Training Update: 12 months postpartum

A year ago today THIS is what I looked like:

I was bound and determined to walk myself into labor. Jack, due on the 26th, ended up coming three days late. It is hard to believe that this weekend will mark a full year since giving birth. The first year is such a wonder of development, such a drastic change from an 8lb newborn to the nearly-walking little boy he is today. There's also been a huge change in me too! So I thought it was about time to give one last "postpartum" training update (you can read more of my earlier updates HERE). Things are quite different from the last time I posted an update almost five months ago. At 12 months postpartum, I'd say my body is my own again (although I am still breastfeeding).

Training Schedule: For the most part I'm running 7-10 days between rest days (if you don't count unplanned rest days) my weekly mileage has been around 45-50 miles for the past few weeks. This week is supposed to be my highest mileage week of this training cycle, but I'm not sure it will be since I took an unplanned rest day on Tuesday to give an increasingly tight hamstring a break (think this is due to an abundance of hard/hilly runs recently). Here's what my weekly training looks like:

Monday: Tempo 6-9 miles total. Goal tempo pace: 6:51-7:07. For the last month or so I've been consistently hitting the middle of this range in my tempo runs, with the exception of this Monday. I think due in part to the race on Saturday and lingering tightness in my hamstring my pace hovered in the 7:09 -7:06 range for the run. I'm OK with that. I've also run a tempo interval workout where my goal pace was 6:45-7:00. The workout was 2x2miles. I went into the workout a bit intimidated by the paces I was supposed to run, but ended up nailing it: (6:53,6:48) for the first set and (6:52,6:45) for the second set. That workout was definitely a confidence booster.

Tuesday: Easy/Recovery pace for 8-10 miles. Tuesday's are usually more on the recovery end of things, especially since Monday tempo runs are the hardest of the week.

Wednesday: 2-A-Day. Morning run is 4-6 miles and then track in the evening 4-5 miles, for 9-10 miles total. I've been running twice on Wednesday since June and it's my favorite training day. I love the relaxed run in the morning and it totally warms me up for a great track session in the evening. My track paces and workouts have been right on target if not faster than goal pace. Love the track. Love it.

Thursday: 6-8 Easy or Double stroller run. About half of my last few thursday runs have been with the double. It isn't exactly "easy" so depending on how hard my track workout was the previous day I opt to run or not to run with the stroller. More often than not it is easier to opt out of running with the stroller because in order to get a good, SAFE run of any length in we have to drive 35 minutes to a trail--kind of becomes an all day event.

Friday: 8-9 Easy Usually on the faster end of my easy pace.

Saturday: Long Run try to pick the hilliest route I can and finish fast.

Sunday: 4-5 Shake out or REST. Usually in the afternoon. Lately the afternoon runs have been incredibly enjoyable--great fall weather around here.

Cross Training: Cross training sessions happen about once a week. They almost exclusively core workouts with a few upper back exercises as well. I know that I need to do these core sessions at least twice a week, but they just get pushed aside and replaced with things like laundry or cooking dinner or going to bed at a reasonable time so I can get up and run.

Pelvic Floor: I'm still doing kegels and various other pelvic floor/hip strengthening exercises. I haven't had any "issues" (ie leakage). But do noticed after a hard run that things feel "weakened." For example running down hill with the double stroller. There's something about bracing that much weight (70-80lbs) down a hill, even if its a short one, that makes things feel weak afterwards. But usually a focused session of pelvic floor exercises the next day seems to remedy things and I'm back to normal. I still use the exercises from the Hab-It DVD and would HIGHLY recommend this DVD to anyone everyone who plans on running postpartum.

Dynamic Warmup/Stretching/Foam Rolling: I'm religious about my dynamic warm up. Always. Happens. Stretching, mostly of my hip flexors happens right after my run and then I stretch whatever else feels "pesky." For the most part I've been injury and pain free and the pesky tightness resolves in a day or two. But last week and this week I've been dealing with a really tight hamstring. I think it's due to all the hilly runs I've been doing. But a trip to the massage therapist and chiropractor should clear it up.

Sleep: Jack's been sleeping through the night now since his final surgery in May. With the exception of a few nights a week two ago when he was cutting his molars. So the only lack of sleep I can complain about comes from not going to be early enough.

Jack: Jack is doing great. The surgeries are in the past we recently had a follow up with our surgeon who said everything looks great (as great as a massive scar across your back could look). We will have another follow up in the spring . Jack is just the sweetest kid, nothing phases him. He just goes merrily along with whatever we're doing. He's making steps towards walking, but doesn't seem in a hurry to get there. Although he does have a penchant for climbing things...he keeps me on my toes.

Have you come back to running after a pregnancy? When did you feel your body was your own again?

--Sarah

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