starting up again

Melissa - posted on 11/16/2008

I meant send that last reply to Christine AND Zuzia--sorry abou that Zuzia (very cool name, by the way). Yes, Christine it WAS awesome!!!! I particularly liked running through Brooklyn--the people were great. The three hour wait in the cold for the race to start sucked, though. Still, I'm already jazzed to do another--running is so addictive. Yes, it's very frustrating when you just want to get out there and go...but I'll tell you, starting off slow really paid off. I was in better shape than ever for this last marathon--didn't stress myself, didn't get hurt--and shaved 20 mintues off my PR! Be kind to yourself and cross-train, cross-train, cross-train. You'll be up and running before you know it. The first year goes by soooo quickly...too quickly. Best, Melissa

Christine - posted on 11/14/2008

I am basically running when I get the moment. Since she is now in daycare, I am trying to run when she is there before I have to pick her up. I guess I am just confirming that I need to start slow since I want to get up and GO! Melissa, good for you for running the marathon! Wasnt it awesome???

Melissa - posted on 11/12/2008

Hi Christine--I did a lot of squats while pregnant--not sure if that was something that helped, but my knees have been in pretty good shape. I also do A LOT of IT Band Stretches , which has helped my knees quite a bit--I'm a huge overpronater. Also, finding the right shoes was key. Because of my extreme pronation, I need a motion control shoe and I've found that the combination of Brooks Ariel and my orthodics have been keeping me relatively pain free. Also, I started out on very soft surfaces--either the treadmill or dirt trails--to minimize impact to my joints. As for when to run...I would get up before everyone so that my husband was in the house with the baby and I'd run in the wee hours of the morning. I was able to do that because I lived in an apartment builing that had a small gym with treadmills. Then, we moved out of the city (Philadelphia) to a house in the summer and I was able to get up early and run on a local nature trail outside. But that is REALLY hard to do now--between the cold and the darkness. I will say, as the day progresses, it's harder for me to get out there. I need to do it first thing. Now that Sophia is much older, I go to a gym that has babysitting. I was anxious about leaving her at first (and I didn't do it until she was about 9-10 months old), but she has so much fun with the other babies, I think its a nice break for both of us. I think the biggest motivator was just that I wanted my body back and after undergoing such a traumatic birth I wanted to return to health and make myself stronger than ever. I also spent a lot of time reflecting on my gratitude for being able to have a baby during my runs, which kept my mind off the pain! I think it's really amazing that you ran throughout your pregnancy! I simply didn't have the energy.

Zuzia - posted on 11/11/2008

Christine...I have a 2 month old son and am wanting to restart my running routine...thanks for posting this. I hope to gain some good advice!

Melissa (Christine) ... I'm noticing that my knees are less limber partly from relaxin maybe and party from lifting him (he's a big boy already)...any suggestions on starting slow and stretches? Also did you start by running during naps? mornings? I'm trying to be creative.

Melissa - posted on 11/09/2008

Hi! I am a mom of an 11-month-old daughter who just ran the NYC marathon last week! What an amazing experience. It was my incentive to get back in shape after giving birth. I had hemorrhaged after pushing for four hours and it was two months before I fully recovered, so I started off slow too--alternating elliptical and swimming with running--was there any specific question you had? I don't know if I can help...but I'm happy to try....