1. Break the day up into manageable pieces. On a long run, I break the distance down into non-threatening increments. A mile sounds easy, so I just run a mile. And then another. And then another...But each mile feels manageable because it's only a mile. Likewise, I break up my long days of nausea into micro pieces that I can handle: fix one snack, read one story, assemble one puzzle...
2. Remember to breathe. A deep, cleansing breath can work wonders to clear my head, both during a run and in my daily life as a pregnant mama.
3. Focus on this moment; do not think about what comes next. This goes hand-in-hand with #1 above. I start to feel overwhelmed on a run if I think about the whole distance, but I can handle it if I stay in the moment, stay in the current mile. Similarly, I focus on one task at a time to make it through these difficult days. At 11:00am, the thought of surviving until my husband gets home at 5:30 seems impossible, but if I stay in the moment, I can survive 10 minutes at a time. Before I know it, he's home and I can clock out for a while.
4. Just pray. When a run feels tough or unfinishable, I start stringing together some Our Fathers or Hail Marys. The repetitive prayers help break the I-can't-do-this thought pattern and bring me a sense of peace.
Though I wish I was out on the roads running, I know that my body can't handle it right now. I'm comforted knowing that I'm still putting my mother runner skills to use - just off the road. I'll get back to running, but in the meantime I'll keep honing my survival skills.
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| Just like Gloria Gaynor, I will survive. |
