Running a Marathon VS Having a Baby

When I got pregnant, I started hearing that childbirth was comparable to running a marathon, both physically and emotionally. I actually read a lot of articles and blog posts about it and it intrigued me. It also frightened me a bit because despite running numerous half marathons, my one and only marathon experience was not all that great. 

And now having done both (marathon in Jan 2015, Baby in Feb 2016), I thought it'd do a little comparison. 

Marathon

vs.

Childbirth

Let's start from the beginning...

Registering for the Big Event

In both cases, I voluntarily signed up. Not entirely sure what allusions of grandeur were going through my mind when I signed up for the marathon, but I was well aware of what I was getting into when I got pregnant. ;) In both cases, I had the foresight to also sign up some support in the form of my husband. He wasn't totally on board for the marathon, but he was all for the baby. 

Training

Training is a crucial part of preparing for both big events. It's the time to learn and prepare as much as you can, so make the most of the time! Coincidentally, I had about 9 months to prepare for both the marathon and the baby. 

Let's talk marathon training. Ideally, you'd prepare a training program that you follow religiously, ramping up in mileage slowly to prepare you for that 26.2 miles. I said, ideally. That totally did not happen for me. Most plans train up to at least 20 miles with long runs in 2 mile increments on the weeks prior. Let's take a look at how my training went: 

8 miles- 20 weeks prior

9 miles- 11 weeks prior

13 miles- 9 weeks prior (Wine & Dine Half Marathon)

13 miles- 8 weeks prior (Avengers Half Marathon)

11 miles- 5 weeks prior

18 miles- 3 weeks prior

Yup, only one run over a half marathon distance. I got in short runs of just a few miles 2-3 times per week in addition to those longer runs, but this is not good marathon training. This kind of bare bones training may get you through the marathon, but it is by no means a path to making the race great.

Along my 18 mile training run

Jumping to childbirth training- I'm not entirely sure there is any kind of training you can really do to simulate childbirth. There is a ton of literature you can read, friends who will share their experiences, exercises you can do to prepare you, but nothing is going to fully prepare you for it. It's all more mental prep than going through the motions.

Staying fit by running the Disneyland 10k @ 16 weeks pregnant

My prep consisted of trying to stay in shape and being mentally prepared. I ran one race during the pregnancy- the Disneyland 10k. I continued to jog until about 26 weeks and then stayed consistent with prenatal yoga and the elliptical. I didn't gain a ton of weight, about 25 pounds, which also helped.

Through out both "training" experiences, I had similar feelings. At the beginning, I had a sense of excitement and I could eat more food (yay!). I did all that I could to stick to a good health/fitness routine. By the end, I was just ready and counting down the days for the big event. I was nervous in both cases and had a "ready or not here I come" mentality.

Phases of the Marathon/Labor

I like to think of gathering in the corrals at the start of the race as the start of labor. There's excitement in the air, the adrenaline is flowing, and all thoughts lead to "let's get this party started!"

Early labor is like miles 1-17 of the marathon. It lasts a long time, but you're keeping a good pace and going with the flow. There's an "I can totally do this" mentality. Things aren't too difficult yet, but it's getting increasingly harder. You may even decide to stop for a few photo ops. ;) Unfortunately (or fortunately) for me, I sort of skipped this phase. Labor started hard and fast, no leisurely intro for me.

All smiles at the halfway point of the marathon. Things were still fun at this point. It helped that we rode a roller coaster. ;)

Hard contractions are like miles 18-24: this is when sh*t hits the fan. You start to question your sanity and wonder why anyone would willingly put themselves through this. The only thing that carries you on is putting one foot (or breath) in front of the other. You'll probably start to snap at your support person. I had been awake for almost 30 hours at this point and lack of sleep really took its toll. (Sorry hubby. I know you had the unfortunate experience of being my support person through both events.)

I may look like I'm resting, but I was definitely questioning if I could make it through labor.

