My first run A.D.

Today E turned 6 weeks (A.D. = After Delivery) and I decided to celebrate this major milestone by… running! It has been 4,5 months now since I stopped running/moving/exercising so regardless my state of mind (“I have to run or I go nuts!”) I promised myself to take it very very very very easy.

My plan was basically just to run round the block and see if I can manage to run for 10 minutes or so. The idea was to get up really early – not to scare pedestrians and other people on their way to work and not to wake E up. Of course plans are there to be ruined. E woke up the moment I moved towards the bathroom. So instead of testing the physical abilities of my deteriorating body under the shadow of dawn, I was feeding her, changing her nappy, feeding again, cuddling her to sleep, changing the nappy and feeding yet again.

Cut – one hour later:

Finally I managed to put on the running shoes and pants (Are these mine? They are soooo small!) and even remembered to pick the Garmin (all covered in dust on the shelf in my study) and actually left the house.

The streets were already filling up with dog walkers and kids on their way to school but heeey, who is the runner here? With my new postnatal pace (8 min per km) I waddled towards the nearest park…. The misery of hanging breasts, sore legs and tiny lungs followed me all the way but I knew that it was just a temporary feature. The endorphins would strike in soon. Or not?

After 1 km, I was tired but it was not worse than after the first 100 m so what else was there to do but run further? For three reasons, I regretted not to have the stroller with E in front of me:

1.     I could have used it to support myself as I was running;

2.    The people watching me would understand that I am not yet another good weather fat wannabe runner but I have a baby to blame for the miserable shape of my body;

3.    I would have felt less guilty for leaving E at home with V, crying.

After yet another km I realized I did not bring my iPod with me so I started looking for some suitable tune in my own memory. And there it came, the Flying Circus mobile that is hanging above E’s bed to help her to fall asleep (ehm – not working!), with 4 little elephants turning there, singing… how peaceful…

One more bridge and 2 more crossroads and here I am, after 3.6 km back at home, happy and just on time to feed again!

4 weeks that changed my world

Tomorrow E will reach an important milestone: 4 weeks with us!

If you ask me, our life has changed in every possible way. But what’s more important: E is changing so much! Every day she looks a bit different: she grows, smiles, moves, makes noises. We still maintain a small beam of hope that she will learn to SLEEP as well…

Little by little I am thinking about the running shoes hidden deep in the dark corner of our shoe cabinet, about my running shorts (that won’t fit, I am sure) and a sweat shirt… So far my attempts to get my body back to shape remain at a low-level short stroller walks in the neighborhood but rumor goes that in the near future, a couple of running minutes each day should be doable.  Dear readers, get ready for my next post reporting on ‘How I started running again.’