I can't believe Monday is here already! We had a wonderful weekend full of family, friends, not so good football, and a great 10 mile run! This was probably the furthest I've ran in a good two years and definitely a challenge 4 months post-partum. 

I geared up for my run by downloading Spotify's Top 100 Country Songs. I normally run to a little Beyoncé, Iggy, and Kesha, but I just wasn't feeling them when I woke up on Saturday. I decided to download a new playlist while I was feeding Belle bright and early at 5:15 AM. At least she guarantees I never sleep through my runs. :)

Upbeat Country music was the perfect soundtrack for my run through the back roads of good 'ol College Station.


 

It was nice to run without sucking exhaust or jumping out of the way of cars the entire time. It gave me some good time to think and reflect.

In some ways running after having a baby feels the same as running before a baby (you still put one foot in front of the other after all), but in other ways it feels totally different. 

These days, I feel twice as accomplished after finishing a long run. After literally making a whole new human, I have a new found respect for how strong this body of mine can be. It's hard to believe sometimes, it can feed a whole other person, run 10 miles straight, swing a kettlebell, and teach multiple classes in a day. I ask a lot from it, and normally it delivers. For that, I am even more thankful now.

Now, running isn't just about logging the miles, but about logging a little me time. Running has always cleared my head, but now that I'm needed by a tiny human 24/7, it is even that much more therapeutic. I try to really treasure my running time and reflect on all that I have to be thankful for, brainstorm new ideas, dream about the future, or just totally zone out for a few minutes. The last one is an extra special gift these days.

Training for this race has given me an even greater sense of strength. I want to prove to myself that being a mom makes me stronger, it doesn't hold me back physically. Although, I probably won't PR this race, I am going to feel da** proud to finish it a few days shy of 5 months post-partum. 

Every run gives me the opportunity to set a healthy example for my beautiful daughter. I want her to grow up valuing health and fitness and knowing she can do absolutely anything she sets her mind to! I want her to see that hard work and dedication pay off rather you are training for a race or studying to get into Harvard. If you go for it and truly believe it will happen, it will.

Last but not least, I have learned you have to be kind to your body. I didn't have the easiest pregnancy and some of my joints still like to remind me of that every time I hit mile 6 or so. I have had to learn how to rest more and give my body time to recover. Not an easy task for me, but it's a work in progress. I have also discovered that no matter how much you try to push through, sleep deprivation will take a toll on your training. I have had crappy runs and had to skip runs all together on nights Belle kept me up, but that's OK. The race will go on, and I'll soak up a few more baby cuddles while I can! For a super type A person, these have been hard lessons to learn.

Sometimes I wonder if trying to run a half-marathon this quickly post-partum was a smart idea considering the joint issues I had during my pregnancy. But then I realize that no matter what my time ends up being, training for a race as a new mommy has been a wonderful gift that I would not trade. It has given me a sense of normal in a crazy time, and forced me to take a little time to myself even when I didn't want to. So in three weeks, I will lace up my sneaks and hit the trails for 13.2 miles and think about my swet tiny human and what a gift she has been the whole time.


After the run on Saturday morning, we grabbed lunch with some friends and then headed up towards campus for the game. We got there just in time to watch the Corps of Cadets lead them team in. I love their cold weather uniforms! They look even more impressive than they usually do, which is a hard thing to accomplish.

To say it was cold and wet was an understatement. From kick-off until we got back in the car, some kind of moisture was falling from the sky the entire time. That didn't stop the A&M student section from showing up in full force though!


I had on two pairs of tights, a cold gear top, a pullover, down jacket, E's jacket, a scarf, ugg boots, ear warmers, and a poncho. I was actually pretty comfortable until the last quarter when the rain started to soak through my tights. I"m sure anyone from up north is thinking I'm a big wheeny, and you're right!


Unfortunately, it was a pretty dissapointing game with the Aggies losing in the 4th quarter. You win some you lose some right? It was still a great weekend of family and fun.

Here's to another great week!

Did you do any training runs this weekend? How did they go?

Anybody else sit through yucky weather at a football game?

In health,