Marathon Training, Mom-Style
I just finished a draft of my training plan for the Blue Ox Marathon in October! This plan is just a loose guide to follow because I’m really not sure how it’s going to go being a new mom, breastfeeding, and occasionally training with the jogging stroller! Some women told me that you can’t run marathons while breastfeeding because it ruins your supply, but that’s just another old wives’ tale. Maybe it’s true for some, but definitely not everyone. E’s nurse said if your body is used to strenuous exercise, it won’t affect your milk supply. Just stay hydrated! There is a great article about this topic in the “This Runner’s Trials” blog called “The Breastfeeding Runner”.
The mileage each week doesn't need to be exact and I've left Wednesdays open as "optional" run days. I LOVE running 6 days a week, but it's not so easy to do that anymore! Key workouts will be run in the early morning before E and Leo wake up. By the end of the day, I feel like my body loses all of its steam! For the other runs, running in the evening with or without the jogger will be just fine. I just need to stay motivated and make sure they get done!
For cross-training, I can do a workout DVD or a crossfit-style workout which take ~20 minutes. I’ve never been a very dedicated cross-training person, so I’m going to give it a bit more effort for this marathon!
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The mileage each week doesn't need to be exact and I've left Wednesdays open as "optional" run days. I LOVE running 6 days a week, but it's not so easy to do that anymore! Key workouts will be run in the early morning before E and Leo wake up. By the end of the day, I feel like my body loses all of its steam! For the other runs, running in the evening with or without the jogger will be just fine. I just need to stay motivated and make sure they get done!
A running mom's best friend! |
Looking for more running, sport, and nutrition information? Here are my favorite sport-related podcasts:
Blue Ox Training Plan |
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I just started working on my marathon training plan for Richmond in November! I'm using one of the Furman plans, which focuses on three quality runs per week, with an optional fourth day of running + cross training. I followed this plan for my last marathon and loved it! I tend to get injured if I run more than 4 days a week, plus this is the perfect plan while I'm juggling a full time job and the demands of two crazy little girls!
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to follow your marathon journey. Don't worry about the impact of breastfeeding on your training or vice versa. I nursed both of my girls through their first birthdays, and while I didn't complete a marathon while I was still nursing, I did start marathon training before I weaned my oldest and went on to run a marathon PR.
Working and having one baby has changed life immensely, so I'm sure you have your hands full with two little girls :) Thanks for the nursing & running encouragement! My goal is to nurse Eli at least til 1 year and see how it goes from there. Now for the marathon, I'm trying NOT to have a time goal... but deep down, I always want to set a new PR ;)
DeleteI cannot speak to plans and marathon training, as I'm not sure if I'll ever run another marathon.
ReplyDeleteI can, however, encourage from a far and support great cross training. We went on a hike the other day up Coldwater Canyon. I'll tell ya, that trail had more elevation increase in a short period of time than most marathons do. Plus, the trail was incredibly rock after about .25 miles which meant all of those muscles, ligaments, and tendons got used extra- allowing me to work on form.
Runs after the hike were far more dynamic and my legs felt totally "We can do it! We just rocked the canyon with a 16.5 lb baby and .5 lbs of other stuff being supported by us!"
Good Luck!
I'll admit I'm a bit jealous of your hiking adventure! I LOVE trails but we lack many of those around here. Running and hiking with elevation gain is so much harder, but generally gorgeous scenery, too! Definitely a great full-body workout.
DeleteMy biggest "elevation" experience was hiking up one of the Twin Sisters Peaks in Colorado when we were visiting my brother- and sister-law... I'm not sure if ~11,400 feet is big compared to other mountains, but that was quite a workout! Once I got over the "think I'm going to throw up" phase, I felt great and it was beautiful out there! Minnesota is cool, but I love those mountains.
Sounds like you have a pretty level head about entering your training program! I'm sure it'll all work out as you are willing to be flexible along the way. Can't wait to hear how it goes!
ReplyDeleteThis will be marathon #6 and I'm doing my best not to get too anxious about it :) Like I said, I'm trying to adjust to the new-mom training phase! I'm learning new time management skills and I'm finding that coming home to my little man after a run makes running that more enjoyable :)
DeleteI will definitely keep everyone posted on how training is going!
Good luck with your training! Looking forward to reading about it from the new-mom perspective!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Nikki! I will keep you all posted :)
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