It’s been about 3 months since my maternity leave ended and I’ve been able to officially start working on this book, so here’s where things are at!
Book Focus
I’ve gotten clear on the book’s focus: the mental lessons you learn in running that apply to motherhood, and vice versa, the mental lessons you learn in parenting that change who you are as a runner. The book won’t focus on physical training tips like “strength training during pregnancy” because I think that could fill a whole separate book, and I worry that type of information will quickly become outdated and be better off as an online resource. If you do want resources on those physical topics now - I’ve linked some at the end.
Book Origin Story
I don’t know if I’ve shared with all of you where this book idea came from, so here it is:
While I was pregnant, I was learning about hypnobirthing (basically meditations for labor prep) because I wanted to go into labor feeling strong, capable, and relaxed. These guided meditations would have me picture soothing imagery, replace my fears and doubts with positive affirmations, and redefine what it means to be in pain. I kept thinking, This is just like sports psychology, but applied to birth. I wanted to read a book about how female athletes had approached and experienced birth, and later I thought about how the lessons of sports psychology don’t just apply to birth, they apply to all of motherhood.
I read a LOT of books during pregnancy. The ones I found most interesting were about parenting in a kind of philosophical way, and about the transition to motherhood. These books were interesting, but mostly depressing. I kept reading about the identity crisis of motherhood, the typically unequal division of labor in heterosexual households, the emotional burdens of “invisible labor” ….. Agh!!!
I thought these books would be better read by men and I wanted the books for moms to be a bit more uplifting. Not all rainbows and sunshine and fake-white-smile positivity, but a more balanced portrayal of, “Yes, there are challenges, and also you are strong and capable and here are some ways to enjoy the process and feel good about yourself along the way.”
So this book is going to be combining these two threads - (1) applying sports psychology to motherhood, and (2) balancing discussions of challenge with strength, humor, and encouragement.
Lastly, what made me go from thinking, I’d like to write a book someday, to, I’m going to write this book now, was talking with Gaby Grebski, a woman from my high school who is writing a book about our incredible XC/Track coach Jim Mitchell. I’m so excited for her project to unfold, and as I was telling her, “I’d love to write a book one day,” I realized, I don't need to wait, I can do this now!
Book Progress
I ended my maternity leave in September and I’ve been splitting my time about 50/50 with running coaching/personal training clients and working on the book.
I joined a nonfiction writing mastermind led by Jen Louden. (Jen coached Lauren Fleshman on her forthcoming book Good for a Girl, which I’m very excited to read. Lauren once mentioned Jen on her podcast and that’s how I found her work). It’s been encouraging to have a weekly group to check in with and to get feedback from Jen on my project and writing. This group is sadly ending soon!
I’ve interviewed these amazing women, a mix of pros/elites, and recreational runners. I have LOVED doing these interviews, it feels like this huge gift to get to ask people questions for over an hour, and hear them process their lessons aloud. I’m seeing a lot of shared themes come through, like how having less time can help quiet your self doubt, what it looks like to practice forgiveness for yourself and others, and processing anger in parenting… more on these in the future!
What I’ll be doing next:
More interviews! I have a list of about 150 women I’d like to interview (and I know this will only grow) .. so there are many interviews ahead. Some women I have interviews scheduled with in January are:
I want to find ways to be in community with other writers, because it can get lonely and dark working solo. I’m excited that I have my first short writing group starting in February, hosted by Nicole Antoinette.
I know it’s time to start sharing my work more publicly. I hate the idea of sharing things “before they feel ready,” or feeling promotional, or just being on social media in general ... and, I also know I want to share this work with people, and get input from people who will read the book, so some ways I’m going to try this are:
Creating a podcast with the recorded interviews I already have … my goal is to release this by March 2022
Sending weekly emails - not just about the book, but also about topics broadly related to running, mindset, mental training, and how this all affects our lives
Share updates on instagram, while trying to maintain healthy boundaries for myself with using social media again
Writing articles for other online publications
And I’ll keep updating you all here by email as well! I don’t know if I’ll send another update in a month, or two, or three … but sometime! This is a great way for me to feel accountable, reflect, and look ahead.
Questions for you:
Does anybody know a podcast editor?
What else do you want to hear updates about in the future?
Any suggestions for me on sharing my work publicly and building community online?
Resources on Physical Training in Pregnancy and Postpartum:
If you do want to learn more about physical training tips during pregnancy and postpartum, my #1 recommendation is to see a pelvic floor PT (If you’re in Portland, go to TAI Bethany, where all of their PTs are trained by the incredible Jessica Dorrington). Even if you’re not having “issues,” or even if it's been 20 years since you had a baby, go find one and make an appointment. In addition, some online resources I recommend are Expecting and Empowered, Recore Fitness, Fit4Mom, P&PP Athleticism and Birthfit.