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I miss running. When I found out I was pregnant in October, I chose to stop because I didn’t enjoy feeling like I had to pee every 5 minutes. I was also pretty into the Peloton bike at the time. Fast forward to my third trimester when the warm weather arrived and my FOMO set it as I watched runners speed along the Charles River.

Towards the end of my pregnancy, my workouts mostly consisted of walking however my feet ached so badly by the end of each day that I debated stopping activity all together. When I was asked to review a pair of running shoes from Zappos from The HOKA ONE ONE Fly Collection, I jumped at the opportunity. HOKA ONE ONE is known for having maximum cushion with minimal weight designed to make running easier.

I knew they would be perfect to wear towards the end of my pregnancy and while getting back into running after almost a year’s long hiatus.

The shoe I chose was the HOKA ONE ONE Mach. I couldn’t believe how lightweight and comfortable they felt on my foot right away. I usually wear a size 8 but ordered a 7.5 based on some reviews and they fit perfect. I love Zappos because they have free shipping and make it easy to return or exchange a size.

The Hoka One One Mach helped me finish my final days of pregnancy feeling good rather than being totally achy and spent after walking all over the city trying to go into labor!

My First Postpartum Exercise Plan

For my postpartum plan, I am starting out with walking. I did 1 mile yesterday and today we did about 1.5 miles with the stroller. Tommy hates being in a stroller unless he is napping so I just brought Connor this afternoon.

I am hoping to increase my mileage about a half mile by end of week and by 4 weeks postpartum be able to walk 3 miles comfortably before adding in some light jogging intervals. Yes, you should wait 6 weeks until you are cleared by your OB/GYN to exercise again, however my recovery thus far has been light years easier than with Tommy and I began around 4 weeks with him so I feel confident that I’ll be ready for little 1 minute jogging intervals in between 3-5 minute walks.

Potential Road Blocks

The problem here is that you can’t jog with a newborn… so it will have to just be Tommy and me when I first start which is OK since I have yet to buy a double jogging stroller. I’ll also have to make sure I have someone who is comfortable watching Connor (or both boys) while I workout like my mom while on the cape or Nick if it’s a weekend. It’s not an easy feat to find time to workout with two kids.

Once I’m officially cleared to workout, I’ll likely be back in Boston where I have childcare at the gym but baby must be 3 months old so I’ll have to wait until October to use a treadmill again.

And lastly, nursing and working out are not the most compatible past times of mine. I do not have any problems with supply, if anything, I have an oversupply so I have to make sure that I pump or nurse before a workout and have a supportive sports bra. This prevents me or at least makes it challenging for me to fit in any early morning runs before Nick goes to work.

Feeling Overwhelmed At The Thought

I share all this because while I have a plan to get back in shape, typing it out feels nearly impossible. I fell in love with running because there were no barriers! You just needed a pair of shoes and could get in a great workout. I miss the simplicity. I miss the challenge.

I am eager to get back into running! However for now, I’m patiently waiting for my time to fly again. Check out my Hoka One One shoes over at Zappos.com.