Running after baby

If you Google "Running postpartum," you find a wealth of information - and screaming matches - over when a woman can resume running after having a baby. That's all well and good, but that's not what I'm covering.

I'm currently 17 months postpartum after having my second child within two years, and I want to address what happens to your body after after having a baby. In two words, no less: It sucks.

OK, that was harsh, but necessary. Part of it is on me - I didn't continue running during either pregnancy for a variety of reasons (No. 1: I had difficult first trimesters with both kids, and I didn't want to run). I had to wait almost 8 weeks after having Gracie, my oldest, before running again.

But the other thing is, it took me forever to get used to my new body. Ever try running when you know you should be pumping? Not fun, my friends, because you feel like you have concrete boulders in your running bra.

And then there's the stupid nagging thoughts in the back of my head, like "Will my stomach split open if I run too much too soon?" Believe me, the mental image of seeing one's intestines spilling out on the sidewalk will be enough to hinder anyone's fitness regiment. Postpartum running definitely isn't for the faint of heart.

There's also the time factor, which, ok, yeah. You've got kids and not enough time to run. It also means running on little sleep, something that stinks worse than my shirts *rimshot*.

I was also carrying a lot more weight after each pregnancy, and I had to get used to "No longer trim-me " running. I huffed and puffed on my runs, stopping more frequently than I would have liked and starting off at a way slow pace.

My body was not my own again postpartum, and it would take almost a year after each birth before I felt entirely like "me" again.

It didn't help that I'd see supposed inspirational stories about runners like Pauala Radcliffe, who ran races while heavily pregnant and shortly after giving birth. That's not me, that's not my life, and that's so far from the "norm" that it's ludicrous to hold up her story - however awe-inspiring and admirable - as something that's feasible for your garden-variety runner who would like to get in a damn run after having a baby.

Do I have any advice, besides "Cry in a corner"? Nope, not really. I just kept plugging away and reminded myself every time I laced up my shoes how much I love to run.