Makenna Myler: Star Runner and Now Mother
Makenna Myler, 28 year old runner, recently completed a mile with an incredible time of 5:25. However, this was no ordinary run- Myler was 9 months pregnant. This was a mere 7 days prior to giving birth! Myler’s personal best mile time is 4:43.31, and when she became pregnant, she claimed to her husband that she’d be able to do a 7-minute mile in the final months of pregnancy. Her husband made things interesting, jokingly betting her $100 dollars that she wouldn’t finish the mile in under 8 minutes.
Her Pregnancy Didn’t Stop Her Training
For most (non-pregnant individuals), it’s incredibly difficult to run a mile under 8 minutes. Myler did it in under 6:00. Moreover, you might be questioning the safety of a 9-month pregnant woman running an extremely fast-paced mile. Makenna, however, made sure it was perfectly safe. In fact, she had been running almost every day throughout her pregnancy, as cleared by doctors. Makenna Myler’s accomplishment is incredibly empowering to women, revealing that pregnancy doesn’t have to halt training or whatever you may be pursuing.
”I think a lot of women are showing that, that women are capable and that’s what matters…I think pregnancy is a beautiful thing and it’s not an injury or a sickness, that you’re still really capable,”
Makenna Myler on Good Morning America,
Myler Reassures Women: She is NOT a superhero
While Myler comes off as a superhero, she reinforces the fact that training during her pregnancy was definitely not easy. She notes that it’s crucial to listen to your body and that it’s entirely normal to be slowing down when pregnant. Thankfully, she reassures, people who have not had her extensive training are not expected to and should not perform at this level, pregnant or not.
“I’ve had to listen to my body and really let myself recover and get a workout in if I can, if my body is feeling it, but they’re definitely few and far between.
Makenna Myler has said she plans to continue training after giving birth; however, she is also going to continue listening to her body and has no concrete goals or game plan. She has vocalized how she does not like the term “bounce-back” because she simply does not expect to be the same after giving birth.
“I hate the term bounce back because I want to be a different person and I want to change…I hope this baby brings a lot of growth and change.”
With dreams of being an olympic athlete representing America, Myler will have people all over the world waiting to see her next accomplishment. So, if you need motivation to run, think about Makena Myler who went above and beyond expectations and proved herself a rockstar.
Featured Image from Matt Lee on Unsplash.
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