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Chasing Unicorns LLC, Chicago, IL (2026)

10/04/2026

Postpartum racing continues!

19:48 for today’s 5K just a few days shy of 6 months postpartum. The last two races I’ve done have been more about curiosity than setting specific goals but after a few more quality workouts I had a soft goal to try to go under 20 mins again today. Between beautiful weather and amazing teammates who paced and raced together, I’m thrilled to have smashed through that mental barrier again and even more curious what else is in store in this new body.

Running during pregnancy didn’t feel great for me and I pretty much called it quits around 20 weeks so I have been truly surprised about where I’m at today. I have several hunches I’m still pondering on but I will say this return has been all about doing something for me that makes me feel strong again and there’s a lot of joy in training and racing without too many expectations.

Shoutout to Isabelle and Ross who came out to cheer for me! Unfortunately we did not get a family photo together before Izzy had a massive blowout and I went straight back into mom mode again cleaning her up with Ross (a two-person job kind of blowout 😂).

09/14/2026

Still celebrating every finish line 🙌🏼 ✨

I hope one day Isabelle sees that her mama never gave up on her own dreams whether done in the quiet before anyone was awake, squeezing things in over a nap, or with the support of a husband who also believed her goals were worth making the time for.

I always dreamed of the life we’re living now and can confirm it’s pretty sweet ❤️

09/12/2026

First race as a mama at 5 months postpartum! 20:29 for 5K, 3rd place female, and 5th overall (the women showed up to play today!).

Got the full racing as a mom experience, too, as Isabelle threw up in her sleep last night and we spent about 90 mins cleaning her up, cleaning her bed up, and making sure she was ok. After going to bed around 11 I wasn’t even sure if I’d get out to do this (if she continued to get sick the answer was no - mom comfort comes first), but fortunately it seemed to just be an upset tummy and she’s been fine since. The 9 am late start worked in my favor, even if it was quite warm and in full sun at that point, but I was happy to line up on a starting line again. It’s funny how much things change. I don’t have time or energy to get nervous about a workout or really a race now because it’s a treat to even get to go do hard things. I’m proud of this effort and now I have some things to work on, too!

It takes a village and I wouldn’t be able to do this without a wonderful, supportive partner. I’m so excited to keep exploring what mom strength is and happy to have ripped the racing bandaid off for the first time in 14 months!

09/01/2026

August ⭐️ lots of outdoor runs but also a lot of treadmill runs over nap time making it work! I felt even more like myself this month and like we are getting into good rhythms. Ross has been really helpful with letting me prioritize my Wednesday speed workouts and Saturday long runs and I’m thankful to have a partner who supports my goals too.

Isabelle loves her play mat and has been enjoying entertaining herself a lot more lately which is great for me for being able to get more done at work and around the house! It’s neat to see her personality more and more; she’s definitely very independent and determined - a lot like both of her first-born parents 😉 q

Ollie is my little workout buddy and enjoys a good strength or mobility class on the Peloton app. I’ve been thankful for a nice treadmill for being able to squeeze in workouts over nap times on days overnight sleep has been rough and I can’t quite get up and out the door before Ross needs to leave for his workout or work.

Izzy has been super fascinated by the pets lately and they’ve been so good with her. Lola is a very gentle big sister ❤️ before we adopted Lola she had her own litter of puppies and I think she understands the mom thing on a deeper level which sounds crazy but I see her looking at me almost with knowing eyes and it’s very sweet.

Izzy’s favorite seems to be Ollie. We think maybe it’s because he’s a similar size to her and he’s so social so he’s always around. She has been chasing him in her little walker this past week! We’re impressed with her strength but aren’t too surprised as she’s been super wiggly and wanting to move since day one. She also started eating solids this month (baby oatmeal) and we can’t wait to experiment more in September!

So much fueling for me. I’ve had to be super intentional with fueling since breastfeeding burns 300-500 extra calories/day on top of daily burn and workout burn. I started tracking my macros again to make sure I was getting in not only enough calories but also hitting my protein goal because I’m much more inclined to reach for carbs and then I’d just be hungry shortly after (both are good but both are needed!).

