Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Postpartum running a week six update.

It's great to finally be running again. I just started up again about two weeks ago and I feel as if I'm starting from scratch. The best part about it is that I'm in the honeymoon stage, every run is wonderful and I'm happy to be at it again.

Last month when I went to my two week postpartum check up with my OBGYN, I asked when would it be ok to start running.  The Dr. told me that it would be fine to start light exercise and whenever I felt up to running to "go for it".  At two weeks postpartum my body still felt like it had been through a meat grinder.  I was dealing with healing from a c-section and not getting much sleep.  Running was still a figment of my imagination.  But, as time went on I began to feel a little better each day.

Two weeks later I was ready to go for my first run. I ran two miles and I felt clumsy and awkward.  My glutes,  hamstrings, and calves were tingling.  I was barley cranking out a 10:30 mile. My lungs burned and I thought "wow this is hard work". But, the endorphin high that I had missed for many months was back and I was over the moon happy. The next day was a rest day, and the day after that I ran another two miles on the treadmill. That first week back I was following  a one day run, one day of rest schedule. I don't want to push myself too hard.

Two weeks later I am now up to four miles at a time. My pace is now in the high 9 minute range.  I'm trying not to ask to much out of my body right now. I just have to remember that it will be  a slow progression back to where I used to be.

I'm fitting in my workouts whenever I can. The baby is on a pretty good schedule. She's not sleeping through the night just yet. But, she's a pretty good sleeper. I can run first thing in the morning before my husband leaves for work, or when both kids are down for a nap. I go back to work in a little less than three weeks and I'm getting worried about where I will find time to run. I guess I will cross that bridge when I get there.

Here are some pictures of my little Rachel.
One week old

Six weeks old.