Sunday Runday: First Postpartum Run

After 7.5 weeks I'm officially back!  I actually thought I would be back a lot sooner.  I mean, after my first pregnancy I was running again at 3 weeks.  And I was still running at 40 weeks.  Heck, I went on a 2 mile walk the day I went into labor.

But this time around, it was not to be.  At 3 weeks, I was still bleeding, so I wasn't going to add in running.  I decided to wait until my 6 week appointment. 

At that appointment, I wasn't exactly given the all clear.  Everything was healed.  Everything was back in place.  But my bladder was still a little week.  I was given instructions that I could resume everything, but jumping.  No jumping jacks.  No burpees.

"Do your kegels for about 2 weeks, and then you should be fine."

"What about running?"

"I would take it slow.  You'll know if it's too soon, because you'll start leaking, or feel things falling."

Feel things falling?  Like that's not a terrifying thought.  If there's anything that's going to keep me from starting back to soon it's the thought of organs falling out of my body and onto the pavement.

So I went home and instead of kegels I did squats.  Lots of squats.  Every day. 

And almost 2 weeks later, the perfect opportunity arose for me to try out my legs.  We were doing a beach day.  Now, as any of you who are long time readers know, Thatboy and I came up with a great routine for beach days whenever I'm training for a half marathon.  He plays with Thatkid while I run, I play with Thatkid while he surfs.  I checked to see if he thought he could handle both boys, and when he said yes, I tucked my running shoes into the beach bag.

I didn't want to go too far, first because I hadn't run in about 8 weeks.  Second because I wasn't sure when Thatbaby would need to eat again.  While we set up our beach gear, I came up with the perfect test run route.  We had forgotten to bring cornstarch.  There was a Whole Foods a little over half a mile away.  "I'm just going to run to Whole Foods, grab some cornstarch, and head back."  And that's exactly what I did.

I was only 1.2 miles total, but it was hot and humid and I definitely felt it!  But at the same time, it felt good to be out again.  I didn't push myself speed-wise, I know that will come along with distance, but it was nice to have some "me time" again.  To feel my muscles working, and to develop that sweat that comes from exertion and not hormones.   No leaking.  Nothing falling out.

Now that I got the first one out of the way, I just need to figure out a good time to work regular runs back into the schedule.