The ones who were pregnant with me. Or were pregnant before. The real and the virtual. To all of you who were first, an athlete, and then became a mommy.
Thank you.
For being there to vent to, to cry with, to share fears and thoughts and dreams with. For those who are working outside the home and for those who are working inside your home to raise your babies the best way you can, and for those who are caught somewhere in between. To all of you, for getting up early or working out late, so that you can kiss the tears away and make the sandwiches and pay the bills without missing a second away from those eyes.
For those who answered my late-night calls or silly facebook messages when I just needed to irrationally cry about losing complete control over my body, because you know. You know, as an athlete, how hard that is to do. But we did it, and whether we knew it or not at the time, we did it for the most amazing reason ever.
Some of you are so fast you win marathons when you don't even know you're pregnant. Some of you, like me, are just there mostly to compete against yourself. Some of you I've never met in person, but I feel like you're a dear friend because I can relate to where you are so much since we went through this together. Some of you have kids that are a little older, and I hope I can balance being an athlete and a mother and an all-around amazing person half as wonderfully as you have. You know who you are.
Each and every one of you I have learned something from.
This time around was even more special than the first, because this time I really understood that I could still be an athlete while also being a mother. And I got to share that with you. We ran together, we swam together, we talked about stuff only pregnant women really need to talk about together, so I'll spare the internet the details. We were nervous together. We grew together.
And we'll continue to grow together, too. I hope we still share our fears and hopes and dreams and know that no matter what decisions we make, sometimes this is really, really hard. I think that old quote really sums it up well: that becoming a mother is like making the decision to forever have your heart walking outside your body. It's amazing and petrifying and gratifying all at once.
And that's why we still need each other.
Today, we're pushing strollers as we run. And just like it was before the strollers, every run is just so much better when a friend is there.
Because doing flip turns at 38 weeks pregnant with your friends is freaking awesome.
Because the promise of pancakes always makes you hit the runner's high, even if you are waddling.
Because your friendships mean so much to me.
Thank you. More than you know.
Love,
Sara
7 comments:
that is the awesomest of videos, on a wonderful inspiring post
Dammit! You made me cry!
All I have to say is ditto. I couldn't imagine doing this without friends and conversely, I couldn't imagine how much having babies would create and enhance friendships as much as it has. And you're right--all the chub and the slowness and the aches and pains and the blemishes and the poop and the crying and the lack of sleep, it's all sooooooooooooooooooo worth it!
Awwwwww I am totally tearing up. You are such a sweetheart and I say the same right back to you. You are such an inspiration and it's b/c of you that I have hope that I too can be hot mamma fast like you.
Being pregnant alongside you was the best and I can already tell that being a mom alongside you rocks as well! So glad to have you in my life to run with, have pancakes with, laugh with, etc.! Thx for the great run today - hope I didn't slow you gals down too much!
http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2010/05/09/sports/09marathon_CA2/09marathon_CA2-articleInline.jpg
Yes, that is Kara Goucher's baby bump. She and Paula Radcliffe both have buns in the oven, and they're both doing a 10k together.
That is a great picture at the end! So good to have people to lean on.
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