Am I running on empty?

I know I should be quite thankful that one of my bigger challenges as a new mama has just been the change in my sleep. Nonetheless, lack of shut-eye and an often unpredictable sleep schedule can be a big deal and I know other tired parents can understand why a new "sleeping lite" routine might be, quite literally, tiring.

Before my son was born, I was always aiming for a solid eight hours a night. I thought of good sleep as being as important as eating right and exercising often. But then the little dude arrived, then colic, then colds, then vacations, then teething, then molars, then <<insert event here>>. And suddenly, I became one of the something like 70 percent of Americans not getting enough sleep.

It probably hasn't been the greatest for my body, because (among other things) lack of sleep ups cortisol levels, which can wreak havoc on your metabolism and immune system if left unchecked. And I know how important it is to get enough rest to let your body recover and strengthen itself, especially after hard workouts. Prebaby, I indulged in the occasional nap after long runs or rides and I always followed the rule of getting a ton of sleep two nights before a big race, in case jitters robbed me of sleep on the eve of the event. But as a new(ish) mama, all that extra sleep sounds as luxurious as a comped month at the Ritz-Carlton.

Training for the first half marathon I ran postbaby, I know I ran at least two of my long runs after sleepless nights up with a sick or teething babe. I still did the mileage and I still ran the race, but I was slower than my last prebaby half. (It seemed I hadn't been gifted with enough of the fabled postpartum "blood doping.") There was something less satisfying about all of it. Sort of like driving past a beautiful landscape while wearing smudged sunglasses that you can't take off. I'm guessing that was the haze of sleep deprivation.

Thankfully, my sleeping has been returning to near normal since last year's race season. I still wonder what this year will be like. I'm hoping to do at least two half marathons, but am hesitant to take on a full marathon this year because I feel like I couldn't do my best training. I mean, who's to say that the little guy won't be sick and need me the night before my longest run or on the eve of a race? I guess all I can do is stay flexible and plan to shift workouts in case of a truly horrendous night. Not to say it's always easy for type-A me to stray from my plans toward a goal. But this is a life lesson that I'm slowly learning.

It truly sums up life as a parent. It's not all about me (or my silly little races) anymore. A fondness for pounding the pavement is no match for a mama's love.

So, when I need the motivation to get through a bleary-eyed run, I'll just think of Tera Moody, the insomniac marathoner with her eyes on becoming an Olympian. Though I don't think she's a mama, she knows about a different kind of sleeplessness, and I can dig what she's saying:

"Science shows that sleep is critical for performance and recovery and I do know how much better I feel when I get adequate rest. But anyone who has run a marathon knows that it’s not all science."

Thank goodness she's right.

© 2011 GUF

A running mama speaks the truth.

Just got this as my Runner's World Quote of the Week and wanted to share. Some sincere words of wisdom from my running mama hero, Kara Goucher.

"That’s the thing about running: your greatest runs are rarely measured by racing success. They are moments in time when running allows you to see how wonderful your life is."

The line is taken from a blog post she wrote about one of the first runs she took soon after the birth of her son, Colt. Word for word, she is so right!

© 2011 GUF