Endurance sports compared to birth
Throughout pregnancy, like any woman, I often thought about what labor & delivery would be like. How much pain would I be in? How long would my labor last? Would I need drugs? I wondered if any part of labor & delivery would be similar to running a marathon or doing an Ironman. I bought 2 different books about running & exercising while pregnant. One of them warned the reader that if you have run a marathon and think labor and delivery be easier because you are a runner you are mistaken! Now that I have been through it, I will say that this statement is very true. I do believe, and research has proven, that a very active woman recovers quicker. The delivery was traumatic, leaving me with a grade 3 tear, extreme swelling, and pain. But right at the 2 week mark I was really feeling better, had more energy than I thought I would and was up on my feet. I started back walking/running right after 4 weeks, and now at the 6 week mark I am running 30 min. comfortably 3 x week. I can even feel my speed & leg turnover improving. I thought I would list the similarities & differences between Ironman and pregnancy/birth.
Both require "fueling & hydration" The healthier you eat the better off you feel.
"Training" and "racing" are exhausting, but there are also bursts of energy.
There are emotional highs & lows. There are moments of laughter and also times of tears. There are moments when you doubt yourself. The more support the better. There is nausea & vomiting; pain and swelling; and both involve bright lights. You can't truly understand or appreciate either experience unless you have been through it yourself.
Ironman makes you lean. Pregnancy does not. Ironman tends to give you diarrhea and pregnancy makes you constipated. Ironman usually leads to bad tan lines, chaffing, and salt crust. Birth leads to stitches. You get a medal at the finish line of Ironman and they announce your name. Birth becomes the starting line, you get no medal, and the sex of the baby is announced. When Ironman gets tough you always have the option of not finishing - not so much with birth. Hands down- birth & recovery are harder, but the end result is the most amazing gift.
There are many other things I thought of awhile back, but honestly I am so tired right now I can't even remember what I had thought about. This is the flaw when you don't blog in "real time"
Throughout pregnancy, like any woman, I often thought about what labor & delivery would be like. How much pain would I be in? How long would my labor last? Would I need drugs? I wondered if any part of labor & delivery would be similar to running a marathon or doing an Ironman. I bought 2 different books about running & exercising while pregnant. One of them warned the reader that if you have run a marathon and think labor and delivery be easier because you are a runner you are mistaken! Now that I have been through it, I will say that this statement is very true. I do believe, and research has proven, that a very active woman recovers quicker. The delivery was traumatic, leaving me with a grade 3 tear, extreme swelling, and pain. But right at the 2 week mark I was really feeling better, had more energy than I thought I would and was up on my feet. I started back walking/running right after 4 weeks, and now at the 6 week mark I am running 30 min. comfortably 3 x week. I can even feel my speed & leg turnover improving. I thought I would list the similarities & differences between Ironman and pregnancy/birth.
Both require "fueling & hydration" The healthier you eat the better off you feel.
"Training" and "racing" are exhausting, but there are also bursts of energy.
There are emotional highs & lows. There are moments of laughter and also times of tears. There are moments when you doubt yourself. The more support the better. There is nausea & vomiting; pain and swelling; and both involve bright lights. You can't truly understand or appreciate either experience unless you have been through it yourself.
Ironman makes you lean. Pregnancy does not. Ironman tends to give you diarrhea and pregnancy makes you constipated. Ironman usually leads to bad tan lines, chaffing, and salt crust. Birth leads to stitches. You get a medal at the finish line of Ironman and they announce your name. Birth becomes the starting line, you get no medal, and the sex of the baby is announced. When Ironman gets tough you always have the option of not finishing - not so much with birth. Hands down- birth & recovery are harder, but the end result is the most amazing gift.
There are many other things I thought of awhile back, but honestly I am so tired right now I can't even remember what I had thought about. This is the flaw when you don't blog in "real time"
posted by Em at 5:29 AM
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