Anastasia Murphy talks about her return to training after giving birth.
Hello fellow runners, I’m back!
The last time we spoke, I was just weeks away from giving birth and I updated you on how I continued to run throughout my pregnancy.
I’m pleased to share that I now have a healthy baby boy named Arthur, who was born in October.
We’re settling in well to our new little life together – here’s a picture of us out for a walk using a sling (above).
Unfortunately, he didn’t come out running, as many people thought he might!
In fact, he stayed put for an additional two weeks, so I think he’ll be more of an endurance runner than a sprinter!
Now, back to running chat. Soon after giving birth, I started walking and slowly built up the distance.
I think this really helped with my recovery as I felt pretty much back to normal after 2-3 weeks.
After 6 weeks, I started ‘Couch 2 5k’ to ease back into running. Whilst I ran throughout pregnancy, I wanted to respect what my body has just achieved and take it slow.
12 weeks on and now I am back up to running 5km without stopping, woo!
I am much slower than before, but with consistency and time, speed will return at some point.
It feels great to be running again, it really does. It gives me a great break away from motherhood and really helps me feel like myself again.
My goal at the moment is to get back up to running for one hour, so I can join my running club again.
I’d like to tackle the Milton Keynes Half Marathon in May too!
I won’t put pressure on myself but I do really find that running helps my energy levels, even after a sleepless night with a baby, as it helps me avoid ‘cabin fever’ and gives me a breather.
If you’re returning to running after having a baby, do let me know how you’re getting on – you can contact me on Instagram @Murphyruns.
Hopefully next time we speak I will be running for around one hour!
Follow Anastasia’s running adventures on Instagram @MurphyRuns
Celebrate:MK lifestyle magazine 