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| Photo: atramos |
Well, Amber Miller found her own way, completing the Chicago marathon before grabbing a sandwich and heading to the hospital. She ran/walked her way to a six-hour, 25-minute marathon with her husband by her side (until he couldn't keep up), then delivered a healthy baby girl. And then there was an uproar. Some people were appalled to hear her news. Others were inspired. Doctors weighed in, and suddenly everyone seemed to be talking about whether this woman should have done what she did. I was, too.
As a fellow running mama, my thinking was, 'Why not?' According to reports, she is a second-time mama, a marathon veteran and a runner who was in excellent health before pregnancy. And Chicago was apparently her second marathon in this pregnancy, though I'm guessing there wasn't as much of a fuss about it then, when she was likely not showing as much. From all accounts, she seems like someone who decided to continue her nonpregnant level of activity through her pregnancy while taking caution when her body told her it was needed. And she even checked with her OB, who happened to be cool with it anyway. Doctors know that a healthy, active woman with an healthy pregnancy can continue doing the kind of exercise she was doing before becoming pregnant. With the right information and the ability to listen to her body, a pregnant woman can run a smart race, even at 39 weeks.
Yes, some people are reckless and extreme. Some of those people run marathons. But that doesn't mean that a person running a marathon is necessarily reckless and extreme. Even if she happens to be pregnant. After all, pregnancy isn't a disability. So why would a healthy marathoner pretend like it is?
You go, mama!
