The journey back has begun. It is a very slow journey, but I'm okay with that. The simple fact that I am moving in that direction is enough for me, and I sort of relish the challenge. I know it will be slow, I know it may be difficult, but I just had a baby (which is way cool in my book) and I've never been on this journey before. So I'm curious, interested and excited about this new experience. I'm being careful and listening to my body, but... let me just say after having Eloise naturally I feel sort of hard core. I look at my future marathons and my next 50 mile and I think, "Yeah, I'm coming for you ..."
So a few days ago Mom came and I took that opportunity to go for a walk. It was the first walk I took on my own and it was lovely! Not that Eloise's and Jason's company isn't great, but there is also something about being alone with my thoughts outside in the sunshine getting some exercise... it was wonderful. While I was walking I decided I wanted to try to run, just to see what it felt like. I ran for about 2-3 minutes during my 1.3 mile walk and it felt good.
Two days later Mom came again and I went for a longer walk. I walked 3 miles and ran 1.5 miles of it. It was AMAZING. It was very hot and I think that is what caused me to stop and walk that last mile more than fatigue or anything, but I was very pleased with that workout all the same. It felt great to be outside, running, getting my heart rate up and sweating! I came home and hopped in the shower before Eloise needed to eat again.
This Saturday I had some sweet family coming to meet Eloise for the first time and I knew I'd be too tired in the afternoon to tackle a hot walk or run, so I decided that if I had a good night with Eloise, I would not go back to bed after her early morning feeding, but head out for a quick walk or run before my guests arrived. I ran the plan by Jason so he'd know I might do that. Sure enough, we had a great night. Eloise let me get 3+ hour stretch of sleep so after I fed her, I changed into my running clothes and headed out. The morning was 70 degrees and a little humid, but it was still much cooler than my other mid-afternoon runs, so it felt great.
The sun was just coming up and the sky was all shades of pink, orange, purple and blue. It had been a while since I saw such a gorgeous sunrise and I smiled as I warmed up. I walked for about 3 minutes before I started to jog. My running pace was anywhere from 10:00-12:00 minute pace depending on if I was running up a hill or on a flat stretch of road. I ran the rest of the way, making my run a little over 2.5 miles for the 3 mile jaunt.
I came home to a baby who had moved from her little chair where she sleeps to her dad's arms. I quickly hopped in the shower before she awoke again and wanted her breakfast. It felt amazing to be up, awake, refreshed by my run and a shower. I fed my little girl and made a cup of coffee.
I didn't run or walk on Sunday, but I plan to get out and do something today. I am soooooo ready for the cooler temperatures to arrive so that these mid-day run/walks can be a little more enjoyable. For now I'm too excited about getting back to it to care much about the heat, but it does slow things down and cause me to have to be a bit more careful. I'm staying super hydrated and still eating plenty to keep up with Eloise's breastfeeding needs.
And that, my friends, is the beginning of my journey back!
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