My highest running mileage month sin

08/04/2026

17 weeks postpartum today and feeling like I’ve really started to find my groove again this past month! I think I am starting to understand how women can be faster after babies because you have no time to mess around anymore and it forces you to be really efficient with your time. Long gone are the days of procrastinating a workout; procrastination these days would mean running out of time to do it so you take whatever window of opportunity you have and make it happen, enjoying a little sliver of time to yourself with no one asking for anything while you’re at it.

Every day is still so different in terms of naps during the day and wake-ups overnight (aka my energy levels are so different day to day) but I’m adapting (and coffee is still a lifesaver). I’m looking forward to when Isabelle is old enough to go in the running stroller for easy runs so I don’t have to choose between an extra hour of sleep or a run or trying to squeeze one in over nap time but we’re still a couple months away from that most likely.

These last 17 weeks have taught me to be more patient, to be more flexible, and to try to live more in the moment. I’ve also learned not to compare in this return to running journey - our situations are all different. What I have with flexibility with running my own business and working from home I lack in childcare as I am the childcare whereas someone else may have a nanny or daycare to give uninterrupted focus time towards work/hobbies but has to go into an office away from their child, etc. Support around you matters, too. I’m lucky to live so close to my mom who has been willing and able to help out a couple times a week so I can get work done or a workout in and a partner who supports my goals and helps me be able to carve out some “me” time.

Social media can make it seem like we have things all figured out or that they’re all going smoothly and that’s definitely not true as someone new to this whole parenting thing, but we’re trying our best and learning as we go, celebrating the little wins as they come!

07/23/2026

What a joy it is to be training without expectations or timelines and just letting things happen as they happen ✨

My return to running journey has been a lot smoother than I anticipated after the c-section and I’m so grateful for it. I quickly learned during pregnancy not to compare our situations to anyone else and the same goes for postpartum. I stopped running at 20 weeks while others I know were able to continue the entire time, but my return has been so smooth so far and I know that isn’t the case for other mother runners after birth so truly we’re all so different and shouldn’t compare journeys.

I think what helped me is proactive weekly pelvic floor pt during pregnancy starting at 20 weeks and keeping up with the deep breathing and core engagement exercises on my own after that, then starting it up again when cleared by my OB at 6 weeks to assess and address any issues (for me this was more about reengaging my lower abdominals after the c-section surgery). In combination with pelvic floor pt I also started strength training, incline walking, and cycling before I started running and this helped build a strong foundation to return to load with.

Running is a high impact sport and if you take a lot of time off of it like I did you’ll find your cardiovascular system starts “working” a lot faster than your muscles and soft tissues can keep up. I was pleasantly surprised with how quickly my endurance came back but that didn’t mean the rest of my body was ready for load so gradually increasing things week to week and taking lots of extra recovery was key. Every week has felt better than the last and I hope to keep it that way!

As far as training goes my loose plans are to focus on shorter speed the rest of this year, likely a half marathon cycle in the spring, and then making a return to the marathon in fall 2027! I’ve recognized that between being on the clock with breastfeeding demands and generally having less available time these days that I have to be realistic with how I spend my time. Good things take time and I know the return to 26.2 will be even sweeter if I train from where I’m at and don’t rush things!

07/05/2026

Hit 12 weeks postpartum Tuesday to round out the month of June! Apparently this was the end of the “4th trimester” and truly it was the toughest. To be completely honest, my world was rocked going from being 100% in control of my time to it being 100% controlled by someone else who depended on me for everything, but I finally feel like we’re getting into some good routines (thanks almost entirely to her sleeping having more of a pattern now due to age + silent reflux treatment). It has also been super fun watching Isabelle start to smile and talk to us; makes the tough days a lot better when you feel like they actually love you!

I started off the month of June in run/walk intervals just in my neighborhood and by the end had progressed to being able to do up to an hour continuously back on some of my favorite routes. It feels good to be feeling more like myself again! I had been thinking I’d run a 4th of July 5K as a benchmark race if everything continued to go well but we were in the middle of a week of 90+ degree days and mornings around a low of 78 degrees so I decided to forego that idea. It’s already hard enough getting back into shape and I didn’t want to just be totally demolished in my first race back since July 2025. The itch is back though to try despite not being at my best so that’s exciting!

