A Conversation with Pro Runner Lauren Fleshman about Running after Pregnancy
Two-time U.S. 5000-meter Champion, 2:37 marathoner, and brand-new mom Lauren Fleshman gets real with Dimity and Sarah, talking about the ups-and-downs of running while pregnant and coming back post-partum. You’ll breathe a sigh of relief along with the mother runners to hear a professional runner say she “couldn’t have cared less about” her own running in the first few weeks after the birth of her son. Lauren even admits running, “felt bad from almost the moment that pee stick turned pink.” Then Lauren waxes poetically—but practically—about garnering the most enjoyment and success from running, including imparting the wisdom that, “you have to be an active participant in the mental aspect of your sport.” Speaking of the mental side of things, Dimity admits to being, “one big Tupperware bowl full” of her emotions, to-do list, and bodily sensations.
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Pregnant Lauren and SBS in May at Happy Girls Half in Bend, Oregon.
The Most Important Mile of My Life: Amy Little
A long time coming: Amy (#91) approaching half-marathon finish line, with wingman Cyndie (#78).
This mile is from the life of Amy Little, a 40-year-old mom of two in Beaverton, Oregon. Before we get to her mile, we want to plug the 5K/10K race she founded and organizes, Cause + Event Portland. Check it out if you live anywhere near Portland. Finally, she’s also the model for this tank/Sweaty Band combo!
My most important mile was May 11, 2013, during the Hippie Chick Half Marathon in Hillsboro, OR. I’ve had “run a half-marathon” on my runner’s bucket list for nearly five years. Something always got in the way: injury, illness, surgery, illness, more surgery. It seemed like it was not meant to be. For my birthday, my BRF, Cyndie, signed me up for Hippie Chick, which was the carrot I needed to survive the final surgery of my most recent illness: breast cancer. On December 17, 2012, I underwent my final breast reconstruction surgery and a complete and total hysterectomy.
I followed doctor’s orders and was able to resume running (and half-marathon training) five weeks post op. Despite another injury (I cross-trained like a maniac!), I was ready to run what I wanted to be a sub 2-hour debut half-marathon. But I was physically unprepared for the sun and heat that greeted us Hippie Chicks on race day. I hadn’t trained under those conditions during our Oregon spring so at Mile 8, I adjusted my game plan: I walked a little bit, found some shade, and all the while Cyndie, my BRF, was by my side, cheering me on.
At Mile 10, I really hit “the wall: I was spent, physically and mentally. Yet, somehow, as I rounded a corner and I realized I only had a mile to go, my pace picked up and I went for it. For the first time in a race, I found that final gear; I was running roughly an 8:30 pace as I entered the final stretch.
I didn’t meet my sub-2:00 goal, but I will never be disappointed about my 2:04 finish. I finally finished a half-marathon. That last mile, that race, that day taught me a lot about myself and what I am truly capable of.
Amy (right) and Cyndie on a training run, showing off their Sweaty Bands.
Post-Baby Running: Mother Runners Weigh In On Lacing Up Your Running Shoes After Giving Birth
Getting back into running after having a baby may not be easy. But hang in there. And read on for some great Mother Runner advice from those who have gotten into the groove of running again (or for the first time!) after giving birth.
Returning (or starting) running after having a baby is as individual as the birth experience itself, as evidenced by the numerous replies we received on our Facebook page after posting mother runner Erin’s question about post-partum exercise. Of course Erin would be getting the official OK from her OB, but she acknowledged at two weeks post-partum that she was eager to get the go-ahead, and was curious how other mother runners eased back into, or discovered, an active lifestyle.
Sage BTDT advice from the tribe included:
If it’s your first time…
Keep in mind just how much running and exercise, if at all, you did pre-baby: “I wasn’t a runner beforehand,” says Katherine B. “I’d say take it slow. Get a nice jogging stroller.” Taking walks, building up to a slow run, and generally taking it easy for a while seems to be a good bet for many mother runners.
It may take a while (a long while), and that’s totally fine.
“While some people leave the hospital in their running shoes, for others it takes months for certain things to go back in place,” says Monica F., who admits to not finding a regular running routine until three years after her baby was born. Melisa B. found it took her “about eight months to run and not hurt.” Christy R. says she started running at four weeks, but started “VERY gently.” She waited until six weeks to get “a solid, good three-plus mile run in. Just listen to your body. If you hurt at all, slow down a little.” Angela S. says her return to running was slower the second time around. “It has taken a lot longer—as in seven months—for my hips, knees, and feet to recover from a grueling pregnancy,” she says.
Or it could be much sooner.
Angela M. offered this: “If you’ve been running (or exercising) during your pregnancy and had a normal, non-surgical birth, 6 weeks seems to be the magic number.” Jen S. says she was back walking fairly quickly and running again by two weeks post-partum. “I think a lot depends on how much you ran while pregnant,” she says. “I ran throughout and it was super easy to jump back into it.”
If you had a C-section…
Katie K. waited about 9 weeks after having her C-section. Karen S., meanwhile, waited 7 weeks. “I was a new runner. But I started super, super slow,” Karen says. “And I always pumped before going out so I didn’t have tenderness.”
