My First Postpartum Run

Oh my goodness, I can't stop laughing at the title of this post.

Run.

Ha.

I'm not sure we can call what I did a "run". It was more of a brisk  slightly faster than normal pace walk. Ohio has a great trail system so we often like to check out the local trails for family runs and bike rides. I've mostly just walked slowly with the baby but last night, last night I thought I would jog. I'm 6 weeks postpartum, I can do crazy things like that, right?

And it went about as terribly as you can imagine.

You know that feeling when you run and you're in a groove and your legs just seem to move on their own, like air.

Yea, that didn't happen at all. It was like a herd of elephants stamping up the trail. My legs felt like I had 20...no...30 pound weights on them.The deflated balloon that is now my postpartum belly was jiggling like it's never jiggled before. I made it a total of about 20 feet each time before my heavy breathing almost took out people in the opposing direction and I thought  it safest for all involved I just walk for a second. And by walk, I mean go ever so slightly slower than I currently was, because, well, my jog wasn't really much more than a walk pace. Somehow, I thought it'd be a good idea to "jog" just a little more and each time, my knees almost buckled under the stress.

Even better, I ran the first few months of my pregnancy so it's not like it's been THAT long since I was a somewhat physically fit person. Ok, so most of the winter I sat on my couch complaining about the thought of going outside, but I remember quite a few brisk November days jogging around the pond by our house. I would have considered that a jog.

I do not consider what I did last night a jog.

That blue dot in the distance would be Tom, who was actually running. Thank goodness because I could have never kept up with the kids on their bikes, who are in front of him, at my lightening speed pace!

So for all you new moms out there, thinking about getting back in the game, and then feeling more like hiding under the covers a few weeks longer while your belly hopefully goes back to a somewhat normal size. You're not alone. I'm right here with you! It will probably take me a few days to build up the self esteem to go out in public again, but I will do it. Heck, I might even go for another run this week.

And by run, I mean walk around my block. Slowly. As to not cause destruction to the neighbors houses.