Holding Back

So my little guy is 5 months old, and what an amazing, sweet, cuddly 5 months it has been. He is so big and doing so many things already and I am thinking, "SLOW DOWN!" But of course he won't. He is a smiley, happy, roly poly boy who loves to eat, loves to jabber, loves to be tickled and attempts to crawl any time he is on his belly.

Tuesday I did my second post baby 6 miler and tackled my first post baby big hill. There are a few mean hills around my hood that I like to climb when trying to become stronger, and this was the first day since Matthew was born that I attempted one. It went wonderfully!  I felt good and strong enough to handle it.  I did a loop at the top of the hill, then ran back down and back home. Around the last half mile my calves started to feel a little tired, but that was it.

I was pretty excited about that run, but in the first few miles, as I decided what route I would take and how many miles I would tackle, I sort of had to give myself permission to push a little.  I've been holding back these past 5 months, but with good reasons.  I didn't want to become sore or injured as I started my journey back. I didn't want to wear myself out so that I was too tired to be a good mom to my little ones (what a physical job that is too!). I'm also protecting my milk supply, and so armed with these reasons, I've kept my workouts short while trying to keep them a little more intense.  No long slogs to try to add mileage, but quick 3-5 milers. And as I mentioned above, I've only bumped it up to 6 miles twice, and both times the run felt great.

As I journey back to running, my strategy and focus are both a little different than after my first child was born. I really want to savor these days with these babies, knowing and seeing already how fast they grow and change.. I don't want to be too tired to play and I don't want to be impatient if nap times or night times don't work out for me to fit in a run.  I want to be fit, sure, but I want to be a good mom, enjoy my babies, and take care of my family and home.

A perk of training this way is most of my runs feel pretty good because I am rarely worn down. I usually feel fresh going into a run unless sleep or eating hasn't been optimal. I've been doing some strength training as well, and while only making tiny strides in that department, I think it has aided me in holding on to a better pace. I know I wasn't running my current pace (sub 9:00 - 9:30) any time soon after having Eloise because I kept adding mileage, making most of my runs longer, harder, and very frustrating.

Now, however, I think I'm ready for a bit more in my daily workout.  I'm ready to push a little.  I'm thinking about adding in a once-a-week speed workout and allowing for more 6 milers. I think my current fitness level can handle an increase.  I'm also pulling out my Jillian Michaels videos and letting her kick my butt a little. Man, you really think you are in shape until Jillian gets a hold of you and wow!  Today I did a 20 minute kickboxing workout followed by a 30 minute ab workout. I was trying to avoid the outside heat and thought this was a better (easier?) option but I was pouring sweat and breathing hard!  It was GREAT!

So that's where I am now.  I'm trying to simply enjoy running while I enjoy motherhood. I'm trying to build a strong, fit, and healthy base for when I do start training for something - probably sometime in the fall. For now, I am satisfied with that plan.