"Officially a Tokyo Marathon finisher," Anne Curtis shared on Instagram on March 5, Sunday. The mom of one has proven again that there's no stopping a mom who puts her heart and soul into achieving a goal.
The 42-kilometer marathon with over 37,500 runners was Anne's first since she gave birth to her and Erwan Heussaff's daughter Dahlia Amelie on March 2, 2020. She said that running is one of her resolutions this year.
"Being a mother, now as well, I couldn’t help but get emotional when I crossed that finish line. It just hit a little differently this time around."
"Every single kilometre was worth it, knowing I was running to help Filipino children heal and recover through the funds," the actress and host said. As of writing, she was able to raise P625,238. The final amount she said she will match to meet their P1 million target. She extended the donation drive to 30 more days.
Aside from achieving this goal, her coach Gabb Rosario said she just trained for 2 months and she beat her personal record (PR) from her last marathon in New York.
"Being a mother, now as well, I couldn’t help but get emotional when I crossed that finish line. It just hit a little differently this time around," she said. Running with a purpose bigger than just receiving a medal kept me fueled. Which probably, unintentionally, led me to PR. Kilig."
In an interview by PhilStar Life, her coach said, “We prepared for the marathon for only two months. She had zero running since the pandemic. It was an almost impossible task but we managed to pull through with her hard work and dedication."
Anne then thanked all those who supported her in finishing her first marathon as a mom, including her assistant Mean. Finally, she shared what fueled her aside from having a purpose to run.
"And of course, my love and light Erwan and Dahlia Amélie. Your hugs and kisses last night before sleeping were everything to me and helped start this whole day full of love," she revealed.
The proud mama went on, "Another marathon done and dedicated to the Filipino Youth. Thank you Lord for giving me this opportunity."
Anne's first marathon was New York City Marathon in 2016, followed by the London Marathon in 2018. She both finished a 42-kilometer run, Philstar reports.
Fellow mamas cheered on Anne in the comment section, especially her sister-in-law Solenn Heussaff and moms Iya Villania, Isabelle Daza, and Bianca Gonzalez. Anne's sister Jasmine Curtis Smith said it best, "YAHOOO!!!!!!! Congrats sestra you keep outdoing yourself."
Tips for postpartum running
If you are inspired by Anne to also get into running after giving birth, here are some tips to take note of from Kayla Fagan of Marine Marathon.com. This mom said she reached out to an expert, Rebecca A.H. Schwender, PT, DPT, who gave these advice.
1. Take note of the timing
Just like in any sport, getting clearance from your OB-Gyne is important. Expert recommends returning to running not earlier than 12 weeks or 4 months for recreational runners. However, a word of caution for mothers who delivered via Cesarean section (C-section). You may require a longer recovery time before it's safe again to run.
2. Start slowly
Although you feel like you are physically healed and ready to run again, there are factors you need to consider like hormones. There's a hormone called relaxin that increases production during pregnancy. If you are breastfeeding, you continue to release this hormone.
Aside from helping the pelvic ligaments to relax in preparation for childbirth, it also has the potential to affect the ligaments and joints that are used when running. This makes you prone to injury so it's advisable to start with low-impact aerobic conditioning and make sure that your workout is tailor-fit for your body.
Experts say that if you can walk comfortably for 30 minutes without the feeling of peeing, then it's a good sign that you can resume running.
3. Shoe fit is important
Your pre-pregnancy running shoes may no longer be used when you run postpartum due to the swelling in your feet. It's best to consult your coach for the appropriate running shoe size and model for you before going out again.
READ ALSO: How to Choose the Perfect Running Shoes for You
4. Pump before running
The mom's final word for breastfeeding moms is to breastfeed their child before going out for a run. If it's not possible, pump and empty your breasts first so that you won't end up with clogged ducts or worse, mastitis.
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