The Mother in Me

(Lilyana and me. Photo By Pete Saloutos)

              Well it has been just over 2 months since Lilyana came into my world. Things have been getting “easier” in the sense that I am now getting used to my new role as a mother. Whether it ever really gets easier is probably up for debate. The biggest change for me has been her sleeping through the night. She will sleep a solid 7 hours from around midnight until 7 or 8 a.m. and I thought getting 4 hours of sleep in a row was amazing! I am now back to being an almost functioning human being.

(2 months old!)

                As far as my training goes I am taking things slow. I still am not feeling the “hunger” to start logging the miles but I get out and run almost every other day and lift at least 2 days per week. Being married to a personal trainer is great because he writes up lifting routines I can do at home so I know I will be able to get it in if I can’t get to the gym. I also am cross training by doing the elliptical or spin bike.

(Adding almost 13 pounds to my strength routine)

The farthest I have run recently is 5 miles. After two nights of Lilyana sleeping 7 hours straight I woke up to feed and change her and when we were done, had an hour before Levi had to be at work so I decided to go for a run. One thing I learned is the importance of fueling when you are breastfeeding. I ate half a PowerBar and drank some water before heading out the door, which prior to pregnancy I would be fine doing this first thing in the morning. My legs felt very heavy at the end of the run, the way they would feel at the end of a very long run when your body is running out of glycogen. This happened on my 5 miler. It also was the earliest I have worked out yet so that may have had something to do with it as well. Breastfeeding takes energy so I need to make sure to stay well hydrated and fueled when I work out.

(In the BOB stroller)

I have been getting better at running with my BOB stroller. It is wonderful to have and works great on runs. I just lock the front wheel (so it doesn’t swivel) and I’m off. In the cooler months I am now putting on the weather shield to keep Lilyana warm. It hasn’t rained on me yet but the weather shield protects against rain and wind so it is great. Running with the stroller did take some getting used to. I try to make sure to keep good form, stand nice and tall, and keep my shoulders relaxed. I noticed a tendency to shrug my shoulders and tense up so am doing better with keeping my upper body relaxed. It is hard for me to over stride with the stroller so that is a plus. I also make sure not to collapse my core when I am running and stay nice and tall. Yes I have pushed the stroller out in front, letting it glide a few steps before I catch it again, but I assure you I am not letting her get out of my control or go careening into the lake, lol.

Running with a stroller is a great way to get you back in shape as it is definitely harder than running without especially on hills! The infant car seat I have is not compatible with my BOB stroller but that has not been a problem. The manufacturer recommends using an infant car seat in the BOB until the baby is 6 months old with good head control. Lilyana already has great head control and I can drop the seat back so she is in a position just like her car seat. I also have another car seat for when she gets older (a convertible seat from infant to 70+ pounds). I took out the padding used for the infant setting and put the insert in the BOB so it really is just like her being in a car seat. However, I only run with her on smooth pavement as I do not feel comfortable with her bouncing along over gravel since I am going against “manufactured recommendations.” This is definitely the first time mom genes coming out. I usually walk to Greenlake then run with her on the paved path. It works out nicely because then I have a warm up and cool down of walking after my run.

(Already putting her to work sorting laundry)

(Keys please.)

 When Lilyana gets in the stroller and we start running she usually just falls right asleep. The only downside to this is when we get home I sometimes want a nap but she is well rested and ready to interact with me and she has a face I can’t say no to. I love “playing” with her and watching her learn new things every day. Something as small as her discovering her own thumb or smiling at me makes me cheer in delight.

I just feel so blessed to have her in my life. I know this has been said before but I now know it to be true, it seems the things I once held as “important” in my life before having Lilyana, now seem so frivolous and unimportant. That is not to say I regret or am taking away from any of my accomplishments from my past, it’s just that I am opening a new chapter in my life and I couldn’t be more excited about what is in store.  I do plan to continue competing if I am able and I still have goals outside of being a mother but if for some reason that part of my life is over I am completely fine with it. I have no regrets and feel very at ease with the changes in my life. Perhaps this new perspective will help me in my competitions and make me stronger than ever. I was never defined by being just a runner, athlete, worker, etc. so it does not feel like I am losing any part of me. In fact it feels the opposite. I have discovered this other amazing side of me that I never knew existed. It didn’t take any work or soul searching on my part and I can name the day I felt the change. It happened on August 21^st, 2013 at 2:31a.m.