Before I gave birth to my daughter in October 2010, I was on the fitness kick of my life, preparing for the Los Angeles marathon. It had been a goal of mine to run a marathon before I turned 30, but nearly three-quarters of the way through training, I got amazing news...I was pregnant! Always the cautious girl, I stopped running long distances and after my daughter was born, I just couldn't get back in to it...into any exercise at all.
When my daughter was born, I quickly felt the stress of first-time motherhood. Ten months after her birth, the combination of my husband's pending deployment and stress from taking care of my baby, I needed an outlet of my own. As my husband began his pre-deployment trainings, taking him away from home for weeks at a time, the YMCA became a sanctuary, a place to breath, let go, and reflect on the blessings in my life. I conquered my fear of spinning and nearly six months after joining the Y, I now spin three-four times a week! I feel energized, emotionally and physically, and both my family and I are better for it.
I remember someone once telling me it takes 21 days to establish a pattern. I was sure I would have to remind myself of this when I started working out again, but surprisingly, I found myself excited to go to spin class (it’s probably the only place a group of adults can rock out to Vanilla Ice and Lady Gaga without getting strange looks.) And, though I felt a little bit guilty about this realization, spinning is a relief. A 60-minute respite. And every parent deserves that.
As spinning became a consistent part of my routine, I slowly returned to my love of running. It was hard and I was reluctant to push myself at times. I got frustrated. At times, I even hated it. But, I was reminded that running, like most exercise, is a mental game. When a good friend invited me to join her group of mom-runners, I found camaraderie and mental fortitude to persist. I completed my first half-marathon in almost three years in February, a very sweet victory for me.
Now, nearly nine months after I joined the YMCA, my husband (whose deployment was canceled last minute, thankfully) has returned to CrossFit (he took his own pregnancy and post-partum respite, right along with me.) Our daughter has also gotten into the action with her very first toddler gymnastics class. I like to believe that my determination to find balance laid the foundation for stability during a year marked by uncertainty. And for me, I developed a new awareness of the connection between mind and body…and family.
Thanks, Maya, for inspiring us with your motivation and perseverance! Your story is a great reminder that it’s worth the time, energy, and even frustration, to exercise. Instead of feeling guilty for some “me” time, we’ve got to remember to embrace the goodness that it does for ourselves and our family. So happy to hear that Maya’s got it down and her family does too!
