Back after baby (Read 703 times)

November 2007 I decided to get fit and decided running would be my best option. I'd run a little a few years before and really enjoyed it. Last April I reached 8 miles as my long run, running about 20 or so miles a week all in preparation to run a half marathon in late summer early fall. I hadn't picked the half yet before getting my long run up to 12 miles. My pace was about 9.5 minutes a mile on long runs, I ran a 3k in 27 minutes on March 15. I lost 30 pounds during the process and really felt great. First weekend in May, I ran like I had cement feet. I couldn't get past 3.5 miles. Go to the doctor and find out I'm pregnant. Totally unexpected - married 13 years no baby. Get fit through running - baby. Anyway, I started out this week to run again. Baby's four months old and I'm doing great but still sitting at over 160 pounds. Breastfeeding does not suck the pounds off for me anyway. I ran a mile straight on the first day. My pace is somewhere around 12 minutes a mile but I'm not worried. I run for a distance and worry about time at the end. It just works better for me that way. I am starting with a couple of 2 mile runs a week and a three mile run tomorrow. I used to run every other day, the weekend run always the long run. I figure I'll do what I did before, slowly lengthen the runs, increasing a little each week. Any hints of how to proceed would be appreciated.

Of course, I have never been in your situation..........but...........since i've stopped and started running so many times after injuries, I still feel somewhat qualified to put in my $.02 for what ever its worth. The most important thing is to increase your mileage with caution and really listen to your body - if you really feel tired or wiped sometimes you NEED your run and other times you really need to take a day off......In your case you already have experience and so you probably know how you ought to be feeling. As you mentioned you're a little slower and heavier then you were (to be expected) so don't get a crazy and wired up about how fast you are or are now.... On the many times when i came back from running, I tend to prefer running more days per week but less miles.....so my advice is to go something like: M - Rest T-1 W - 2 T -1 F - Rest S - 1 S - 1 or similar type of running and slowly build from there....I think in summary -- be cautious, run slow and make sure you are enjoying it and you ought to be OK...

Thanks for the advice. I ran today and it took almost 38 minutes for 3 miles but I only needed a walk break once today and after a mile and a half. I was just looking through my first runs in November 2007 and I'm doing better than than so I do think there is some residual fitness. But I can feel my weight I am going to go very very slowly on increasing distance. I had one injury in February last year and that was due to over use. I walked over five miles for work on a leg that was sore from running and was laid up for two weeks. That taught me to really listen to my body. I like knowing 6 to 7 months is a reasonable goal to being back to where I was.

Hey, I am in the same situation. Baby is 3 months and I am desperately trying to get back in the running game. Again, I would say just listen to your body and slow down every time you get a niggle. But then, I am being really cautious as I had a stress fracture for over a year prior to getting pregnant and I have never run longer than 8 weeks without injury. This week I will have been running for over 8 weeks and I have a whole heap of niggles (right knee, left shin, right ankle) that are slowing me down in pace, frequency and distance - but I am still running and seem to be being sensible enough to keep everything ticking over. I was shockingly slow the one time I timed a run and I learned a valuable lesson from that - leave the watch at home! Good luck. Babies are great and I figure worth every extra pound they attach to you!!!

Quite frankly, swimming costs too much both in time and money where I live. I used to swim every other day and loved it while at University but once I graduated with my Master's in 2002, I didn't have access to the pool and the local YMCA's hours just don't work with as well. I can get a swim in at the weekend if I'm lucky. Private health clubs are way too expensive. I enjoy swimming and buy a pass in the summer for Boise's outdoor pools. I do know where I want to be in five years - I want to be consistantly running around 20 miles per week and ocassionally more in preparation for a half marathon once or twice a year. That was my goal before the baby and it still is. I usually walk three to four miles with the baby on my non running days - when I run I like to run. I tired running every day the first time I got into running about five years ago and disliked it.