Nursing may affect your running …
Several mother runners mentioned nursing and breast tenderness as reasons for postponing a full-on return to hitting the pavement. Says Belle K.: “After I quit nursing—seven months—and my boobs felt ‘normal,’ really closer to nine months, I did run-walk with a two minute run/two minute walk and then worked my way up, but only for like 20-25 minutes at first.” If you are breastfeeding, adds Angela R., be gentle with your body. “It is already working SO hard. Women need to be gentle and take it slow after baby.” And when you do run (and if you’re breastfeeding), Jami T. believes hydration—and rest—is incredibly important.
No matter how long it takes your body to feel up for a run, remember that you will eventually be back on the roads and trails, and signing on for races. Angela S., who took seven months to rest and recover after baby #2, started with walking and worked up to running a half-marathon. “It was slower than normal,” she says, “But I’ve ramped it up from there.”
When did you return to running post-baby? What tips would you offer mother runners who are anxious to start exercising again? Leave us a comment!
Best Running Friends (BRFs)
Hot, sweaty friendship: Sarah (center) with BRF Molly (left), and Molly’s oldest daughter after recent run.
If you’re digging our podcasts, we’d be super-grateful if you’d take a minute (because we *know* you have so many to spare!) to write a review on iTunes.[audio:http://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/podcasts.pagatim.fm/shows/amr/amr_082213.mp3] **Also, the quickest way to get our podcasts is to subscribe to the show via iTunes. Clicking this link will automatically download the shows to your iTunes account. It doesn’t get any simpler than that!
The Most Important Mile of My Life: SBS Edition
Lynn by my side–and believing in me–around Mile 20 of my spring 2009 marathon, the race I was aiming for when she had me run the timed mile to determine my training paces.
Under the weak winter light, Lynn stands on the far curve of the Grant High School track, hunching over slightly in her Gore-Tex jacket and baseball cap with an iPhone in her hand. She is the only witness as I circle the track, once, twice, three times (that is the toughest one!), then the final lap. She eggs me on in the same firm-yet-encouraging tone I’d heard her use when we had watched Kara Goucher nab her qualifying time for the 2008 Olympics Trials. Me: an Olympian is cheering on me, encouraging me to push to my limits. I want to do well for me–and for her. I long to have Lynn proud of me, as she prepares to train me to reach toward my marathon PR that spring.
June 2008: Lynn cheering for the blur that is Kara Goucher.
That mile showed me how deep I could dig, how far I could push past the hurt and perceived limitations. In the four+ years since, I’ve never run that fast again, but that mile cemented my faith in my ability and determination. That mile, the most important one in my life, gave me the fortitude to qualify for Boston and to persevere through some blisteringly hot marathons. That mile made me the confident, ever-optimistic runner I am now–no matter what pace my miles are today.
Lynn (right), me, and my then-7-year-old daughter, Phoebe after my marathon PR.
We’re going to make this an ongoing feature on the website (and potentially include some important miles in our yet-to-be-named third book, out in spring of 2015). Best way to submit is to email us your story with a picture: runmother {at} gmail {dot} com with “Most Important Mile” in the subject line. Please try to keep your mile stories under 300 words. Thank you!
10 Reasons Why Running after Menopause Is Great
Yup, we’re talking about it today.
A tongue-in-cheek list with undercurrents of truth about a topic that doesn’t get discussed much: menopause. Input garnered from many mother runners, including Amy, who had a hysterectomy at age 40, Ellison, who is a speedy runner in her mid-50s, and some gals on our Facebook page.
10. You no longer have to stash feminine products in your iPhone arm band, water belt, or shorts pocket.
9. Body hair grows more slowly, meaning legs and pits stay sleeker longer.
Feel empowered by menopause, not exhausted.
8. Running in a sudden heat wave doesn’t faze you: Hot flashes mean you’re already acclimated. What’s more: Amy firmly believes, “that when you hot flash, you burn calories. So when you hot flash while running, it’s double points! Boom diggity!”
7. Your sleep is so craptastic post-menopausally, points out another Amy, you might as well head out on that pre-dawn run.
6. Menopause often means a decreased interest in sex, but as Jennifer, who went through The Change at 38, points out: Running counteracts low libido. “Hooray for running!” she wrote on our Facebook page.
5. Fewer stops at the port-a-potty. As original Amy tells it, “Running during the monthly volcano of doom caused me to have to hit the restroom to, ahem, drop the deuce a lot. Like a dog marking its territory, every restroom I passed I’d have to ‘go.’ Now, my only poop visits are the pre-race deposits, which really saves on time–and aggravation.”
4. Menopausal rages fuels speedwork, helping you run hard and fast.
3. Belly fat settles around your middle, so capris and skirts without a drawstring don’t slip southward when you’re in motion.
2. No more screaming, wincing, and dancing around the room as you pull a tight running bra over pre-menstrual boobs, says Ellison.
1. You’re guaranteed Aunt Flo won’t visit on race day!
Ready to make peace with your hot flashes and other symptoms?