Returning to Running: Post Labor and Deivery

Wow. It has never been such a challenge to consecutively run 2 miles. However, I have to look at it like this: Rewind to October of 2012. Hand myself a 19 lb pack of meat. Throw in some hills. Weaken my muscles and make my legs a bit wobbly. Then run. I doubt I'd be able to run the 10 or so miles I was doing.......

Beautiful 2.26 mile run this morning at the LA Arboretum 

But really.....it is a whole new game running post delivery. A whole new body. Since delivery (6/23), I dropped 22 pounds but I have 19 still to go in order to get to pre-pregnancy weight. That 19 lbs is pretty significant when it comes to running. It is that much harder to get up hills, up steps, up curbs and frankly, to just keep going. My ankles and legs aren't as strong but that is to be expected after a 9 month hiatus.

At my 6 week postpartum checkup I got the go-ahead to get back into marathon training. Well, get back isn't really the right term here....lets shift that to "start-from-square-one-on-marathon-training".  While I have a couple of halfs under my belt (and tons of 10 and 5ks), a marathon is one that I have yet to do. LA 2013 was supposed to be my first but a quarter into the training season I found out I was expecting and due to health reasons and general common sense, I nixed any ideas of running pregnant. I know some women are able to sustain running, but it wasn't for me. Lord knows, I trip enough sans belly. I didn't want anything bad to happen...

So I have started to run. It has been so exciting to get back into it. Also very humbling in managing new limitations to a body that was capable of much more not even a year back. Well....capable of things related to running....having a baby was kind of the ultimate in seeing what amazing things we ladies are capable of! ;)

2 and 3 mile runs are where I'm at now after a couple weeks in. My goal is to be up to 4 miles by September 14 so that I can join the Pasadena Pacers for the start of the LA Marathon 2014 training season. I'll be jotting progress down here for me and anyone else interested in running post baby. 

Cactus and Succulent Show at the LA Arboretum

With my folks in town, I decided to show them the beautiful grounds of the LA Arboretum. Unbeknown to us, there was a cactus show on site for the weekend. It was a tremendous treat! My mom is even more into cacti than I so it really was a perfect way to spend the morning. Here are some highlights: