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I am personally both a mother and a marathoner. I have never won a marathon, nor is it a goal. I run because I love it.
It's healthy, empowering, and a much better way for me to manage depression, mood swings, stress, etc., than to use drugs. It also helped me to manage a very healthy weight before
I went raw.
Running makes me a better mother. I get to get outside, be by myself, have time for my own thoughts, prayers, etc... It's quiet, I'm alone, my heart's pumping, my body's humming with strength, I'm taking in beautiful fresh air and seeing things I don't get to see from the driver's seat. My two most recent blessings in that department were some adorable little brown bunnies who live in a blackberry thicket, and later, a red tail hawk, who is no doubt hanging around cause he likes the bunnies. And I live in a big city.
Pregnant women are often taught to think of themselves as "sick" and "frail." During my own pregnancy, I was made to feel as though I was a hazard to my baby, and was criticized for running, or experiencing negative emotions. I lived in NYC, and was three months pregnant when the twin towers came down, so grief and depression were a part of my pregnancy. Running HELPED me to deal with this.
I am a big believer in listening to your body. It knows more than anyone else what it needs. I stopped running a couple of weeks into my third trimester, mostly because I felt unwieldy and worried about taking a fall. I began running when my son was 8 weeks old. He, in the jogging stroller (dubbed by my husband as the good ship "hot mama") became my training partner and got me ready for my first marathon.
He's almost six now, and very proud of his mama. And I'm a better mom because I take care of myself.
People who criticize women who are strong and assertive about taking care of themselves upset me. What about the sedentary pregnant women we see every day stuffing their bodies with horomone, salt, fat, sugar, chemical and toxin-laden foods? That would not be my choice.
Just my opinion... As you can tell, I feel pretty strongly about it. Thanks for the interesting conversation starter.
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