In 2021, my brother and I decided to sign up for an ultramarathon (50k/31mi), just to see if we could do it. I had just run my first half marathon while he completed his first full marathon. We thought that if we could do that, surely we could run a little bit longer. At that point, I was both excited and nervous. Still, I hadn’t fully realized the true magnitude of the journey on which I was about to embark. Here are five of the lessons I learned about marathon running (and birth) along the way.
Lesson 1: You have to prepare (like, actually)
As we started our training, I thought it wouldn’t be that much different from training for the 5/10/15ks that I had run in the past, which mostly just required me to block out some time to run in the evenings and weekends. Fast forward a few weeks, and I recognized how wrong I was.
I quickly realized that this ultra, which was set in the mountains of Tennessee, would require A LOT more time, dedication, research, and training than I initially thought. Beyond that, it would require me to connect with my mind and body in a deeper way than I had before.
As our training progressed, I could no longer just skate through our long runs fueled by a banana and half a bottle of water before I left the house. Instead, I had to be intentional about what I was eating (not just the day of long runs, but most of the time), and I had to pack snacks and water to carry along the way to sustain my energy & hydration.
Because I now had so much to carry, I couldn’t just stuff it all in the pockets of my leggings anymore. I had to go out and buy a running vest with hydration packs and storage pockets. My old running shoes were also no longer cutting it. I decided to invest in some high-quality new running shoes, along with special trail running shoes. And then I had to break those in. I read books, followed instagram accounts, and read blogs about how to prepare for an ultra. I talked to others who had done marathons before and asked them for advice. Each piece of knowledge helped prepare me for my own race.
The same principle can be applied to birth. You may (or may not) be in great physical condition. You may be healthy, you may work out often. And all of those things are great! But they do not prepare you for birth in and of themselves.
If you’ve never experienced birth before, you are most likely unfamiliar with everything it entails. And while, yes, you will have a doctor or midwife and nurses to help during the process, if you are birthing in a hospital, you will also have a lot of time alone with just your own support team.
Of course, I recommend that team includes a doula, who provides informational, physical, and emotional support throughout labor and delivery. But at the very least, taking a birth class, reading some books, determining your birth preferences, practicing advocacy skills, and preparing your body both physically and mentally are all key factors that help increase your chances of achieving the birth that you want (or the closest you can, because hey, we can’t control everything – especially in birth!).
Lesson 2: There are two types of pain
I remember vividly the first time I ran 15 miles straight on the trails. It was TOUGH. On top of the fatigue and soreness of my legs, I began to experience pain in my outer right knee. By this point, I was getting used to pushing through the discomfort in my legs. But this felt different. Immediately, I instinctively knew this was different. The knee pain wasn’t a “normal” part of the running process that I could tune out. It was something I had to address. And I did. In fact, I ended up going to physical therapy for a couple months to strengthen my hips and core muscles, which did end up helping to relieve most of the pain I was experiencing.
This was one of my first realizations of the two types of pain. There is a productive pain, and a signaling pain. Productive pain is what I was experiencing when my legs began to fatigue and my lungs started burning. Yes, it was uncomfortable. But I also knew it was necessary pain if I was going to run these trails. Experiencing this discomfort helped me to strengthen my leg muscles and enhance my lung capacity. If I gave up every time I felt discomfort, I never would have been able to complete the ultra. I knew that once I was able to rest, my body would naturally recover and become stronger.
Signaling pain is what I experienced with my knee. It was NOT something I could push through and still remain well. It was something that I had to “fix” in order to achieve my goals. It was telling me that I needed to stop, go to the doctor, and get some help. There was no purpose to the pain, except to let me know that something was off in my body that I needed to address.
Understanding these two types of pain can help support us during birth. We KNOW there is a high chance that you will experience pain at some point during labor. I’ve heard from so many women that this pain scares them, and makes them nervous to give birth. But when we are able to shift our perspective, we can reframe that thinking. Most of the pain we experience during birth is productive pain. The uterus is contracting to literally birth your baby. That’s the most productive and creative energy in the entire universe if you ask me. The discomfort you’re experiencing isn’t bad, it’s actually helpful. When we recognize this, we can stop the fear-pain-tension cycle. Instead of your mind recognizing discomfort as bad and sending alarm signals to your brain and body, it will begin to recognize that discomfort as necessary, natural, and productive. Some women are even able to experience pleasure with their births because they relax into the discomfort instead of tensing against it.
However, there may be situations that arise where something is truly “off.” When you’re in tune with your body and you’re able to differentiate the types of pain, you are better able to recognize when you do need to ask for help from a professional or hit the call button in your hospital room.
Lesson 3: It’s a marathon (literally), not a sprint. Conserve your energy.
