Is this what they mean by "runner's high"?

I ran 3.5 miles today and, to my surprise, felt great! I usually do my weekend runs outside, but couldn't stomach the frigid 25 degree temps. I miss the 60 degree fall days... perfect for running outdoors. So on days like today, I have to suck it up and use the treadmill. I look forward to running outside on the weekends though ~ it's a nice change from the usual treadmill workouts, plus it helps me get used to running in colder temps. I'm training for a 10k (and am running a 5k this Sunday)... more on that in a future post.

During my weekend runs, my husband watches Little H. He's extremely supportive of my running schedule and always urges me to take as long as I need for my weekend runs (a nice change from my sometimes rushed weekday workouts). He's also a runner, and actually, I probably wouldn't have started running if it wasn't for him. He started about a year ago and ran his first marathon this past October. He was definitely part of my motivation. He also runs outdoors on the weekends, and I conversely watch Little H when he does ... so we're looking forward to getting a jogging stroller in the spring to run together. Plus, the little guy and I will be able to run outside during the week too. You can't beat running along the Charles! Just thinking about it gets me through all the treadmill workouts for now so I can enjoy the spring, summer & fall runs outdoors.

Today's run makes me feel like all my hard work is paying off. Even though there are a lot of busy days trying to fit in gym workouts with Little H, I feel amazing on days like today. I know it's only 3.5 miles, but for me that's major progress!

What gym?

Almost 6 months ago, our beautiful baby boy was born. Like most first-time parents, we had no idea what we were in for. In our perfect world, we'd live our lives just as we always had... except now, Little H would be by our side. First-time parents = Clueless.

My husband and I have always been active ~ not in the hiking/mountain biking sense ~ but in the 5 days-a-week at the gym kind of way. Both of us are early birds and like to go the gym around 6:00 or 6:30am. That's when I have the most energy, plus it feels good to start the day doing something good for myself, and there isn't anything getting in the way at 6:00am (besides my own laziness).

Enter Little H.

Gym? What gym? As all moms of newborns know all too well, sleep is a luxury. Due to the 4 hours or so of sleep I was getting, I was a walking zombie. So getting to the gym wasn't exactly a priority, although it would have been nice. When I did manage to make it out of the house during the first 3 months of his life, it was considered a successful day if he and I went for a walk without incessant crying... and although he did most of the crying, I shed tears on many occasions too. It's not exactly enjoyable pushing a stroller with a screaming baby, even on a beautiful 80 degree day. One word: Stressful.

Before the little guy was born, here's how I pictured he and I spending our days (please refrain from laughing):

• Take long walks around the city while Little H sleeps peacefully in the stroller.
• Go to the gym (without the little man) before my husband leaves for work in the morning.
  
• Walk to the farmer's market with Little H twice a week to pick up all the fresh, healthy ingredients I need to cook dinner.
• Prepare and cook dinner while he naps.
• Spend the beautiful fall weekends out-and-about as a new family of three.

Like I said, Clueless.

In reality, for the first 3 months of his life ~ Little H absolutely HATED the stroller (you would have thought I was torturing the poor guy when he was in there); my 4 hours of sleep = no gym (I was lucky if I had enough energy to shower); I never went to the farmer's market, not even once; he napped in my arms, and only in my arms (not exactly ideal for cooking); when we did manage to make it out of the house on the weekends, we were usually toting a screaming baby... cutting our trips short due to our own exhaustion of trying to calm him.

Our little guy seemed to dislike life in general. But then... miraculously... around 3 months of age, he seemed to have a change of heart. He was crying a lot less and smiling a lot more! Although our lives would never be the same, there was now some resemblance to the life we once knew.

Little H had to be a minimum of 3 months old before I could take him to the babysitter at the gym. So that week, I was itching to get back there and get into a routine again. I've been going fairly consistently ever since... but it hasn't been easy. Over the last few months, through lots of trial and error, I've figured out the best time to go (based on his schedule) and how long I can go for before he starts to implode. And when I can't make it, I have quite a few workouts I can do at home to stay on track.

So, here I'll be sharing how I balance my need for a healthy lifestyle with the busy life of raising a baby boy. I feel like I'm a better (and more sane) mom for my little man when I can fit in a workout and eat healthy meals. Although our days are full and busy, I wouldn't change them for anything!