For professional runner Makenna Myler, running when there are major life milestones coming up is a pattern. Before her wedding, for example, she ran a full mile that morning. That was a mile as fast as he ran, at full sprint. So it only makes sense that she did it again before the birth of her first child, with a mile in under 5.5 minutes.
Now she is about to give birth for the second time, and her mile for the celebration of the little one was run in 5 minutes and 17 seconds. When asked why he does it and how it feels, Myler said the biggest issue is the extra weight that is carried almost all up front. It’s harder on the hips and quads, and makes balance something he should know better.
In the past, most athletes took a long break when they were pregnant, or they ended their careers entirely and turned their focus back to family life. While Myler loves his growing family, he also loves to run. Fortunately, her sponsors treated her well and worked around her developing pregnancy. That is not always the experience of female athletes when they are expecting a child.
During her first pregnancy, Myler received many hateful, derogatory comments about running while pregnant, which many commenters insisted was unsafe. But by working closely with her medical team, Myler had a safe, healthy pregnancy and is still running.
Running not only helps keep her in good shape for the child she’s carrying, but it’s also good for her mental health and helps her pursue a career she enjoys and finds important. More and more women at the elite level are choosing to become mothers, and the days when sponsors are not acceptable are changing.
Myler was not bothered by the comments, because he knew what was safe and what his doctors had agreed upon. Now she just ignores people who fuss, or doesn’t believe she should run as her due date approaches.
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