5 ways running a marathon is like labour and childbirth

1. You should train for it.  Just as you would begin a walk/run program, slowly increasing your distance and speed, a solid prenatal fitness training program will prepare you physically, mentally and emotionally for labour and delivery.

2. They are long.  The average marathon time for a 30-year-old woman is around 5 hours.  The average first time labour is 16 hours. 

3. They are intense. Running at a steady pace for 5 hours is a tremendous challenge.  Labouring for 16 hours is a life-altering challenge.

4. You get a prize. Medals are cool but babies are super cool.

5. You never forget it.  You will always remember feeling like you couldn’t do it.  You will never forget how it felt to hold your baby (or your medal) in your hands.