During the marathon, I remember very distinctly running through what felt like the never ending maze of the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex thinking that this was the end of the marathon for me. Just as in labor, my husband encouraged me to continue and we pressed onward.

Almost there!

The push to the end is very similar in both cases. You're in tons of pain, exhausted, you still have thoughts of giving up, but you also have hope! You know the end is SO close, you can see it! You push through those last moments of pain and cross that finish line... 

and the end result is wonderful. There is this overwhelming feeling of joy. Runners high, if you will.

First photo as a family

There's also a sense of relief and all that pain just melts away. At least for the next 15 minutes or so. Then your body realizes what it just went through and the aches and pain begins. ;) 

In both cases, you'll be famished after and want to eat everything. Sadly, there is no celebratory beer after you have the baby. :(

A tasty "recovery" meal at WDW.

Recovery
Do we really need to compare the two? Unless you had some horrid injury, recovery from childbirth is definitely harder. With the marathon, you can sleep it off and be back to normal in a matter of days. After labor, there is no sleep, your body it healing, and you've got this tiny human that needs your attention 24/7. Literally. I'm also holding the baby as I type this. ;)

So which would I rather go through?

At this point, I'm not entirely sure. Yes, having a baby was painful (I opted for minimal IV drugs, so I guess it could have been different), but it wasn't that bad. There were moments that I doubted I could do it, but staying focused on the end goal really helped. As for the marathon, I still remember the 7 hours of running torture. In my opinion, the marathon is more mentally difficult, probably because you always have the option of dropping out of the race. Obviously not an option with having a baby. ;)

No medal, but he's pretty cute.

All in all, I expect to go through both again. I'd love to run another marathon (I promise to train better next time) and I hope we're blessed with another baby. But in a few years. The newborn weeks are proving harder than both child birth and the marathon. ;)

What do you think? Is running a marathon harder than having a baby?

Running while Pregnant- My Experience

Running while Pregnant - My Experience

Ariel runDisney New Balance shoes- my motivation for post-baby running

When I first found out I was pregnant, I had lofty dreams of continuing to run my entire pregnancy. Not only would it keep me in shape (and maybe give me some extra wiggle room to eat more ice cream), but it would also lead to a faster recovery after the baby was born and an easier time getting back into running.

Off to a rocky start...

I admit I wasn't starting off my pregnant running at a great point: after the WDW Marathon in January, I really lost my mojo and desire to run. I struggled with marathon training and I had a lot of anxiety going into the race. I did finish, but just barely. It was one of the hardest things I've done, both mentally and physically, but I am so glad I did it. I had the post-marathon burn out. 

After the marathon, I continued to run, but very infrequently. I think I ran maybe 10 times in 3 months? One of those times was the Santa Cruz 10k that I ran with my friend and her almost 5 month old. We ran the race non-stop and kept a pretty good pace, only stopping at the end of mile 6 when the baby got fussy. Inspiration right there!

I continued to run infrequently, a couple miles here and there, but mostly focused on strength training. For me, the key to easier running comes with a stronger core. Then I found out we were expecting. As you can see, not a very strong baseline to start with.  

The bad...

As everyone knows, your body changes a lot with pregnancy. I never realized how much of an impact it would have and how soon it would affect me. Almost immediately my running changed. Maybe it was the first trimester exhaustion or all the extra blood my body was pumping, but my pace was slower and I couldn't run non-stop anymore. I switched to intervals and was able to continue doing my 2-3 mile runs a few times a week. I suppose I could have stopped and done something else, like prenatal yoga, but I had the Disneyland 10k coming up!

15 Weeks

16 Weeks in my For Two Fitness maternity tank top

The good...

The Disneyland 10k was amazing. I was nervous that I was going to be swept- I averaged a 14 minute mile (Disney cut-off is 16), but I never got past a 4 miles on my training. That extra 2 miles was really haunting me! I asked my friend and fellow running blogger, Lena, if I could run with her. She has the experience- she ran the Dumbo Double Dare (both the 10k and half marathon) pregnant just a couple years ago. My brother was also along for the ride to keep an eye on me. With these two for support, I knew I'd make it to the finish line.

