Return to Running Postpartum with Briana Scott

First off, how are you doing?! How’s Bennie? I really miss seeing you and D a couple times a week at workouts. It feels like just yesterday that we were all in Toronto for the Canadian 10km Champs. How’s the adjustment to motherhood been?

Oh my, what a year it’s been since that Toronto 10km Champs. The past few months of welcoming Bennie into our world and motherhood have been a bit of a blur to be honest. We’re totally in love with our little man and so exhausted. Bennie’s 5 months old now – very active and long – just like his parents ;)

I’ve seen a few runs here and there on Strava. Is there a tentative plan or timeline to return? Do you have any short-term or long-term goals or is it too soon to put them out to the world? 

I’m getting back into it… slowly but surely. I’ve run a little, hiked quite a bit and have spent some time in the gym. I’ve tried my best to not put a timeline on a return and I purposely have not put a goal race on the calendar so I can be patient and come back slowly. However, I think that’s the challenge as an athlete. I’m motivated to be back, to be fit and start training again. I want to feel like myself again, but it hasn’t quite been that easy. So far, I’ve had to work through quite a few issues getting my body back to full strength. I’d like to just build back consistently this winter and know you’ll see me back out there soon enough.

Is there a general guideline for returning to running postpartum? I saw a lot of Grouse Grind efforts, and even heard Bennie got his first photo ID (how cute). Where do you even start postpartum? 

I ran until about the last month of pregnancy and tried to keep moving until Bennie was born. He was 8 days late so I was going a bit stir-crazy! I was worried about what postpartum running would be like and did a lot of research on it. Guidelines vary from 6 to 12 weeks postpartum as the acceptable time to start, though the biggest piece of advice I’d give is to listen to your body and find a local pelvic floor PT to get checked. A second set of eyes from a professional is good reassurance before testing out running again.

To get back into activity, I decided to literally Grind my way back. We did the Grouse Grind as a family nearly 20 times this summer (we’re crazy haha). Hiking provided an outlet to push myself without feeling the itch to run and spend time as a family outside. My first runs back felt forced and uncomfortable, but hiking the Grind felt fine on the body and offered a lower-impact alternative. After 9 months of pregnancy and progressively feeling further away from the sport, it felt sooo good to move and feel challenged again.

Beyond running, what are things you’ve been focusing on to aid your return? 

I’ve tried my best to find a little moment to myself every day. While it sounds simple, these moments are hard to find with a baby and nursing around the clock. Sometimes it’s not possible to sneak away so I set up a bike trainer in one of the closets in our home. We joke and call it the “spin studio”. This has been a great workout addition so I can keep an eye on Bennie and squeeze in some exercise even if that means stopping midway to give him a sweaty cuddle or to change a diaper.

Is there something you’ve experienced or gone through that you wish you knew ahead of time? 

I expected to be much worse off early on postpartum. Fortunately, my labour/delivery was quick, and my body felt pretty good soon after. This might have given me a bit of false confidence. The return to running has been slower than expected and I’m encountering different aches and pains along the way related to the pregnancy. Most recently, a tough and painful SI joint issue. I didn’t expect these flare ups at this point in the return, which has been difficult to deal with both physically and mentally.

Are there any words of advice you’d share with other moms going through similar experiences? 

First and foremost, listen to your body. It’s so easy to get caught up in what other runners postpartum are doing, but that doesn’t mean it’s the right thing for you. There’s no prize for coming back the fastest. Running isn’t going anywhere; it just might take a bit longer to feel good at it again.

And my biggest learning is to ask for and accept help. For me, it’s meant asking my family to watch Bennie so I can sneak away to nap, exercise or shower. Or dropping Bennie off at my parents so Derek and I can have a moment to run together in Pacific Spirit. It takes a village to raise a little human and I’ve quickly realized that looking after myself makes me a better mum to Bennie