I can’t wait to see what another month of consistency can do for the fitness but I’m really happy to be where I’m at with no pressure or expectations of timelines. Training remains flexible as the job of mom comes first, but I’m getting back to some regular routines and time for me again, too. One of my primary goals right now is recovering and fueling well to keep my milk supply up; it was always a priority to fuel well for my training before but now I have someone else depending on me to do a good job at this!

06/22/2026

Coming up for air after some really hard parenting weeks with total burnout and exhaustion 😴

We are so grateful to our pediatrician who helped diagnose Isabelle with silent reflux. Taking care of a newborn is tough but taking care of a newborn who was screaming most of the day when not eating or sleeping (if she could fall asleep) did a number on my mental. Since starting her medication and finding the right dosage, Izzy’s been an entirely new baby - happy to be awake, chatting with us, smiling, and no longer fighting naps (most of the time, she’s a baby after all!). This also means more sleep for me which has made everything so much better. The work of being a primary caregiver is still hard but it feels more rewarding now.

I spend more time on the Huckleberry app than most any other app on my phone these days and as much as I hate how addicting smartphones can be I’m grateful to be parenting in a time of AI and Google searches if I’m totally honest 😅

Returning to running has been going better than I expected. I’m running continuously now 4 days a week and feeling stronger and stronger every day. I squeeze in runs on the treadmill over a nap break and my type-A personality is learning how to accept that something is better than nothing because she doesn’t care if her nap only allowed me to run 30 mins when I was hoping for 45. Showing up imperfectly is better than not showing up at all right now (unless of course I’m too fatigued in which case showing up would be a bad idea).

The biggest thing I notice is because I’m sitting so much more now (breastfeeding, pumping, and sitting with a baby adds up to so many hours in the day) is that my hamstrings are tight so this week I need to work on stretching them out more and restoring mobility. Finding pockets of time for myself is tough but if I can’t make time for the rehabbing I’ll find myself sidelined from running again and after a long break with pregnancy and postpartum recovery I’d prefer not to go back to that!

06/06/2026

It’s been a minute! Here’s what’s going on in my neck of the woods…

📌 I hit 8 weeks pp earlier this week and have been feeling really good. Going to weekly pelvic floor PT appts and have been able to return to running via walk/run! Continuing to work on bringing engagement back into the lower abdominals as my upper abs like to take over but from an overall strength perspective I’m in a great spot and really happy with how things have progressed.
📌 Returned to more normal working operations this week. I’m so appreciative of my athletes for being so understanding over the last couple of months while I was adjusting to new life at home/healing. I’m excited to continue to help them through summer and fall goals!
📌 Lots of contact naps, wearing baby in a carrier, and walks because nothing calms girl down like movement does. This part has been exhausting and we don’t love being on team no sleep and hope to get longer overnight stretches soon (lack of sleep + interrupted sleep to feed every 2-3 hours is rough).
📌 Training-wise I’m regularly working out 4-5 days a week but being super flexible with when and how things get done. My only goals right now with training are to build back my cardiovascular endurance and to have it be a fun outlet. I’m not following a set plan other than being intentional about how I increase time of activities or intervals and upping weight on strength exercises and it feels right; loose structure for now, more to come when I’m sleeping better.

Summer is my favorite season and I can’t wait to enjoy all the time outside in the sun (with sun protection, of course - something I’ve been working on being better at!).

05/01/2026

The saying goes, “April showers bring May flowers” but this year April was absolutely the main event 🌸

⭐️ last day of April making time for me enjoying some simple movement as it rains outside
⭐️ last pregnant workout
⭐️ Easter with the family
⭐️ kitty snugs the night before baby
⭐️ Isabelle born
⭐️ adjusting at home to being a family of 5 👶🏼🐾🐈
⭐️ I turned 33 and had the best birthday at home with baby Izzy and my family
⭐️ snippets from the past month

It’s been both wonderful and challenging these last 3 weeks. Learning a lot but so proud of the life we’re building together as a family! Looking forward to all that May has to offer 💕

Chasing Unicorns LLC

10/04/2026

09/14/2026

09/12/2026

09/01/2026

08/04/2026

07/23/2026

07/05/2026

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