I also finally met Krissy in person! Yay for pregnant Ursulas!

She was about 2 months ahead of me AND she completed both the 10k and half!

I also made a new running friend- Heather!

17 weeks and baby's first medal!

Seeing all my friends run the Disneyland Half while I sat on the sidelines stung a little. I really wanted to be out there and to earn that medal (the DL 1/2 holds a special place in my heart as my first race and first half), but I knew it wouldn't be safe. I would have pushed myself too hard and probably been more disappointed if/when I got swept. All in all, I still had a great time. Looking forward to the diaper dashes in the future! :)

A little hiatus...

After the Disneyland 10k, life got busy! We bought a house and moved- exercise was the last thing on my mind. I managed to get in yoga here and there and some evening walks. As I packed, I reminisced over past races. 

I think part of the reason why I stopped running was that it just wasn't the same. Like eating your favorite ice cream and suddenly it tasted different. (Can you tell a pregnant woman wrote this?) I was frustrated running had become so difficult, discouraged that I would never get back to where I once was. As I got bigger and the scale showed a number I've never seen before, I pushed running more and more out of my mind.

Pretty much how I felt.

Turning point...

The weeks ticked by. As usual, I'd eat my breakfast by the front window and see people in the neighborhood running or jogging. One morning I realized that I really missed running, no matter how slow or pokey I was. Was my mojo was back?! :D

So at 23 weeks, I put on my Running for Two tank, my favorite Sweaty Band (from Wine & Dine aka Splash n' Dash 2014), and laced up my shoes. I didn't go far, just a mile and a half, and my pace was slow, but I enjoyed every moment of it. 

23 Weeks

I would have gone farther, but I started to get really itchy. Legs, feet, belly, the whole deal. This used to happen to me when I didn't exercise for a long time- something about the sudden increase in blood circulation makes me itchy. It goes away after a week or so, but it's still annoying. Has this ever happened to you?

(I know itchiness can be a sign of issues with pregnancy, but it goes away within 15 minutes and I've talked to my doctor about it.)

Running again!

I tried to get out everyday and the itchiness is cleared up. My pace was still slow, but at least I was getting out there. Even got a few stares from people in my neighborhood.

24 Weeks

The final break...

Around 26 weeks, I started to get some cramping when I would run. It wasn't painful or intense, but more like all my stomach muscles were tightening up. After talking to my doctor, she said they could be Braxton Hicks contractions and recommend that I switch to more low impact exercises. Since then, I've been doing prenatal yoga (great for aches and pains in my back) and the elliptical. 

I'm convinced that staying active right up until the day I delivered really aided in how short my labor was and how quickly I'm healing. My body is returning to pre-pregnancy pretty quickly. At about 2 weeks post partum, I'm just 3 lbs away from pre-pregnancy weight and my belly is pretty much gone. Granted, I didn't have wash board abs to begin with. ;)

This "forced" rest period/break has given me a lot of inspiration and motivation to get back out and run. I'm eager to get back to training and push myself more than I had in the past. I'm holding off until my 4 week post partum appointment to get the all clear from my doctor. We have a BOB jogging stroller and I can't wait to take our little guy running when he's big enough. :) 

Did you run during pregnancy? How was your experience?

Be Our Guest: Dinner Review

After the WDW Marathon in 2015, I had a celebratory dinner at Be Our Guest. Upon check in outside the restaurant, I requested seating inside The Grand Ballroom. Other options are The West Wing and The Castle Gallery (themed after Belle's Library). We were seated quickly in The Grand Ballroom.

The Grand Ballroom certainly does not disappoint. It's beautiful! Outside the main windows on the right, it looks like a snowy winter day.

Assorted meats and cheese appetizer

Braised pork with pureed cauliflower and seasonal veggies- very tasty!

And of course, desserts!

