Letter From America Part 5
I’m more than half way to the finish line. Less than four months to go until my July 6th due date, I’m feeling thankful and a bit nostalgic.
No, I’m not nostalgic about my old waistline. But my body is great place to begin. Physically, there are definitely big changes afoot. Bending over to lace up my running shoes now requires a bit of effort. I often emit very unlady like grunts as I bendover. I know the day will come when my husband will have to check to see if my shoes match and are properly tied before I head out the door!
I am thankful for modern fabrics. Elastic and Lycra are essential to my wardrobe at this point of my pregnancy. Thanks to stretchy waist bands, a few pairs of my running shorts still fit. I’ve gotten used to a new “hip”look. Pants and shorts now sit underneath my belly, for I no longer have a waistline. Yes, I’ve expanded, but I’m amazed at the firmness of my abdomen. I thought gaining close to 15 pounds (7 kilos) would leave me feeling mushy and soft. I imagined running while carrying a baby would feel a bit like attaching a fishbowl full of water around ones waist. Instead, my midsection feels remarkably solid and taught.
I appreciate all the adaptations my body has made in the past five months. I faithfully scan my joints and muscles and watch for potential problems. Are my knees feeling sensitive? Is my pelvis too tight? Is my lower back properly supported? I strive to stay within a reasonable training zone and avoid injury, but my mind easily wanders from “training mode” while I’m exercising.
Mental distraction occurs because it’s not just me out for a jog anymore. While I’m plodding along, I wonder how the fetus feels. Is he/she enjoying this bouncy ride? I hope I am not disturbing his/her sleep. Perhaps, when the baby is born it will only be soothed by similarly jarring motions! Family runs now have a whole new meaning. Five months ago, a family run consisted of my husband and I coordinating our schedules and planning an hour-long park loop. Now, wefactor the baby into all of our outings. We select a nice flat course and hold the run to 30 minutes or less. Through the development of a beautiful compromise—my husband picks the route and I set the pace—we have kept our family run tradition alive. Last weekend’s route was especially inspired. David selected a park on the Hudson River, about an hour on the train from our home. He grew up playing catch in this park and he learned to ride his bike along the very path we were running.
As the sun dipped and we finished our run, I found myself teary eyed. I imagined my husband thirty years younger frolicking with his Dad. Pregnancy has my emotions a bit in overdrive,and I find myself extremely sentimental right now. I grasped the enormity of our situation–we aim to bring a new generation to this park. We hope our child will share in our enjoyment of the outdoors and our love of being physical. My wish for thebaby inside of me is that he/she benefits from all the positive energy David and I are generating on our runs.
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Filed Under: Running and Pregnancy
