and no she didn’t even wake up!) I proudly wore my skee ball championship medal although after seeing Neil’s RnR race medal it wasn’t so impressive, but more on that another day.
After playing some games we made our way through the vendors and spent our time lusting over new running gear, trying some samples and of course getting our photo taken.
As much as I would have liked to have purchased everything in site Neil and I both held off since I am in need of new running shoes, which aren’t cheap. We did however pick up a few Bondi Bands which Edith just had to model for you (don’t worry she won’t be running for beer anytime soon).
Overall I thought that the race expo was really well done. The layout was perfect and we hit very few congested areas. I also loved the start of the expo where they had some fun games for us to enjoy. Now I have only been to the VCM expo besides this one so I don’t have much to compare it to but overall I thought it was really well done.
This past Sunday Neil ran the Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon in Montreal, Quebec this past weekend. This was his second half marathon and his first international half marathon. We headed up on Friday after Neil got out of work and checked into our airbnb rental which was in the perfect spot just 1.1 km from the Mont Royal Metro Station and surrounded by our favorite shops and restaurants.
We arrived later than expected on Friday night and with a sleepy baby and pouring rain we decided to stay in for the night. We ordered food from our favorite vegan restaurant Aux Vivres which unfortunately took nearly two hours to finally get because the online ordering/delivery service that they have on their website did not place our order because we were not using a local number and rather than contact us or update our order page we didn’t find this out until 15 minutes after the food should have already arrived which was an hour after we had ordered.
Tired, hungry and frustrated we decided to call Aux Vivres directly and Neil ran out to pick up our order this time. I was a little frustrated and almost just gave up on getting dinner but I was so glad we did because my Dragon Bowl was just as good as I remembered and the big slice of carrot cake Neil and I shared was delicious.
Neil ordered the Macro Bowl (photo from Aux Vivres site)
Unfortunately I don’t have much else to share when it comes to food and sites because the bulk of the weekend was spent at the Rock ‘n’ Roll Montreal Expo and race. We did stop into the Eaton Centre for lunch at the food court and then Saturday night Neil and I picked up a few things to make a pasta dish at the apartment for dinner.
Since this weekend was dedicated to the race we are planning on making another trip up (hopefully) in October so we can spend some time enjoying our favorite eateries and sites.
As a former 9-5er I know what a challenge it can be to enjoy all that summer has to offer during the week. However there are a number of things that you can do to enjoy the longer days and warmer nights (and not just on the weekend).
Join a team. Or in my case have my husband join a team so I can go to his games. Often you will find adult recreational league sports teams and even many companies have summer sports teams to play on. In our area you can find softball, soccer and even kickball leagues for adults to participate in during the week. Neil plays softball once per week and it’s a great way for him to get out, enjoy the weather and socialize during the week (as well as stay active).
Run clubs. Join (or start) a summer run club. One of the greatest things about summer is that it stays lighter out so much later which allows for running outside to be more accessible after work. Many athletic stores, running associations and even some towns/cities have summer group runs that are after work (and some before).
Farmers Markets. What better way to enjoy summer than to also enjoy locally grown food? Often we think of going to weekend farmers markets but did you know that many areas also have afternoon/evening weekday farmers markets? This is the perfect opportunity to get outside, do a little shopping and enjoy summers bounty!
Local Studios. Check out what type of summer events are happening at your local yoga studios or Lululemon. In our area we have one studio that offers AM yoga on a dock at the waterfront and our local Lululemon has a number of outdoor fitness events that go on (and most are free).
Local Events Calendar. Check out your town/cities local events calendar to find out what fun summer events are coming up for the week/month. Often you will find outdoor movie nights, carnivals, live music, brewers festivals and so much more. Locally we have a movie night in the park once per month in June, July and August and every Thursday night there is Summervale a fun little event down at a local cooperative farm that features local food and lots of activities.
Eat Outside. Take advantage of the weather by dining al fresco! You could plan to pack up a picnic to take to a park or down by a lake after work, head out for dinner at one of your favorite restaurants or make a home cooked meal and enjoy it on your porch (patio, balcony, lawn, etc). This is as great way to really enjoy summer and to create a fun dining experience for your whole family.
Q: What are you favorite ways to take advantage of all that summer has to offer?
I know that having a baby is hard work on the body and that breastfeeding and sleeping are going to be two of my top priorities once this baby arrives however I do want to set some postnatal running goals.
I would love to get back to walking regularly as soon as it feels right (and my midwives give me the okay), starting with short walks at first and then as I feel up to get going longer. I eventually would like to get back to running, even if that means starting out with a combo of walk/jogging.
I was curious to find out when other FitFluential moms had decided to get back to running post-pregnancy and to my surprise there was quite the range of answers:
“I was a slacker, I didn’t start running again until she was 6 months old and I could put her in the stroller to go running. My advice: don’t put too much pressure on yourself, your body is entirely different now. Do the best you can and be happy with the results!”
“I didn’t get back to running straight away because it didn’t feel right for me. I did other cardio, yoga and lifted but didn’t push myself because there were so many changes after baby. Find what works for you, your baby and family and do what you can when you feel you can.”
“With both of my boys, I started back at about 6-8 weeks after birth (both were uncomplicated deliveries). I had no stamina and was super slow, but I just tried to listen to my body and take it easy. If you are breastfeeding, nurse right before you go. Full boobs are not fun to have during running. Make sure you hydrate well as nursing + running can really dehydrate you. Even if you aren’t nursing, make sure you have a super supportive bra.”
“I started running at 6 weeks when I got the go ahead from the doctor but I was walking as early as the first week. Little bits here and there. I used a bjorn to bring E along.”
“While I totally have the desire to be running regularly and my body would certainly tolerate it.. I have a little boy who doesn’t sleep well at night (11 weeks old).. so sleeping and making sure I eat enough (so hungry while breastfeeding!) are much more important to me now than getting regular with running. I know it’ll happen in time though!”
“I started back at 4 weeks bc it felt right. I was super slow and did run walk intervals. I just listened to my body. I ran a 1/2 marathon at 6 months pp. Definitely agree with Erika … Nurse or pump before running! And drink LOTS of water of youre bfing.”
The reason I was curious about what others have done is because I would like to start “training” (I use that term loosely) for the Disney Wine and Dine Half Marathon in November. You’re probably now shaking your head and saying what is she thinking!? Well if you have been following Running With Tongs since last Fall you’ll know that Neil and I signed up for the Disney Half Marathon last January but due to his head injury a few months before we decided to defer to the Wine and Dine Half this Fall. At the time we deferred I wasn’t/didn’t know that I was pregnant, had I known we may have decided not to defer and just eat the cost of admission we had already paid. Anyways we did defer and are planning to visit Disney with my parents aka the race night babysitters and run (well I’ll be wogging) the Disney Wine and Dine Half.
That being said, I am comfortable with not being able to finish the race in the allotted 3.5 hours. I also know that I may even decide that I need to back-out all together once this baby arrives but I figure we are going, Neil is running and I already paid I might as well plan to at least try. Since I am not sure when this baby will arrive (i.e. early, “on time”, or past my due date) I haven’t settled on a training plan. I am debating between doing a modified Jeff Galloway Plan since I know I won’t have 18 weeks to complete it or doing the 12 week Hal Higdon Walking/Wogging Plan. I know I sound over ambitious and maybe even a little crazy but I figure I might as well try.
