Let me preface my blog by saying that what Paula did was probably the most outstanding athletic feat that I, a mother who is also training for a marathon, can imagine doing: She trained while pregnant, and ran it shortly after giving birth.
But are you kidding me?
Granted, I’m sure that she had been doing long distance running for much longer than I have. I mean, I ran my first half marathon about three years ago, took a break from long distances while pregnant with my second daughter and then started up when she was about seven months old.
I ran 17.5 the first time about three weeks ago.
I’m going for my first twenty on Saturday morning.
I run a total of about 30-35 miles per week.
I’ve run with an abscessed tooth.
I’ve run with a cold.
I’ve run while being so tired I could barely stand.
But I could never, ever, EVER imagine doing this while pregnant.
For one thing, when I was pregnant with both girls I was very sick and very tired the entire first trimester. I ran through it while pregnant with my second, but my runs were much shorter-and back then I was only doing three miles at a time.
For another thing, I was hungry. Constantly. While training for this race I am also constantly hungry, so I cannot imagine how much food I would have had to eaten if pregnant and training!
And what about that belly bouncing up and down like an overstuffed piece of pasta? I mean, it sure didn’t feel good when it bounced up and down that last trimester as I ran a few miles-I certainly can’t imagine it doing that for 15!
So my maternity hat off to her. I could never do it, but I am totally in awe with the fact that she could.
You go Mamamarathoner!
