Friday, March 16, 2012

What it's come to now


A mama's gotta do what a mama's got to do!  My husband has been out of town for the last 8 days (comes home in 38 hours and 23 minutes....I mean 2 days or so) and I've actually done really well getting either a trainer ride or short run with the baby in the Chariot in each day while my other kids are at school or a playdate.  Until today that is.  It's getting late and I hate to give up my sleep to ride once sweet baby is asleep for the night, so I thought I'd try this.
Yeah she didn't really go for it.  We lasted about 2 minutes.  Darn.  I tried right?

So yep, getting back into things again, I mean not like usual training but more than walking the kids to school and back.  Tried to run about 2.5 weeks postpartum like I have before, and I don't mean for miles, I was hoping to do 1/4 mile walk/run intervals (don't think speed here), but it just didn't feel right.  I've always heard that you really need to let the pelvic floor heal well in those first few months for it to heal and behave well forever for you, so when it didn't feel right I respected it and only walked.
Well this week I decided to try again adding some running to my walking and it felt good actually!  I can feel some strain in my lower abs which can be expected, but things are reasonable otherwise.  I won't try to show off or look like superwoman here, but want to be realistic for other very active/athlete moms out there.  I've been walking 3 miles briskly (that means minus kiddos, they play in the bleachers while I walk around the track with the trailer or they stay home with Dad) 3-4 times/wk since about 2 weeks, and just this week at 4 weeks I did three 1/2 mile running sections with 1/4-1/2 mile walks in between.  Yep, no straight 3 miles running right now.  I bet I'll be there in a few weeks, but I'm trying to be cautious.  I don't have any real race wishes until about 2 months from now so I'm ok taking it slow.
I also jumped back on the tri bike on the trainer last week.  You'll recall I did the spin bike at the gym a lot that last trimester since I didn't want to change my tri bike fit to accommodate my big ol belly.  So I really haven't been on my tri bike in, hmmmm, 6 months or so!  It feels good!  Less annoying to the remaining pubic symphysis pain I've dealt with this time around that is still lingering just a little, and easier to push harder.  I can ride much closer to normal vs running close to normal right now.  Yeah the first few rides were a little tender, but I attribute my cooperative lady parts to a birth without meds, in the tub, good perineal support from the midwife, and gravity assisted (not laying down) and not too long pushing.

It's taking some getting used to again being super time efficient.  I mean I've always had to be, but where I have 3 trips a day to take and pick kids up from school, and a napping baby that is going to need me and only me when she wakes up there's no time to hang around on the computer or wonder what I should do, what I should wear, where I should go, etc.  Another reason I love the trainer, so convenient to have it downstairs ready to go.  I have loved getting out in the unseasonably warm sunshine this week though and don't mind pushing the Chariot when there's only a baby in it.  Anyway, seems like many friends are getting ready for a quickly approaching race season.  Hope training is going well and your early season races are great!  I'd be more ancy to join you if it wasn't for my warm cuddly baby; much easier to handle not racing right now than with an injury  :)