Running and breastfeeding- will the exhaustion never cease?

[RunAndBeMum]

Before DS1 I thought nothing of running six miles on a Sunday morning and regularly ran half marathons. Fast forward four years, DS2 is six-months old and despite running once or twice a week for the last few weeks it just never gets any easier.

Last week I went on three very slow twenty-minute runs but this week I barely have the energy to lift my legs and have only managed a 15-minute run which I didn't enjoy at all.

I was hoping to do a half marathon in October but it's looking less and less likely. Shall I just give up and return to the sofa with a huge packet of chocolate hob nobs?

I sympathise, you sound just like me, 6m after having dc3. It is hard but try not to dwell too much on how fit you were before having DS1, even though it is of course something to aim for! Four years is a long time off and looking after two small children (one just 6m old) and bf is hard work - give yourself a break! It will take a while to get fit again...are you sleeping enough, eating enough? All of these will affect you.

Have you tried walk/run approach rather than trying 20mins straight running (start by following a c25k plan perhaps)? A bit frustrating when you think about your 6m runs maybe but you will get back there...although a HM in October may be a bit ambitious? Maybe a 10k more manageable and kinder to yourself?

Fwiw I talk a good game but must admit I didn't really sort myself out exercise wise until after stopping bf, I was just too sleep deprived, hungry and busy with on demand feeding til then. So I'd also say the sofa and hob nobs aren't necessarily the wrong choice for a while longer it is a very small amount of time to take out, in the grand scheme of things. You dont sound like the type to make it a long term lifestyle choice! I finally started exercising again in January (ds2 1yr old) and have never been much of a runner but I managed 6.5(hilly) miles on Sunday [proud emoticon] I could only jog for 12 minutes in one go 4 months ago! I found swimming really helped me improve my fitness levels in the first month or so too.

To conclude my ramble , it is really hard getting fit after DC's, especially when you are conscious of fitness levels lost, but it can be done, if you stick at it. Don't rush it though, enjoy your little baby and bf and go easy on your body too, its already got a lot of demands on it at the moment!

Thanks sleep, I guess that's what I needed to hear. I did run after dc1 but only three milers. Just gets me down, feeling so fat and unfit. And yes, I am definitely eating enough! Sleeping enough? Er, not so much.

Well done with your run on Sunday! That's fab! Gives me hope for the future

Once this bedtime feed is done I have a date with the sofa and some mini-rolls. And I won't feel guilty since sleep said it was ok!