How long will it take to recover?


Photo Source: Vectorstock.com
Part 1: 
How long did you wait after childbirth to try running again?

Gina: Both deliveries were C-sections.  Healthcare providers said to wait 4-6 weeks, so I waited exactly 4 weeks to the day. I started with walk/runs.

Cathy: I was running within the 1st week after giving birth to all my kids.

Jackie: I started running 4 miles a day on a treadmill at 3 weeks postpartum.

Becky: I ran for the first time around 10 weeks postpartum.

Reesa: I ran home from the hospital after each of my children were born. (!!!!)


What the internet says: 

Wait 6 weeks/Get approved by your doctor first. (Lindberg, 2021)


My reflection: Most healthcare providers say to wait 4-6 weeks. I don't think this is something that we need to rush into. Listen to your body!


Part 2

How soon after your child was born, did you race again?

Cathy: My first race after child 1 was I think a half marathon 11 months later. I ran a PB and a full [marathon] 3 months after that (also a PB). First race after kid 2 was a full 11 months after. After the 3rd, I found a new love in CrossFit...

Gina: 1st pregnancy 11 months, half marathon, 2nd pregnancy 11 months, 54km ultra (woo-hoo).  Although, the second time around I had more confidence in getting back to racing earlier.

Reesa: I ran marathons within a few months of deliveries. 

Becky & Jackie have not had a chance to race post-childbirth yet, because all races have been canceled due to the pandemic.


What the internet says: “I definitely feel a lot stronger from going through the whole pregnancy and delivery,” says Desirae Piccoli, a New Jersey runner who gave birth in 2016. “My pain tolerance is a lot higher.” And Hein set a marathon PR nine months after having her first child. (Runners World, 2021)

"New moms might also experience a psychological boost from the delivery process. “There are women who might realize that if they can give birth, they can tough it out in a race, too,” Pivarnik said". (Runner's World, 2016)

My reflection: Some runners come back and run faster post-childbirth. Many people chalk it up to higher pain tolerance in comparison to childbirth, my friends and I call it "Mommy-speed". Certainly, one should not rush back into training for a marathon. I am certainly not going to rush back into racing again. I plan to train properly before re-entering the racing scene again

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Welcome!

Hello and welcome to my blog about training for a marathon post-childbirth.  My name is Alice Sherwin. I am a runner and teacher from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Running is my passion. It keeps me happy and balanced in my personal and professional life. I have run 8 full marathons (Personal best 3:00:47) and 20+ half marathons (Personal best 1:23:36). I have been running competitively since 2007. I am currently expecting my first child, due in early September and I am uncertain what that will mean for my future running. I am certainly not the first runner to have child, so my goal is to speak with other runners and medical professionals who might be able to weigh in on how the best is to return to running post childbirth. Most of the advice online is aimed towards recreational runners, but  I would like to create a step-by-step guide of how to get back to a competitive marathon in a healthy way. This is a project is based on my personal interest and I will use it to motivate m...
Read more

Putting It All Together - The Running Program

This is a tentative running plan, which means that there is room for flexibility and change. When making this program, I used previous running plans that I have used when coming back from injury. I feel that I have given myself a lot of time to ease back in to training, although I am prepared to slow it down even more if needed. In previous marathon training cycles, I have worked with my coach (my awesome husband) to come up with a plan, schedule, and workouts. I have used our regular marathon mileage and schedule in the second half of this program. I am also planning to work with my midwife, doctor, pelvic floor physio, regular physiotherapist for other issues (knees, back, shins, etc.), and massage therapists throughout this journey. When training for marathons previously, I have followed the schedule of running one long run, one interval workout, and one tempo every week. I also usually take one day off per week to allow for recovery. The other running days are negotiable. In the pa...
Read more

In Conclusion

Image
This project became a lot more extensive than I had planned. In retrospect, I think I could have interviewed my running friends OR done all of the other research, made the running program, etc. Throughout the production of this blog I have found myself in a state of "flow" several times. "Flow" refers to high levels of intrinsic motivation, concentrated effort, and positive mood  (Mehta & Fine, 2019, p.262) . It's the feeling you get when you are really excited about what you are learning, and you don't want to do anything else. I have been enraptured with this topic that I have been sharing my findings with running partners, co-workers, and family members. I feel that I have only touched the 'tip of the iceberg' when it comes to how it's going to be to have a child in September. Although I have spent [many] hours on this project, I think it will be useful for me to read and follow in this next chapter of my life and I hope it may also help s...
Read more