Chocolate cream puff

Strawberry cream cheese cupcake

The Grey Stuff- this was a must for us. A little sweet, but very yummy.

After dinner, we were welcome to poke around the restaurant and check out the other dining areas.

The magic rose inside the West Wing.

The focal piece inside the Castle Gallery dining area looks like a giant music box.

There's also a photo op with the Beast. 

We did this after our meal and there was virtually no line.

Overall, we enjoyed our dinner at Be Our Guest. The atmosphere is excellent and the food is some of the best I've had at the Disney parks. It's definitely more of a once-a-trip/celebratory place due to price (we didn't do a dining plan), but well worth it.

Baby R: 34 Weeks

This weekend was the WDW Marathon Weekend at Walt Disney World. I really enjoyed seeing friends run via social media (congrats Patty on running your first marathon!) and just the general excitement from the race weekend.

I completed the marathon last year and I have to say it was the hardest thing I've ever done- both mentally and physically. I went in undertrained and nervous as heck. There were times when I wanted to quit and times when I thought I was going to die, but I made it through- all thanks to my supportive husband. He had no interest in running the marathon (half are enough for him), but I asked him to run with me and be my support. He was there every step of the way, encouraging me when things got hard, never complaining that I dragged him out there for 7 hours. If not for him, I would not have finished.

So as I think about delivering this baby and what will most likely trump the marathon in terms of the hardest things I've ever done, I remember the marathon and I know that with my husband by my side, anything is possible. And while it may seem odd, I'm planning to bring my marathon medal (or mini medal pin) in my hospital bag as a reminder of what I can accomplish with the right support. :)

How far along? 34 Weeks

Total weight gain: 20 lbs! I've been really packing on the weight lately! 

Exercise: Prenatal yoga almost every day to help with back and hip pain. I'm really starting to feel the effects of the added weight. I've almost got that pregnancy waddle swag. ;)

Stretch marks: None that I can tell.

Maternity clothes: Yes! I've also started dipping into my husband's wardrobe. ;)

Belly button in or out? It's poking out now. Not a lot, but you can see it through my t-shirt. Haha. 

Wedding rings on or off? Still fit, but getting very snug.

Sleep: Sleep is still hit or miss. I've started making piles of pillows so I can sleep practically sitting up. 

Food cravings/Aversions: Soda? I didn't want all the sugar, so I've satisfied the craving with sparkling/fizzy water. In general, I've been very very thirsty. Eggs have suddenly started grossing me out. I can make them for my husband, but the thought of eating them... no.

Symptoms: Feeling large and in charge. Also getting some Braxton Hicks contractions.

Movement: Baby is still moving around a lot. He had an "Alien" moment where he pushed his foot like he was trying to escape through the front of my belly. It created a visible bump- both hubby and I were shocked he is so strong!

Best moment this week: This seems kind of ridiculous to say it's my favorite moment, but this week I was able to lay on my stomach! I used a whole bunch of pillows and left a gap for the belly. It was heavenly! :)

Did you participate in the WDW Marathon Weekend? I'd love to hear about your experience!

WDW Marathon: Race Recap

Here it is folks: my WDW Marathon Recap!

This was by far the most challenging race for me- mentally, physically, and emotionally. This recap will be long (at least twice as long as my half marathon recaps ;)  ) and I hope you'll stick around to the end. :)

When I registered for the full marathon, I was super excited. I had about 5 half marathons under my belt and I really wanted to knock this one off my bucket list. What better place to run it than at Disney World, right? I got my husband on board as well and I knew it would be a great race!

Fast forward to the end of 2014- that excitement dwindled, considerably. We were moving around a lot (I lived in 4 places in 4 months!) and my training was no where near where it should have been. I ran 2 half marathons in November (Wine & Dine and Avengers), but after that I got in 3 long runs before the full: 9 miles, 11 miles, and 18 miles. I do not recommend this plan! I seriously only did the 18 miles to try and give myself some courage that I could actually finish this thing. All the while, I was battling knee pain- my guess is ITBS. The holidays were busy as usual and not much running happened.

