Chasing Unicorns LLC

When I had my myomectomy last January, I learned it meant never being able to have a VB and that any future pregnancy would result in a scheduled c-section due to an increased risk of uterine rupture. At the time it felt like just another gut punch in this process and one less thing I got to choose/be surprised by, and while I still have days I get a little sad that I’ll never get to experience childbirth in that way, I’m trying my best to view this scheduled c-section now for the positives - like knowing exactly when I’m going to be going out on maternity leave being a small business owner and being able to plan things to the day.

One of my main motivators for working out and staying strong during this pregnancy has been knowing the road back from the c-section is going to take time and that I’ll need to do a lot of healing and rebuilding before I feel comfortable returning to running again, so going in as strong as I can will hopefully aid in the recovery process (I found this to be true after my myomectomy as I healed faster than expected and attribute it to the fitness and healthy body I had going into it). I have no plans to rush this recovery process; I’ve put no races on my calendar intentionally for the rest of 2026 or even 2027 at this point to honor my body where it’s at and not force anything to happen sooner than it should.

If you’ve had a c-section before I’d love to hear your tips for what to ask for at the hospital, things that helped you in your recovery, and anything you’d share about your journey back to exercise after! I plan to share about my journey back as it happens to hopefully be a resource for someone else in the future looking to return to running after a c-section but would love any tips and tricks to go in with ahead of time as the clock is ticking down on us for welcoming baby girl in less than a month!

February 26, 2025 I ran my first speed workout after a slow return from fibroid surgery back in January. I remember it being bittersweet because on one hand I was so happy to be back feeling more like myself again but I knew I was about to start up injections and medications for my first IVF cycle just a couple days later and knew that it would be time to hit pause again. I was excited to be able to make progress on our family building goals after a very long emotional lead-up to get there (18 months of TTC on our own, 4 failed IUIs, and then a surprise fibroid surgery) but sad to be losing my main outlet of stress relief and something that had kept me “me” through all of the tough stuff.

Fast forward to a year later and I’m sitting here having not run a single step in over 9 weeks (for happier reasons which helps immensely) and my entire perspective on it has changed. Of course there are days I miss lacing up a pair of shoes and heading out to get breathless on a speed workout or running alongside my teammates on long run day, but I have found “me” through other outlets. I still get to be a part of the running community right now through coaching, watching indoor professional races, and keeping up with my favorite running podcasts. Apart from running I’ve found joy in being able to move my body on the bike (I’m not good by any means but a good playlist on a Peloton ride while breaking a sweat makes me happy!) and continuing to lift weights. I take a lot of peace from easy mornings started on the couch sipping a hot cup of coffee with my cat on my lap, and afternoon walks with my dog who loves getting in the extra steps.

I no longer fear the road back to the sport because I had to come back to it 4 separate times last year after breaks. I’m actually pretty excited for who that new athlete will be! It will be hard work, but if looking back a year has taught me anything, it’s that this will all feel like such a blip in time in the grand scheme of things (oh, and that women are so strong and powerful of course! 😉).

When you’re a runner who isn’t running during your pregnancy but you have a running-focused account, what do you even post about? 😂

I had so hoped I’d be running or even walk/running through this time but having coached several expectant mothers myself and talked with other women about their journeys, I had seen both ends of the spectrum and knew that despite our best efforts our bodies don’t always respond the way we hope they would. Heck the same woman in two different pregnancies can have two completely different experiences!

I think it’s wonderful that we see stories of women who are able to continue training through pregnancy; it helps normalize it and make it less “scary” for those who can but face pressures from either themselves or external sources saying it’s not safe. It absolutely can be and I’m glad we have role models paving the way in that arena!

However I also think it’s important to share the stories of when we haven’t been able to keep going and take away the shame in that too. For many of us it is not for lack of wanting or trying (though if you’re just not feeling it, this isn’t the time to force anything), it’s our bodies having a reaction to changing hormones putting strain on organs and ligaments, new weight-caused imbalances adding pressure, etc.

