Competitor Group, Inc.

More Baby Steps

by | Nov 18, 2010 |

My eight-week-old son Colt is the one who’s supposed to be taking baby steps, growing a little and doing something new each day. But his mom is taking baby steps too. Mine are all about learning to compartmentalize my roles as a mother and a runner and make them complement–rather than conflict with–each other. I’m happy to say that, just like Colt, I’m making progress!

During the first few weeks after Colt was born I felt guilty every time I left him to work out, and I thought about him constantly while I ran, which didn’t help my running. More recently I have learned to tune out thoughts of him (not completely, but mostly) while I’m training. As a result my runs have gotten a lot better.

My goal is to be 100 percent present in whatever I’m doing. So when I’m running, I give myself completely to that. And when I’m home, I give myself completely to Colt. I’ve found that by making every minute with him a quality minute it’s easier for me to leave when it’s time to leave and stay focused on my training while I’m away.

Within the past couple of weeks I’ve started to feel a lot better about my ability to be a great mother and a great runner simultaneously. I knew that plenty of other women have maintained this balance successfully, but that knowledge didn’t help me in the tough early days of my own experience, when I felt many doubts. One of those days happened last week. Colt was awake and crying all night and I couldn’t figure out why. I got no sleep, felt terrible in the next day’s run and had to cancel a lunch date with friends that I’d really been looking forward to. But the next night Colt slept like a champ and so did I. My morning run went much better and I thought, I can do this!

When I take a step back to look at my situation objectively I recognize that I’ve come along faster than I expected to. I ran 70 miles last week and added (very short) afternoon runs back into my schedule this week. I’m feeling stronger and stronger. A few days ago I did a 5-mile tempo run on the turf at Nike, averaging 5:45 per mile, and it felt easy. That performance is nothing to write home about compared to what I’m able to do when I’m in peak shape, but again, it’s better than I expected to be able to do at this point.

The piece of my fitness that is coming along most stubbornly is my speed. I ran a set of 400-meter intervals not long ago and struggled to hit 77-second splits, which is sad and pathetic by my personal standards. But I understand that by patiently slogging through sad and pathetic speed sessions and not forcing anything I will get my snap back eventually. Baby steps.

I’m still not ready to race, but my race plans are taking shape. I think I will run an indoor 5000m in Seattle next month, and although I won’t be terribly sharp for it, I want to run the U.S. Cross Country Championships on February 5 in San Diego. I will also have an announcement to make about my first road race very soon!

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  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_TP7CKBHMUU6OUO6U7UTM5B7OKY dolly

    Go Kara! Go! You are such an inspiration and a very talented athlete. My baby is due in January and it has been so enjoyable to follow your pregnancy and your journey back to competative racing. You are amazing!

  • http://www.exerciseandpregnancy.blogspot.com cels

    Can’t wait to hear the announcement! I am struggling to juggle time for running, start up a pre/post natal fitness business for women and take care of 3 young children. Your boy will be so lucky to grow up with a Mom who puts family first but knows how to still achieve her own goals. My biggest mistake running my first post-natal race was putting on racing flats for the first time at a race and not in practice. My ligaments were still pretty loose and not ready for the racing pace.running on uneven ground was scary..although I’m no Olympian running 5:45 splits anymore. Your amazing and inspiring!
    http://www.exerciseandpregnancy.blogspot.com

  • Franfri

    Congratulations, Kara. You are doing well. I have 3 children and in the first months of life of all of them I had many problems to be able to train. Now the youngest one is 16 months and I have trained 4 days/week along last 5 weeks and I feel better and better. The problem is that I have to run at 5-30 am before my two jobs. Anyway I´m enjoying again whith running and I´m glad reading you are so well.

    Hope to see you soon at tv (I am from Spain and may be it´s possible to see you in the cross country world championship. If you want, you can).

    Congratulations for your mothership

  • Anonymous

    I can tell by reading your blog that you are an amazing mother who is completely in love with her son. Colt is lucky to have you as his mother! Just think of him cheering for you at the finish line.

  • mnrunner

    Kara, you are an inspiration to all of us. As a competitive runner in high school and college and still competing today, I just found out I was pregnant. I have felt terribly scared as I look at the changes my body is going to go through. I am scared I won’t be able to run the whole way through and I will lose some of who I am (since running is not something we just do, it’s part of who we are). I keep reading your updates and it brings me strength that maybe I can do it too. Thank you for sharing such a private prat of your life with your fans.

  • Jkw777

    so happy to hear you are on your way back!!! lets go get those Africans!

  • Nicole

    Kara, good for you for your progress. being a mother is so “all-consuming” but you CAN do both! I have 2 daughters (ages 3 and 6) and I’ve hired a running coach and taking on much longer and more frequent runs in persuit of my dreams….it CAN be frustrating but it is possible. I get up at 5 and 6am to run before they are awake to get it done and when I have to do my runs later I call on friends to help out.
    You will be a wonderful example to Colt as he gets older- of patience, determination, optimisim and success-both as a runner and a mother!. all the best to you! xo

  • Christel Chase

    As a mother of three boys, your kids benefit more from a balanced mother than a mother that is always around but not really present. You are amazing and I thought about you as I ran the 2010 New York Marathon a few weekends ago. My kids and husband are my biggest supporters. Running makes me a better mom and wife. Your son will be your best cheerleader in a few years. Can’t wait to see you racing again. Someone needs to beat those Kenyans!!

  • Heather in NYC

    Thanks so much for sharing your experiences, Kara. So nice to hear other athletes talking about being moms and other moms talking about being athletes. I’m training for my second Ironman, but first as an IronMOM and loving every minute. Congrats on your beautiful son and for being such an inspiration!

  • AngieC.

    Love it, you are an inspiration to this 48 year old mom of teenagers who only found the gift of running four years ago. Don’t buy into that mommy guilt business, your head is on right, be where you are at the time. Great update. Bless you and your family.

  • pgt

    I am going to print this and post it on my refridgerator door. I’ve been struggling coming back from 6+ month off running and even though you are on a TOTALLY different level than I am it’s nice to know you have your down days w/ running too and those days are getting better. Thanks.

  • Nicole Harris

    Oh no… don’t tease us by telling us you have an announcement to make! Sheesh!

  • Donnellyfamily

    Kara, thank you so much for sharing your experiences. Many of us will never have your talent, but can definately relate to how if feels to start running again after having our first child. Good luck with your training. I’m looking forward to seeing you progress as you continue to train.

  • Carlafood

    Your comment about “slogging through sad and pathetic speed sessions” hit home with me. Those painfully difficult workouts, the ones that depress us because they point out exactly how far we still have to go to achieve our goals, are the ones we need the most. I’ve been known to quit a workout when I see that I’m not hitting the times I had hoped to. But after reading your entry I see that I am only hurting myself!

  • http://fitgirwannabe.blogspot.com Anna

    I have really enjoyed watching you on your journey. I am new to running (only been doing it since July) but not to motherhood. I have 5 sweeties, girls ages 10 to 5 and a boy who is 2. The first 3 mo is quite an adjustment, but it sounds like you are doing great. Continue to listen to your body and you’ll be back in no time =)
    Blessings!
    Anna

  • http://www.fitnesscheerleader.com/ Janice – Fitness Cheerleader

    Hugs! It gets easier, and you’ll soon find you’ll have a new found desire to run. I had my third baby 4 weeks ago, and am just starting to get back into running – it’s been 11 weeks since I ran, and I’m taking baby steps too. Now is not the time to get injured – take it easy and your speed will be abck before you know it!