Awww. I’m glad I could say something helpful. I’m really nothing special, just a bit stubborn and I just know how amazing exercise makes me feel, mentally and physically. Likewise I know how ridiculously tough it is as mum to a very little child.
Your schedule sounds hectic and three full days with an 18 month old, just, eep and 12 months of it through restrictions!! No wonder you feel so tired. Your diet sounds great by the way! Mine was shite early on, quick sugar fixes and processed food. Did you get a followup with blood tests to rule out low iron etc?
I think because you get told something like 6 weeks for a c-section. We can be forgiven for thinking at that point we’ll be back to where we were. It’s major abdominal surgery!! Just recovering from pregnancy and relatively easy birth takes months even years!! Excluding my tear as I said before it took 3 years for my core to recover. I’m someone that cycled through my pregnancy, did pregnancy yoga 5 x a week (I had a DVD) and specific pregnancy core stuff, then really focussed on rebuilding it after DS was born. That was 3 years!!!!! Three blooming years. I remember my WH Physio telling me how long it took for muscle to recover (relevant to my tear as it was so severe and your c section). Just to heal was some months, then a lot longer to put the strength back. That’s if you are focussing on recovery, rehabilitation and rebuilding which you absolutely can’t once you become a mum, you dabble when you can!!
If I was you, I’d be looking at borrowing a running buggy and giving it a few weeks to see how DD copes. When I started towing DS, I’d only do it during nap times. I’d put him down in it, be ready to go and leave as soon as he was asleep. So you could try that. It turned out he actually blooming loves the trailer and quite happily sits in it watching the world go by. Even now as a super active 4.5 year old he loves trailer rides. I’ve no idea if you’ve started running again - if not couch to 5k with DD in tow in the running buggy has your name on it.
Maybe use an app like Strava. It’ll log your progress, but you can chose to
make stuff Public or share with followers. I found all the kudos and comments I got from my followers super motivating.
You can make a bit of a trip out of it now the weather is improving. Chuck a picnic blanket and picnic in, find a nice field (where DD can’t ‘escape’) and enjoy! I did that a lot with DS. Picnics with toddlers are ace, no mess to cleanup!! DS always seemed quite satisfied with the change of scenery to not be as full on. You wouldn’t necessarily have to run back... nice gentle easy walk. A really lovely (free!) way to spend a day together and you get some ‘you time’ and ‘exercise time’ with the running and walking. I’ve loved every second of our trailer rides, it just feels like such special time with my boy (we stop a lot!).
I towed DS through freezing winters, hammering rain, strong wind. He was fine! The rain cover kept him dry and the many layers kept him warm. If you are just going for a run, You’d only be out for a short time too so the weather isn’t your enemy to stop you in winter.
Could you afford a secondhand treadmill and would you have the space? That’s another option if running buggy fails or you don’t have anywhere to run with one (I’m sure you’ll find somewhere! even if it’s laps round a local park). Likewise if it’s just too grim to get motivated to go out. When I couldn’t be bothered to do a trailer ride, I’d go on my rollers during nap time to get my fix. (Rollers are like an indoor treadmill for a bike, you ride your bike on them).
Is there anyway you could actively travel as a commute or part of a commute? So walk, run or cycle? When DS was 18 months I was effectively a single parent as DP got seriously injured, was in hospital ages, then bed bound for months. So I was left caring for him and DS 🤪 I’d drop DS off at childcare early in the car as soon as it opened, then collect a few minutes before it shut. It meant I got a 40 min window for a ride each end of the day, before and after work. I’d pack my bike in the car the night before. Change of clothes etc. I’ve also done stuff like part run, part bus to work. Or turn up at work early (when I’ve needed the car) to run. I also do full cycle commutes, DP does drop off. So I get up before them and do a 2 hour ride to work (it’s only 25 minutes away on the bike, so I’m home fast!).
Dunno what the climbing is like round your way... it’s ace here. I know friends who take their little ones, they’ll boulder whilst the kids join in too. Now they are older (3!) the kids have climbing harnesses and climb. It’s not so great for them (the mums!) as it’s not like they get to climb as the kids are obviously too little to belay!! But it’s getting them ready for a few years when they can 😂 I guess if you have decent outdoor climbing locally, there could be other climbing mums you could hook up with via Facebook etc. Most people seem to climb round here.
When DS was 18 months he started balance biking. I’d often take the BB in the trailer (I bet you could attach one to a running buggy) and he’d potter about on that when we stopped. I got him peddling at 3 (he took to it straight away as he was so good on his BB). I’d push him with a stick, he’d peddle, I ran. I got a 40 min run in, we stop half way for a flask of tea and sugary treats ((which he carried in a little back pack) 😂 For me it’s been really important to indoctrinate DS into my way of life and get him active from tiny (balance biking!). So it’s always been possible for me to exercise one way or another with him. That way I’ve not had to rely on childcare to exercise as he comes along too. Pre-pregnancy I’d never have dreamed of this stuff!! You just take being able to exercise for granted 😂
I know I have an all or nothing mentality. I know if I’m not careful I’ll give up or a series of events will derail me. This was an issue years ago, so a week off would turn to 6. Having a plan helps. But. I know my triggers for giving up. It’ll never be one thing in isolation, just lots of small things. Now. I always know I’m coming up to a ‘give up point’ so I work round it. Eg the next few months are hectic, a family holiday and visits to stay with friends and family. We’ll have phases of no childcare. I’ve temporarily increased my hours at work. The long range weather looks grotty! So I’ll be doing stuff like a one hour interval session on the bike indoors, rather than a 4 hour endurance ride. We’ll do lots of family rides which are effectively junk miles for my training (we won’t have the trailer), so I’ll do some sprint efforts. If the weather is bad so we don’t ride, I’ll nip out for a run. For the long weekends away, I’ve loaded my training around the days I’m home. Lots of very early starts. None of its ideal. But. It’s all better than just thinking sod it, I’ll just take a few months off 😂 I’ve actually got my first race in 6 weeks, so that’s helping with the motivation. If I’m not careful I could just cry off because I can’t train how I’d like. But with a child and a life and a job and a partner, I’d never race with that attitude. Being realistic about life and planning, then being flexible and adaptable mean I stick with it. I never train so hard or schedule so much in because I know I’ll overdo it and give up. So I really really advise picking a very basic plan that’s easy to stick to. You’ll get much more gain from 6 months of that vs one that’s utterly over ambitious which you quit after a month, have a month off and repeat. You can always add more time in as you build back up.
Because you are coming from a great place - clearly very fit and focused pre-pregnancy, it won’t be that hard to get back. You’ll have muscle memory and residual fitness, so will be starting from a far higher base than someone literally beginning from scratch. You also clearly have the discipline and drive as you’ve done it before. I think the motivation, discipline and drive are the toughest things.