I know the comeback will likely be harder as a result of many more months off than I had hoped for, but it is what it is and instead of focusing on what I can’t do I’ve been appreciating what I can. Movement of any kind is a gift and this has been a good reminder of that!

2025 was a year of rebuilding and resting over and over again. Recap by photos…

1. Felt the fittest I’ve been in years coming off of a strong 2024 racing season; felt bittersweet as I had surgery at the end of January.
2. Laparoscopic myomectomy to remove a kiwi-sized fibroid, 2 others, and some endometriosis tissue required several weeks off of activity.
3. Back to running about a month later but at an easy intensity, again knowing it would be short-lived.
4. My first egg retrieval cycle in March. Also required time away from running. Was hopeful I’d be one and done but that was wishful thinking.
5. Was able to run my first “race” of the year on little to no training. It went about as good as can be expected after all the time off!
6. About a month of normalcy getting back into my routine prior to heading into a second stimulation cycle.
7. Second egg retrieval - we knew going in this was going to be our last time doing this regardless of the results; ready to close this chapter.
8. Hopped into a local half as a long run workout dealing with a lot of anxiety being back to “longer” distances again after so much time away.
9. Running a 1:30 at Grandma’s after a very broken training cycle reminded me that the athlete I was before all of this is still in there.
10. Ended July with a couple races on the track, knowing they would be my last for a while as we headed into our next phase.
11. More injections prepping the body for an IVF transfer.
12. IVF transfer day! So hopeful and optimistic our strongest embryo would take.
13. First run/walk back after 2+ weeks off of no running and a first heartbeat scan earlier in the week 🥹 It felt…terrible 😂
14. Chicago Marathon week - 12 weeks here and starting to show. Had to buy a bigger sweatshirt for race weekend as we weren’t ready to share our news yet.
15. Running finally felt good again at the end of October and I got about 6 good weeks of it before experiencing a lot of pelvic floor related pain.
16. “Retired” from running for now as the bump continues to grow and put more pressure on my pelvic floor. Cycling and strength have felt good and I’ll be starting pelvic floor PT this week to hopefully ease the return!

What a week!

I feel like my body really changed a lot when I hit 20 weeks and it’s rapidly felt a lot different since then. I haven’t fully given up on running just yet but after a scare last Sunday that left me pretty immobile from ligament flare-ups for the beginning of this week and took nearly all week to clear up (I’d say I’m 80% now), it was a swift reality check that my body is under a lot of stress right now even if it had been feeling really good up to that point.

I eased back into more movement yesterday with a 20-min Peloton holiday ride and upper body workout not wanting to overdo it and set myself back in my recovery. Plus if I did too much duration then the question would be is all movement bad right now or is it just the amount of time I need to adjust; only manipulating one variable at a time right now! I actually woke up today feeling even better than yesterday which is a great sign that the rest is working and the gradual reintroduction of movement is the right way to go. Another 30-min holiday ride on the bike today including out of the saddle pushes which I felt no pain on at all and an upper body workout to round things out which so far has me feeling quite good again.

It’s foreign to me to have scaled back so much but it’s also foreign to me to be growing another human that’s changing my body and taking up more resources so I’m learning a lot as I go, and thankful that I did my pre/post natal personal training certification program in the first trimester because it helps me adapt things and understand the “why” behind something feeling off or unbalanced.

We’ll see what the rest of week 21 has in store for me but I’m happy to be back moving because I really do feel so much better physically and mentally even after just 30 mins on the bike!

And just when you think you’ve found your groove with training and the second trimester, life has a funny way of humbling you and reminding you that you are not in full control!

