In October of 2011, I had my first baby, a beautiful baby girl named Maura. She and this pregnancy were a miracle after struggling with infertility issues. I ran up until I was 30 weeks pregnant and couldn’t wait until my 6 week recovery was over after giving birth to start back up with my running.
And, OK, I’ll admit it, I may have started back running at more like 5 weeks or so. My goal was to complete a half marathon b
y the time Maura was around that 6 months old mark. I registered for Charlotte RaceFest in April 2012. I had done this half marathon in 2010 and I was psyched at the thought of being able to do it again.
Being a busy, working mom with an infant training for a half marathon was tough, but training was going great. My baby weight was melting off and I was feeling so awesome about the positive example that I was setting for my daughter.
Then, at about a month before the race, runner’s disaster struck: a tweaked ankle! I had been out running with my one dog and a truck pulling a boat passed us, she freaked out and ended up tripping me. 3 rest days… 5 rest days… nothing, still hurt A TON!
So, I ended up at the doctor. I explained my situation and how important this race was to me. The doctor asked me if there was any way that he could talk me out of the race. I let him know honestly that there probably wasn’t and he said, “Let’s figure out how to get you to that finish line then.”
I was told not to run again until race day, but to do plenty of low-intensity workouts. He gave me an ankle brace to wear and some pretty intense muscle relaxants. I was nervous and anxious but feeling positive that I would still be able to meet my goal and thankful to have some workable solutions.
I followed all of the doctor’s instructions and fast forward to race day. I was feeling good and ready! It was a tough race with a tough course. I finished in 2:26. This was not a true PR for me on the half but it was something even better, it was my mommy PR! And, my sweet baby girl was waiting for my hugs and kisses at the finish line. And, of course, she had on a shirt that said “My mommy ran 13.1 miles today. What did your mommy do?”
The best advice that I can give to other mommy runners is to plan, plan, plan! Our lives move in a million different directions at an incredibly fast pace and the only way to get those workouts in is to make a plan and stick to it.
That plan may include waking up at 4 am but your body will be better for it and trust me, it gets easier! I have since brought my half marathon PR down to 1:59 and also completed 2 full marathons, with my PR being 4:19.
I never could have accomplished all of this without my amazingly supportive husband and my daughter, Maura, as my inspiration. I want to be a strong and healthy female example for her. Remember, Mommy going out for a run, isn’t Mommy being selfish, it’s Mommy being awesome!
You can find Kelly on Facebook. Thanks so much Kelly for sharing your story with us!
If you would like your favorite race to be featured on 30 Something Mother Runner, email me at 30somethingmotherrunner[at]gmail[dot]com!
Thanks for letting me participate in the blog and share my story!
What an awesome runner! Go Kelly! I think my baby girl needs that t-shirt, as well. I love setting the example of self care for my daughter, as well.
GO RUNNING MOMMAS!
Kelly is a great inspiration! She has not only been a friend, but a great supporter to those who are just embarking on the beginning stages of their running careers. Great Job Kelly!!