Episode 31 - Sami on marathoning, the DC running community, and a baby!

"I didn't tell the regular world I was pregnant because I didn't really want to hear it...frankly, I just talked to my doctors and asked, "I want to run a marathon. Is it safe for the baby? If not, I won't do it."First of all, a big congrats to Sami Tewolde Rowley who recently had her baby Teddy - he is absolutely adorable! This episode was recorded a few weeks before that major life event though, and we delve into another of Sami's accomplishments - running her first marathon in Chicago this Fall! (While several months pregnant; she's a badass.)We delve into what training and exercise has looked like for Sami over the past several months. We talk about her experience joining Northeast Track Club - going from working out quietly on the track to finding a few of her best friends and serving as a leader in for the group. We cover it all.I found this conversation incredibly meaningful. Onlookers from the internet are quick to espouse opinions on what pregnancy and motherhood should look like (often without much qualification). Yet despite the ever present pressures on parents and soon-to-be parents to fit specific molds, we are seeing more and more of them doing things their way. We saw the likes of Makenna Myler finishing in the top ten of the Olympic Marathon Trials ten months after giving birth and Maegan Krifchin running eighteen miles of the trials while pregnant. We are seeing powerful people demonstrating that pregnancy is a natural condition that can still allow for new and exciting experiences including and beyond those associated with parenthood. It is inspiring to see these role models in our communities and beyond.Anyways, emotional spouting over - this is a wonderful episode full of whimsy, joy, and DC running!