After my run Sunday I got off the treadmill and felt immediate pain in my pelvic region when trying to walk around. I hadn’t experienced any pain while running but as soon as I stopped things locked up and I could barely hobble around my house. When it wasn’t getting any better by the evening, I started to get worried, and waited by my phone all morning to call my obgyn’s office once they opened to try to get in for an appt on Monday. Fortunately we were able to get in for an appt in the evening, heard baby girl’s strong heartbeat, and had an exam for me which seems to indicate everything is ok, thank goodness. We also had our anatomy scan this week which provided some extra reassurance that things are progressing as they should be. Prescribed course of action is rest and when things do feel better dialing it back on duration and intensity with training. For now no PT is recommended but I’m glad I have resources locally if that ever changes!

Running isn’t dangerous for a trained athlete already in pregnancy but I overdid it with a changing body (hello, looser ligaments due to relaxin) and that’s a tough pill to swallow. It was a good reminder that every body is different; I feel like I’m doing so much less than what I was doing before (because I am, about half) and less than what many of my peers in similar fitness levels have done before but I am not my peers and my body is going to be different. That can be frustrating and confusing, especially since I was fairly confident the comparison trap was far behind me (apparently it’s not in this new phase of life!).

Leaning into kitty snuggles and extra couch time while I let things calm down. Not a fun start to the week but I’m so glad it’s just a muscular thing that has started to improve with dedicated rest and that everything is ok!

You know what’s completely unhinged and disgusting?

I’m being fed GLP-1 ads left and right on social media for postpartum weight loss. I’m 18 weeks pregnant. I still have a lot of weeks of growing to do and my body is doing what it needs to do to support another human right now. I’ve had to start sizing up in clothes and that’s a good thing; it’s supposed to be this way!

I’m not against the medications if it helps someone in a journey to improve their health, this isn’t what this post is about, but this type of targeted marketing towards pregnant women (on a fitness account nonetheless) is gross and makes you feel like your worth is tied to your weight and not in growing a healthy baby.

I’ve used hashtags related to pregnancy in posts so clearly the algorithm is associating that with weight loss drugs. I’m not immune to feeling uncomfortable at times when my dresser is becoming more of a storage unit for things that no longer fit with a few new items that fit my body better now, but I’ve been doing a lot of reframing as the scale goes up like calling it a new high score and celebrating the fact that my body is doing what it needs to do to have a healthy pregnancy vs being ashamed by very natural body changes.

For anyone else out there in a physical growing season, we’re doing great and the last thing we need to be thinking about right now is how to shed pounds. Our bodies are doing incredible things and most of this weight isn’t even fat-related (see slide 3), which is what glp-1s are targeting in the first place.

This loop has seen me in a lot of different phases over the last couple of years.

I used to treat myself to a run on it after fertility clinic appts with the office nearby to have something to look forward to after something not very fun.

Sometimes I’d be in good spirits full of hope after an appt and the loop would be a celebration of what my body was doing.

Sometimes I’d be fighting back tears while running it after getting bad news, hoping it was a sunny day so they couldn’t be seen behind my sunglasses.

Today I got to run it after an obgyn appt at 18 weeks with a healthy baby along for the ride.

This November is so much brighter than last after finding out around this time that I’d need an unanticipated surgery in 2025 before being able to continue with IVF plans. One thing that hasn’t changed is that I’m still running through it all, something that helped keep me grounded over the last several years of ups and downs.

I don’t like to give advice on this like, “everything happens for a reason” or that “it’ll happen when it’s meant to” because that was incredibly unhelpful while I was going through my own journey (and still in things upcoming I haven’t talked about), but there is hope on our darkest days, even if we can’t always see it in the moment.

Riding this wave of feeling energetic with a full appetite for as long as I can!

Nearly my entire first trimester running felt awful. Super breathless, generally fatigued in my daily life, and when the nausea kicked in, running was the last thing on my mind. I got a few good weeks early on and then it all came crashing down for a while! I leaned more into strength training during that time because it felt a lot better than cardio did.

Over the last few weeks I’ve been slowly climbing out of that hole and just really grateful that my energy is back, I’m not feeling that breathlessness feeling I was just a month ago, and my heart rate has been a lot steadier. Workouts have been feeling pretty good, other than needing at least one bathroom stop these days, and so I’ve been leaning into that and enjoying this time that I get to run. The mileage is much lower than what it used to be (about half), but about 40ish mins of running lately has been my sweet spot paired with a 30 min strength session, and typically 2 full rest days where I just walk the dog.

