Training for London Marathon 2015 after giving birth

[MarathonMummy1]

Hi all,

I'm training for the London Marathon 2015 and am documenting the ups and downs of training after having a baby and juggling life as a new mum. I'm also trying out different exercises to get back into shape and lose weight, lets see if they work!

It will be great to hear from other mums who are getting back into running or doing any exercise after having a baby and any tips you could share.

Here's my blog if anyone fancies a read.

www.marathonmummy.co.uk/

I ran the 2006 London Marathon 8 months after giving birth to DD1. It wasn't easy, and I was very slow, but it was amazing. I bought a running buggy (a proper one with a big fixed front wheel, not one with the tiny wheel that swivels), and so baby came on a lot of my training runs. I'm not sure I would have managed to get all my training in without it.

How old is your baby?

Good luck!

Thanks AnnieLobeseder. Thats amazing that you ran 8 months after! I'm kind of hoping to do the same, it will be 9 months after giving birth for me. My DD is nearly 5 months now.

I thought about buying a running buggy but i've read mixed views about this. Some people say its not good for babies before 6 months to use them. But it sounds like it was fine for you and your DD1 must have found it okay. It is hard though finding the time to run, i'm having to wake up super early before my husband leaves for work or go late in the evening. Not easy!

Did you do many really long runs? I'm kind of thinking how I'm going to make time for those, maybe just do them at the weekend?

The runs with DD were only ever short ones - I run off-road so having to go on the pavement and push a buggy was not my favourite way to train! So the long runs were all at the weekend. It wasn't really ideal to run the marathon so soon after having DD, she was slightly unexpected - I was amazinglt lucky to get a ballot place for the 2005 marathon and had just started serious training around Christmas when I found out I was pregnant. I didn't think running a marathon ideal at 5 months pregnant, so I deferred my place for a year. So then it was a case of use it or lose it!

It might not be so good for pre-6-month babies to go in a running buggy - DD was a rugged little thing, and I don't think I used it until she was 4-5 months old and had good head control.

The biggest problem I had was getting DD to wake up early in the morning so I could breastfeed and then go for a run before DH left for work! I couldn't go running with enormous full norks!

As for how many long runs - well, probably one a week, up to two 20-milers.