Further on in our training, my brother told me that he signed us up for an 8 hour run. In the middle of summer. On a flat, sunny, circular track. Basically, we just ran in circles for those 8 hours. I’m not kidding. That’s all we did. Starting out, I felt great. I started off strong, trying to get as many laps in at the beginning while I still had energy. I thought it was a great strategy. Turns out, I was wrong. A couple hours in, my legs were already starting to stiffen up, and I was definitely slowing down. Meanwhile, others who had started off slower, conserving their energy, were continuing to jog steadily through the course, seemingly better off than I was. By the end of the 8 hours, I was limping down the course. I could barely walk for days after that race.
Unless you experience precipitous labor, you are most likely going to need to conserve your energy. You will be in labor for hours (or possibly days). Don’t try to do too much too soon. You don’t need to force it. Your body knows what to do.
During early labor especially, try to get as much rest as you can. You may want to try some of your comfort measures, but don’t go through your whole toolkit too early on. As things get more intense in active labor, you will need to reach into that kit and pull out more. It will be more and more difficult to rest, especially as your waves/contractions intensify and get closer together. If possible, try to nourish your body by eating and staying hydrated. Your body will need that energy supply.
At the time of transition, you may be feeling like you’re ready to give up, like you can’t go on any longer. You may be shaking, throwing up, having difficulty regulating your temperature. These are all signs that you are SO CLOSE to the finish line, to meeting your baby. This is the time to tap deep into your stores and find the courage to continue.
Immediately after a race, you can’t just sit at the finish line for the rest of the day. You still have to walk to the finisher’s area, walk to the car, shower, etc. all while your legs are throbbing. But, you just ran a marathon and you’re so high on endorphins that you don’t really mind.
Similarly, soon after you birth your baby, you must also birth your placenta. However, your body will most likely be so high on endorphins and oxytocin from meeting your new baby, that you can handle birthing the placenta no problem. Still, this doesn’t mean you won’t have discomfort (especially if your provider does a fundal massage after), but you’re now at the end. You’ve made it. Congratulations!
Lesson 4: Your mind is your most powerful tool
The day of the marathon, I actually felt pretty great. I was nervous, yes, but I was also so excited to get started and put to use all the training I had done over the last several months. We woke up before dawn and got ready to start. The first few miles weren’t so bad. But by mile 10 I was starting to feel it. Realizing I wasn’t even a third of the way through the race, I began to get discouraged. We still had so much more trail to cover, and the self-doubt was creeping in. Can I really do this? Who am I to think I could handle an ultra when I had never even run a marathon race? What if I fail? What if I get too tired, and can’t continue? What if I fall and get injured? Should I just give up?
Thankfully, I have done a lot of therapy in my days and I have learned (and practiced) the power of mindfulness. Because of this, I was able to recognize the thoughts of self-doubt without letting them consume me. I had intentionally practiced this mindfulness in my daily life and on my training runs. Instead of going down the rabbit hole of doubt and fear, I refocused on the moment at hand.
I practiced gratitude for my body being able to run this race, the nature that surrounded me, and all the people alongside me either in the race with me or supporting us on the sidelines. I paid attention to my breathing, using it to help me stay steady and strong. I said affirmations to myself, that I was strong and capable and going to finish.
There may be moments during labor (or during your pregnancy) when you start to doubt yourself. Saying things like, “I don’t know if I can handle labor because my pain tolerance is so low” or “I can’t do this.” And while there are medical tools and drugs you can definitely use to help you with the discomfort if you choose to use them (and there’s no shame in that!), know that you are also strong enough. You CAN do this. Practicing mindfulness, affirmations, noticing & replacing unhelpful thoughts, and connecting back to the present moment are all tools that can help support you during labor and birth. Your mind is a powerful tool, and it’s important that you know how to use it in your favor.
Lesson 5: You are so much stronger than you realize
Wow. The feeling of crossing that finish line after running 30+ miles in the mountainous forests is unlike any other. In that moment, I felt so strong. So proud. Just incredible. I had done it. I had set a goal, I had trained, and I had run an ultra. Now it was time to celebrate.
After you birth your baby, it may be hard to recognize all that you’ve done now that you’re fully responsible for caring for this new life, and your mind (and body, if you choose to breastfeed) are all consumed by your baby and their needs. But, if you can, try to remember to take some time to celebrate and be proud of all you’ve done.
You just created life. From scratch. You formed, sustained, and grew an entire human being over the span of 9(ish) months. Your body went through its own most metamorphosis as it changed to accommodate your baby. Then, you went through the birthing process. It doesn’t matter if you gave birth vaginally or via cesarean – you still birthed your baby.
You are strong. You are a life giver. You have the creative life force energy inside you. You are magic. There may have been times of doubt, but you did it. And you are the perfect parent for your baby. You are exactly what they need.
The journey, of course, does not end at birth. But whenever you start to doubt yourself, remember that you did that. You created life. You are so much stronger and more capable than you realize. You are incredible.
With love & gratitude,
Rachel