Then about a week before we were set to fly to Orlando, we got word that my uncle was in the hospital and he was not doing well. I spent the weekend before the races with family at the hospital before he passed away. He had been suffering from a rare disease for a few years, but it was still a shock. Especially since my Grandma passed less than 6 months before.

My family and I had a long debate about deferring the whole vacation, but in the end we decided to go. I know some people may not agree with our decision, but it was right for us and I'm glad we went. 

On a side note: runDisney was very gracious with our situation. We debated whether to defer or not (this was about 9 days before the full) and after speaking to a runDisney rep, they advised that an email detailing my situation was the best route. I was told that it may take a bit for a reply due to the number of emails they were getting. I got a reply from them the night before the race, offering a deferral and they would even waive the fees. We were already in WDW and had decided to run, but I was still very appreciative.

Okay, enough of the sad story; let's move onto race day.

I had a date with this Mickey medal!

I didn't go into the race quite the way I had anticipated, but I was there and ready as I'd ever be. My husband, Anthony, was with me, but he hadn't run in over a month and his longest run was a half he ran about 8 months ago... He said he would try and stick with me as long as he could. Our goal was just to make it halfway and ride Everest together. Oh, and did I mention he got new shoes at the Expo to wear for the run? They were a better choice than his old shoes, which were way past their expiration date.

This is his "why the heck am I doing this?" face. ;)

We started in Corral J. Anthony moved back from D to be with me. It was cold waiting for so long, but I'm glad I wore a tank top as it warmed up later on. I didn't even make it a mile before I had to pee. Haha. :)

Magic Kingdom Toll Plaza!

Taking on my first full, I didn't want to run in a full-on costume. Since the marathon is Mickey's race, I decided to embrace the ears. My skirt is from Sparkle Athletic and ears were purchased at the parks. I even had matching polka dot KT Tape!

Between miles 5 &6 we ran down Main Street! The street was full of spectators cheering!

About to run through the castle. Kristoff, Anna, & Elsa were waving to us.

Castle selfie. :)

We headed backstage and they had a float out from one of the parades. Flynn and Rapunzel were out for the photo op.

Around mile 8, we ran along the speedway, which was pretty cool! There were a lot of cars out: classic, luxury, and race cars. We took this time to walk a lot and snacked on peanut butter filled pretzels. Yum!

Guess who I ran into?!

Lauren from Lauren's Glass Slipper! She was battling ITBS since the half the day before, but she powered through and completed Dopey! Congrats, Lauren!

This picture really cracks me up. I told Anthony I wanted to take a picture with the topiaries. Apparently since I was dressed as Minnie, this meant replacing her topiary with me. ;)

Before we knew it, we were into Animal Kingdom. Which meant one thing: Expedition Everest! We were both grateful for the break- my left knee was hurting and Anthony was tired in general. It was around now that he said if we took things slow and stopped for pictures, etc, he thought he'd be able to finish. Yay!

The line for Everest was pretty long- it extended well out into queue on before entering the building, but it moved super fast. We got there around 8:45am, so it was mostly runners with a few spectators.

There was a lot more cheering and screaming than when we rode during regular park hours. Everyone was so excited to be able to ride a roller coaster in the middle of running a marathon. :)

Aside from my finish line photo, this is my favorite picture from the race. It just captures the fun and excitement of it all.

After our Yeti adventure, we hit the road again. 

13.1 miles! Half way!

I couldn't help but think that this was usually our finish line.

A photo op with Minnie and Daisy

And Mickey, of course. Anthony told me later that he didn't think Mickey realized he was there until after the picture and he may have scared Mickey.

Anthony, having never run further than a half marathon, was oh-so-kind as to remind me of how far he'd run.

Mile 14: "Hey, Kim! Guess what? This is the furthest I've ever run!"

Mile 15: "Hey, Kim. Guess what?! I've never run this far before!"

