October is a beautiful month. The weather is still warm, but you also get those crisp days mixed in. Fall fashion is so cute, and it's finally hoodie weather again! It's also when I start dreading running outside. I LOVE running in the heat. Give me 90 degrees and sunny over 45 degrees and cloudy any day! My favorite running temperature is probably in the 70's, but I definitely prefer the warmth than cool air.
This October, I ran my very first half marathon. I've run a full marathon before, but never a half. I was really excited to get in my first race post pregnancy. I did a free 5k back in September, but I don't really count that. When all of your training runs are longer than your race, it doesn't seem as fun or challenging. The half marathon was what I had my goal set on before I even had Eva. I knew that as long as I didn't have a C-section, I would have no problem getting enough training in before the race. Since I had run my whole pregnancy, up until the day my water broke, I knew getting back into running would be no problem. In fact, 15 days after Eva was born, I went on my first 3 miler. Let me tell you, it was so much EASIER running postpartum than it was 9 months pregnant. I seriously felt so fast. Therefore, I set a time goal for myself. I wanted to run a sub 2 hour half marathon. Definitely doable pre-pregnancy, but I had been running a lot slower during my pregnancy, so I prayed I hadn't lost whatever speed I used to have. I did a lot of intervals, tempo runs, and a couple track workouts in order to get my speed back. A lot of HARD work went into getting back to pre-pregnancy shape, but I was able to exceed my goal of a sub 2 hour half marathon by several minutes.
I am still working on some muscular strength that I lost during my pregnancy, but otherwise I feel back to my normal self. It's amazing how your body can bounce back after going through 9 months of stretching and supporting life of another human being. Fact is, I am proud of myself and my accomplishment. I put a lot of hard work into my health and fitness and am getting results. Feel free to judge me and say I just have good genes or whatever other excuse you want, but truthfully it all comes down to hard work. I gained 24 pounds during my pregnancy by the time I checked into the hospital in labor. By the time I left, I had only lost 8 lbs. To be fair, I stuffed my face during my stay at the hospital after not eating for over 30 hours... but still. So basically, I had 16 POUNDS OF FAT to lose. The weight didn't just fall off... it took 3 months of sweat and blisters. While I still feel like my mid section could use a little tightening up, I actually weigh less now than I did pre-pregnancy. I'm back into my "skinniest" jeans and feel confident in a swim suit once again. If only my linea nigra would continue to fade, I would have no complaints! Apparently, it takes a lot longer to disappear if you are nursing :(
If I could do this last pregnancy over again, I wouldn't change much to my fitness regimen. I am so glad I was able to continue running throughout my pregnancy! I know not many people are able to continue due to certain risks or discomforts it causes them. I feel lucky, and it definitely kept me sane. I'm glad I kept up with core work as well, because I think it really helped my back stay strong enough to counteract the baby bump during pregnancy. Also, I believe it helped me shrink a lot quicker back to my normal size. I was so thankful I did not have to buy new clothes to fit into before I lost all the weight I gained during pregnancy. Perhaps I wish I had done some speed work or heavier upper body lifting, but after my initial miscarriage scare, I am glad I took that first trimester easier.
I now have other goals in mind. I've always wanted to be a fit mom. But I want to push myself to a better, stronger, faster limit. I want a firmer butt, leaner legs, stronger arms, a tighter core. Even though I'm transitioning into the healthcare field and leaving behind my career as a fitness coach, I don't want to forget something I am passionate about. I would still like to feel confident in my body when people ask me fitness related questions. I still want to encourage people to set healthy goals and see them attain them. I hope to never lose the side of me that craves to be healthy and fit.
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