This baby girl may only be three weeks old, but she has already completed her first marathon. Although I have crossed the finish line of dozens of half marathons and ten full marathons - I couldn't be prouder of my finishing time at Grandma's Marathon this past year. I had started my second trimester in June and crossed the finish line in under five hours with this little peanut in my tummy. This was my slowest 26.2 mile journey to date. But I finished with my husband at my side and our peanut in my tummy.
I actually carried her with me for many of my 900+ miles logged in 2015. She was my motivation to keep moving during my pregnancy and continue being "me" as my waistline expanded and my body changed. With my other two pregnancies I didn't run or workout, even after I discovered running. I gained twice as much weight, felt frumpy in my maternity clothes and felt sluggish and unmotivated. This time, I wanted to feel like myself. And, I did. I wanted to experience a healthy pregnancy not just for me, but for both of us. I wanted to fight the gestational diabetes that I was confronted with again. I pushed myself and my body as smart and safely as I could. I ran until I was 34 weeks and no longer felt comfortable to do so. When it no longer became fun or enjoyable, I switched to walking the dog.
I believe that running made my delivery easier and that my body has recovered faster because of my dedication the past nine months. I was able to return to running shortly after she was two weeks old. And now I not only have this memorable finisher's medal hanging among the others ... I also have our beautiful baby girl.
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