Summer time, for me, involves lots of beach, playground, zoo, and ice cream shop time. I love being outdoors with my family. Playing in the creek with my 3 year old, enjoying my favorite local coffee and chocolate sums up a perfect day! What else fills up my summer days is training for races. Since moving back to PA from NYC, I have thoroughly enjoyed developing a relationship with running. I used to struggle through 5 minutes straight running! I thought it was impossible for me to actually train for a run a 5k. A program that I recommend to anyone who is interested in giving this goal a shot is the Couch to 5k program. It made the training manageable and is paced perfectly for absolute beginners.
My first ever race was the 5k Turkey Trot in 2009. Since then, I've enjoyed training for and completing half marathons and triathlons. I can't tell you how great it feels to set a scary, wacky and seemingly unattainable goal, and complete it! It takes commitment, focus, dedication, strength, patience, and support. As I was training again this summer, I had a moment where I compared each of these characteristics required for a race to childbirth. The length of a 13 mile run or 3/4 mile swim requires patience, focus and commitment. At times this is difficult, I certainly felt tired or quickly thought, "Man, I've got another 30 minutes here in the pool, repeating the same stroke!" But I took one stroke at a time, one breath at a time, just like I took each contraction one at a time. Labor can not be rushed, contractions come and go and we patiently wait for the next one... Just as each stroke of the arm, or stride of the legs brings you closer to the finish line, each contraction brings you one step closer to baby. Little by little. Here's a fun take from a marathon perspective. I hope to attempt this waky challenge someday....
By reminding myself to stay in the present moment, I was able to mentally and physically handle the task at hand. In the present moment, "everything was ok." That's where I had to stay during my long training days, and during the unknown of childbirth.
Remain in the moment and keep moving "one foot in front of the other," and very soon, you will cross that finish line, and meet your baby.
Lots of love and happy training....
Amy