Running and Birth....

They say running a marathon is like giving birth.  You often see all of these analogies between the two.  I can’t REALLY say if this is true or not.  I have now given birth 3 times but have yet to run a marathon.  I have however, run a few half marathons and will start training this fall for my first full and can tell you that even in my half marathons I have found some similarities between running and birth.  Heck even in 5ks there are similarities.  So maybe, it shouldn’t be running a marathon is like birth but how running anything is like giving birth.  Whether it be training miles, hill workouts, track workouts, long runs, short runs, 10ks or marathons there most definitely are similarities between the two.

How Running is Like Giving Birth

·        You sweat.  Never will there be any more sweat pouring out of you then there is in the middle of birth or in the middle of pushing your limits and trying for a 5k PR or smashing a hill workout.

·         You swear.  Oh yes, I am a classy lady but give me a hill or around mile 11 in a half marathon and that F word likes to just pop right out.  Likewise, I may have been known to utter it a few times during some intense contractions……

·         You go into it with some anxiousness and trepidation.  Can I do this?  Will I fail?  Will it all be ok?

·         You beg for water or a way to cool yourself down.  I have run a few races where I couldn’t believe that they didn’t have more water stations.  It was hot, we were thirsty, and where was the water?  At the same time you know those lovely people who have houses along the race route who actually know that runners will be hot so they set their hoses and sprinklers out to send a refreshing spray of water?  Yes, those people would totally be appreciated during labor too.  I would have loved to just have been sprayed with cool water in the middle of all the breathing and moaning. 

·         You breathe heavily, yep you do and your breathing technique changes too.  There is no normal breathing.

You want on as little clothing as possible, yes strip down and get to work.

·         You discover that your body can do things you never thought were possible.  You realize that you are stronger than you think and that it doesn’t matter how much pain you may be in, you can indeed finish.

   

Ii It is all mental.  Getting over the mental blocks is harder than any of the physical exertion.

·         When it is all over the “high” is unbelievable.  You are a super hero and have plans of picking your cape up on the way home.

·         The bling is always so cool!!! (Although race bling tends to sleep through the night and not poop as much)

·         While during you swear you will NEVER EVER EVER UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCE do that again, yet you do and you rock it even more the next time J