After a very stressful week, we were #blessed with the wimpiest of ice storms. Despite how minor the ice, my sons school was closed for two days, and having both kiddos home and trying to work meant pretty much everything that wasn’t essential was cut out of our routine. Including my usual weekly blogs. Oh well, that’s life right. I am happy to say that I was still able to get in my runs and workouts. Mostly because I knock out my runs before work, and before I have time to change my mind. When I first went back to working regular days, I was very nervous about how I’d work in my weekday runs, especially since I am still breastfeeding. So today I’m sharing a couple of tips that have helped me squeeze in those early runs while breastfeeding.
Early Runs While Breastfeeding
- Start the night before – This was a tip that I used well before having a baby, but now there are a few more things I prep the night before an early run. Of course I lay out my clothes, make sure my watch is charged, and set up my coffee to brew as soon as my alarm goes off. But I add in making sure I have all of my pump supplies ready to go. So when my alarm goes off, all I have to do is brush my teeth, walk downstairs, and everything is ready to go.
- Do not set multiple alarms – I know a lot of people feel like setting 2 or 3 alarms increases the likelihood that they won’t oversleep. However, for me, if I set more than one alarm, there’s a good chance that in my sleep I will turn off that last alarm thinking I have one more. And then boom. Two hours later, I’m confused about how in the world I slept through 3 different alarms. I set one and make sure I don’t hit snooze. I have to get up as soon as the alarm goes off.
- Pump before you run – Because every breastfeeding mom KNOWS how uncomfortable things can be right when you wake up from a long stretch of sleep. Make sure you give yourself time to pump at least enough to make things a little more comfy.
- Consider a treadmill – Treadmill running is absolutely not my favorite. But at this point, I have to start and finish my runs earlier than ever before, because I have to feed Lila and get her going before I log in to work. For me, this means that my entire run would be in the dark, which is not enjoyable for me. Also, if my husband has to leave a little earlier than usual, we obviously can’t leave the newborn home alone. Having a treadmill at home is the only way I have been able to consistently run before work. If cost is a barrier, look for options on FB Marketplace. It doesn’t have to be fancy, it just has to work.
- Be honest with yourself – One of the only reasons I can drag myself out of bed at 5am is because I know, without a shadow of a doubt, I will not get my run in later in the day. No matter how many promises I make, the day will get away from me. A nap will be shorter than usual. Or baseball practice will have moved to a different day. Or work will end up needing to be done. Something will always get in the way. And since I know this, I don’t even try to bargain for a later run.
Related Post: 3 Month PostPartum Update
It’s amazing how even a “regular” week with an infant and older kid can feel like a three ring circus, and this week was no exception. I worked Monday through Thursday, and took off Friday. I’m chaperoning a field trip with my son next Monday, and I decided that a four day weekend sounded a whole lot better than a three day.
Lila had her 4 month visit with her pediatrician on Thursday (which was bumped back one week due to the previously mentioned “blizzard”). Thankfully she got in a decent afternoon nap before the appointment, because it ended up falling right when she would normally take her third nap of the day. To say that she was not happy with swapping a nap for a shot is an understatement. She did catch a catnap on the ride over and on the way home, but we did have quite a few tears on the car ride home. Not super fun for her, or me.
Friday, I was able to squeeze in a short run on the trails. I was so freaking excited. I didn’t get to run my planned four miles, because my husband had an unexpected last minute schedule change. But the three miles I worked in were absolute heaven. And Saturday I got 9 miles on the greenway during Lila’s first nap. I’m so close to double digits runs, and that feels so good. For most of the week, I kept up our routine of taking Lila for a stroller walk around the block after her last nap, and she and I both really love it. Some days Henry and Enrique come with us, and Enrique rides his bike. Some days it’s just the two of us. But having nice weather and a good 30 minutes outside is absolutely heaven.
This Weeks Workouts
Total Miles: 21.34 Miles
Total Workouts: 4
How the Run Felt
Monday and Wednesday’s runs were both on the treadmill. I’ve been catching up on Ozark and didn’t mind having some time to myself before everyone woke up for the day. Friday, though, I was so happy to get out on the trail. The weather was in the 50’s, it was sunny, and I felt like I maintained a decent pace. I was disappointed when my husband texted that he needed to leave earlier than we thought, but I was so happy to have had some time back on the trails.
I was a little nervous heading out the door for Saturday’s run. My stomach wasn’t feeling great that morning, but the weather was really nice and I was hoping it would all work out. The first half of my run, I felt anxious about my endurance and my stomach, but as soon as I hit the halfway point, I knew I was going to be able to finish without a problem. I’m still trying to stay in the moment during my long runs, but it’s hard to feel confident when I’m still working on building that endurance. I have noticed recently that I have to be really mindful about hydration during my longer runs, otherwise my breastmilk takes a little dip. Fortunately, I pump in the morning before Lila wakes up, so there’s plenty in the fridge if I need a little extra. But it is something I need to be mindful of, especially as my runs continue to get longer.
How the WODs Felt
I was really happy that I was able to get a couple of chest to bar pull ups this week. Pull ups have definitely been harder for me to get back to, but they’re starting to come along. I’m still using two abmats for handstand push ups, but I’m happy to be able to get upside down and not fall off the freaking wall. I’m still not ready for double unders, and I’m trying to not be frustrated about it, but patience isn’t my strength. The overhead squats this week were also pretty challenging, especially with my wrists still being cranky. I do have an appointment for a cortisone shot scheduled for this week, and I’m hoping that will help me feel better about holding weight over my head.
What I’ve Been Listening To
This week, I was pretty hooked on Trapped in Treatment, which explores the troubled teen industry, and just how easily patients are abused within this system. I started a new true crime series from Wondery called The Donut Shop Murders. It’s about two men in a family who committed several murders together, targeting women who worked in Donut Shops. It honestly isn’t their strongest or best series, but I’m 3 episodes in, and holding out hope it’ll improve like most of their shows.
What Went Well
Taking an extra day off, and getting in a trail run was a smart idea.
What Went Shitty
Having to cut said trail short kinda sucked.
Plans to Improve Next Week
Next week will be a cutback week, so I’m hoping I can get a 10k in on the trails to help my body recover.