Monday, January 11, 2016

Of Not Running While Pregnant

Many people have asked over the past few weeks how I'm doing without running as a part of my life. Ever since my OB encouraged me to stop all extra forms of activity and sit as much as possible (due to the suspicion of premature contractions at 26 weeks), I've been doing just that.


I'm going to be straight up honest - yes, it's a huge bummer....BUT I'm learning to love this season of my life that I'm in right now cause that's all it is - a season. It will have an end! Will I ever reach another point in my life when I'm told to be lazy (and it's ok)? Probably not. As a friend of mine (also a mom three, one of those being a set of twins) told me, "ENJOY this time now...you'll NEVER be lazy again"...and she's right and I'm OK with that!!

For almost seven years, the thoughts of training runs have daily been on the back of my mind. How many miles do I need to run today? How far am I going now? Running has been my sanity, a way to calm my brain after a crazy day. I'll admit, the Disney Marathon this past weekend really gave me the itch to run another full in the future. I've been toying with the idea of running Goofy again for at least a year now...and this weekend really helped kick that urge in high gear. Was I jealous of everyone running this weekend? Absolutely not. My husband and I spent several years hoping and praying for this season of our lives, and I'm just taking it one day at a time. Did I hope to be able to run throughout my entire pregnancy? YES. However, I almost made it to the third trimester before hitting pause and I'm ever so grateful for that! A song by Mandisa keeps coming back to me and I think it's fitting for where I'm at right now - "Cause every minute, every hour...everyday is such a gift and I'm content....I'm thankful for each breath. I'll learn to love these days."

Content...that word describes exactly how I feel. Besides, I've gotten SO much done around my house (from a seated position of course). Combining eight year's worth of stuff between two people to empty out an entire room and make room for one more has not been an easy task. It's required a lot of purging and donating, but it's coming together slowly but surely. Having every afternoon to accomplish that goal has helped so much!

I've also enjoyed filling my afternoons with other things - like dinner with friends, baby shower planning (for one of my best friends), and baby things (like classes...we have our first one today)!

I've said all that to say - do I miss running? Yes...but it's not an all consuming thought in the back of my mind on a daily basis. I've enjoyed filling my afternoons and evenings with other things and I know that running will be there for me when I am ready to return! It's just another part of life and I'm learning to roll with the punches and be content in the stage of life I'm in now! The encouragement from you guys has also been incredible so thank you!! :)

Have you ever been sidelined from running (for any reason...injury, pregnancy, etc)? What did you do to fill your time?

4 comments:

  1. You have such a good attitude! I've never really enjoyed reading pregnancy posts (mostly because I can't relate and some of it scares me) but I enjoy reading yours. Your excitement and joy come through in your words. I've taken plenty of breaks from running but they always feel odd. Like you, I've had plenty of weeks of training and it's strange to have weekends without xx miles. Hope you're feeling well! -C

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  2. Glad to hear you're enjoying your down time! Currently sidelined for the same reason as you (and I think it was also around 26 weeks due to contractions). I've had my fair share of missing running, especially with the marathon weekend, but I know that it's just for a short time and the reason is well worth it. All in all, the break has given me a renewed sense of motivation, something I had lost before getting pregnant. :)

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  3. I've only taken a long time off due to a serious injury. It was scary because I didn't know if I would be able to run again.

    You will!!

    It's almost over.

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  4. Ahh, yes I'm learning to feel content in the moment too since running is a no go! Enjoy being "lazy." I was right there with you watching all the RunDisney posts having the itch too, but also knowing when rest is important. I'm filling my time by reading ALOT and learning a lot about things I never knew.. Enjoy your time off and not thinking about all those crazy training runs!

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