Mile 16: "Hey, Kim? Guess what! THIS IS THE FURTHEST I'VE EVER RUN!"

You get the picture.

It was just the right amount of humor I needed. :)

All the traffic the race caused... 

The day before, I overhead a gentleman complaining to hotel concierge that the race was too loud. Apparently he could hear an announcer shouting "make it a great day!" Over and over and over again. At 5am... Sorry!

As we entered the ESPN Wide World of Sports area, I hit the dreaded "wall." 

We were at mile 16.5 and we could see the people coming back out of ESPN. They were passing mile marker 21. TWENTY-ONE! Realizing how far I had to go and how much my knee hurt, I lost all motivation.

The track, meant for running, was completely walked. And I don't mean power walked. I mean slow turtle walking. I honestly thought this was the end. I was ready to sit down and call it quits.

But then I realized- there are only 2 ways to the end: I could get swept, but that meant waiting for the bus, or I could keep moving. Moving won out.

It was also around here that we realized my FlipBelt may have been a little too tight and was making my insides rather uncomfortable. Anthony opted to carry it for me and wore it around his neck. Such a trooper!

20 miles! Never thought I'd make it this far!

Right around mile 20, someone pushed me. It wasn't a hard shove, but more of a two handed push out of the way. I'm super thankful I didn't fall or worse, get pushed into another runner's path, but I was really surprised. I had been walking all the way on the right side of the road with my husband on the grassy area next to the road. A runner decided she needed to clear a path for her and her two friends to run. And then less than 5 feet, proceed to throw up her hand to indicate they were going to walk.

I get that you need to run and I get that it's crowded, but please, if you're going to run, don't try and clear a path between the walkers on the side of the road (who are following etiquette). Or at least say excuse me.

Okay, getting off my soap box now.

As we left ESPN, we ran along the same road coming into the area. Mile 16-17 going in, Mile 20-21 going out. On the way out, there were no more runners, just street sweepers cleaning up cups, etc. That meant the balloon ladies were less than 4 miles behind us! Eeeeekkk! Definitely picked up the pace after that!

Mile 22: Heading into Hollywood Studios

It had started to rain again... yay...

But there was another food stop: Candy!

The volunteers were yelling for us to take our candy from strangers. :) Yes, please!

I had to stop for a picture with the plane. My dad, former Air Force, likes fighter jets.

My parents and brother were also along for this trip. My brother ran the half the day before. They met us inside Hollywood Studios to cheer us on and offer support snacks. It was a huge boost to see them!

Miles 24-25

We ran past the Swan and Dolphin Hotels and in front of the Yacht Club Resort. Anthony really liked the look of the Yacht Club (mainly the beach) and kept saying he wanted to stay there next time. Next time, eh?! Even in my running-induced delirium, I remembered that!

It was around here when we turned to each other and said we might actually make it!

Cue the silly faces!

A quick photo op with Aurora in Epcot

And another in Italy. I insisted on this one since we had visited visited Italy just a year ago.

As we approached the Epcot "golf ball," I struggled to hold in my tears. My uncle loved to golf and I know he was somewhere watching over us, playing his best game.

Mile 26! Almost there!

And finally... the finish line! I knew this was a must-have photo for me. I didn't care about our time, so we waited in line before crossing the finish.

Pretty sure my first words after crossing the finish line were: "Holy ****, we just ran a marathon!"

Finish time: 6hr 54mins, 15:49 min/mile pace.

I may have been slow, but I still went all 26.2 miles and I'm proud of what we accomplished.

There were times when I wanted to quit and I honestly could not have done it without Anthony's encouragement and support. I'm still in shock that he did it with zero training!

I'm sure you're all wondering- will I go for Goofy or Dopey next year?

No. The marathon for me was one-and-done. I'll stick to half marathons. The marathon was on my bucket list and we've got bigger things we're focusing on now, like buying a house! Plus, Disneyland is much closer!

Have you participated in the WDW Marathon weekend before? How was your experience?