I plan out a rough schedule for myself each week and then adapt as I need to fit into how I’m feeling for the day/what my work and personal schedules are looking like. I’m not training with any goal in mind other than to be the strongest I can be going into delivering a child and to honor my body throughout the process.

As frustrating as it was initially for my jeans to no longer button properly and to have to buy some new pants if I wanted to wear something other than leggings or sweats (jeans shopping is already the worst!), I actually love seeing my body change because it means it’s doing its job, something I’ve wanted it to do for so many years now. It’s why I also don’t mourn any loss of fitness or having to change how I work out; when you’ve been waiting for something for 4 years it truly all just feels like a little miracle.

Feeling strong, happy, and content at 16 weeks and just thankful for every day my body says yes to lacing up and going for a run! Plus this fall has just been perfection this year so what a season to be out there enjoying running!

Things you realize after a whole year of rolling with the punches as it relates to training.

-The marathon is special but you can go an entire year+ without running one and still feel like a runner. You might even find it’s kind of pleasant.
-Life will go on if you have to take a day or two or heck even a month off of training. Might not be ideal but the consistency you’ve had for years before will help you bounce back quicker than you might expect.
-You begin seeing how toxic some thought patterns can be around rest because of always having the crutch before of people saying, “oh she’s so disciplined” and leaning on that when sometimes taking a pause is what’s best for your body.
-You might start to see your priorities changing, and it’s ok. It doesn’t mean your goals are never going to happen, it might just mean they aren’t taking up as much space in your life as they used to. It can be a good thing.
-You stop planning the rest of your life around when you’re going to run or work out and plan the working out around the rest of your life. It might even help you show up better for those around you.
-These changes don’t have to be permanent and running can be what you want it to be in different phases of life.

Between a myomectomy surgery, multiple IVF egg retrievals, IVF transfer, and now a pregnancy, this year has resulted in my most “inconsistent” training on paper I’ve ever had since I started running, yet I feel like it’s exactly what I needed as a forced reset. I absolutely love running and I’m so glad I have this as such a big part of my life, but the thing is it was only ever supposed to be “part” and somewhere along the way I lost that a bit. I’ll get back to the marathons someday, but for now I’m enjoying what it means to be Katherine on and off the roads.

Over the last few months, listening to my body and letting it dictate the plan has been key. I always thought I’d be one of those pregnant people out there crushing miles (knowing the paces would likely slow down at some point), so when that wasn’t the case for me early on, I had to accept that we’re all on unique journeys and that this was mine. I took a certification course on pre and post natal training to enhance my existing personal trainer certification and to understand how to adapt my training to a changing body. I found that lifting felt really good - it was empowering, and it scratched the itch for me of still moving my body - while running took more of a backseat.

This past week running has started to feel a lot more natural again, and I’m glad I didn’t force anything. Training by effort and time has been really helpful to me, for example, doing 45 minutes today meant a little over 5 miles, and on a day that I don’t feel as good, 45 minutes might be less mileage but it’s still time on feet.

One of the things I knew I wanted to offer in my coaching programs was flexibility for women (and their partners) because not every pregnancy and postpartum experience is the same. In my 7 years working with athletes, some women continue to run hard workouts/higher mileage and feel great, while others are too nauseous, start to feel pain running, or are simply just too fatigued. I never wanted anyone to feel locked into a plan during this phase of life (or in the TTC phase because as I’ve shared quite a bit about, you can’t always plan for that and sometimes downtime is essential for your physical and mental well being) and my own experience so far has really validated that.

I’m grateful for every day and every week I get to see this body change because it’s doing something incredible. My experience might not be as flashy as I was hoping it would be, but I’m really happy where I’m at and grateful for any day I get the chance to move my body!