So as I wait for the impending birth of my first child I have been thinking about the similarities of running your first marathon and having your first baby. As I have little to write about in terms of running at present this seemed like a good outlet to try and put down some of these feelings and thoughts.
Signing Up
The decision to tackle a marathon is a large undertaking, committing to training and preparing your body in the best way you can to take on something that only 1% of the UK population have completed. Starting a family is of course a much bigger undertaking than a marathon but a lot of the principles are the same, people will see you differently and your body will certainly never be the same again,
Building a Base
As with marathon training you need to make changes to your body. Eat healthy, cut out toxins such as alcohol, sleep well, take care of your body, exercise sensibly, have a plan in place but remain flexible and don't push too hard.
Training Hiccups
I am sure some women have a beautiful idyllic idea of pregnancy, a lovely round bump on which you can balance plates of cakes, plenty of well wishers telling you that you are blooming and that pregnancy suits you. I was concerned from the beginning when the morning sickness struck.
I am going to liken a training mishap to morning sickness. I myself suffered for the first 4 months of pregnancy with nausea, vomiting and dizziness as my body changed with this tiny little being growing inside me. I was unable to do things I had planned, feeling like I was deviating from my training plan and convinced that I was never going to reach the end whilst feeling so rough. But this, like with an injury passed in time and I was able to get back on track, feeling much healthier and feeling my baby move within me, reassuring me - like a good time in a training race - that everything was going to be okay.
Tapering & Carb Loading
So, moving on a few months, my energy burst and confidence was waning again as I felt my increasing size was slowing me and the inevitable tapering (maternity leave) making me feel lazy and restless as I wanted to be proactive but knowing I need rest so my body is ready for the big event. Eating vast quantities of carbs to make sure my body has the energy I need when the time comes making me feel bloated but necessary.
Waiting Game
The big difference I feel now that I am so close to the big event is that I have no idea when it is!! I mean we have a due date (5 days away) but that's just an indication really... at least with the marathon you know exactly when its going to be! I remain anxious, excited, scared but I also know that what I am about to go through will take a lot of mental strength not unlike a marathon. I don't know exactly how long it will take but I know I am prepared mentally for the long haul, I have my support crew in place and cannot wait for the day to arrive.
In Summary
You will make huge changes to your physical and mental being, your life as you currently know it will never be the same again, you will question your decision many times but when its all done you will look at that medal / baby with such emotion and pride and love that you will know it was the best decision you ever made. Whether you want to go through it all again is another question entirely and one I am not equipped to answer yet in terms of a baby but as for marathons I am in!
