Marathon in the Morning, Labour after Lunch
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October 11, 2011 TheFreshOutlook  |
Rather than taking it easy, 39 weeks pregnant Amber Miller completed the 26.2 mile Chicago marathon… and then gave birth.
The 27-year old runner completed the notorious marathon on Sunday in less than six and a half hours before facing childbirth later that day.
Newborn June Miller definitely made an entrance, arriving shortly after her mother completed the notoriously gruelling Chicago Marathon, which had already claimed the life of one participant.
With baby June weighing 7lbs 13ozs (3.5kg), her mother described it as “the longest day of my life”.
Speaking to the Associated Press, Mrs Miller said: “I am crazy about running … For me, it wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. I was running up until that point anyway.”
When describing the crowd’s reaction, she added: “Lots of people were cheering me on: ‘Go pregnant lady!’”
Mrs Miller, who has been an avid runner for over 12 years, signed up to the Chicago Marathon earlier this year but found out shortly afterwards that she was pregnant.
Undecided as to whether or not to compete, her doctor finally gave her clearance to half walk and half run the distance on Sunday after the baby still hadn’t been born.
Talking about the moment she first realised she was going into labour, Mrs Miller commented: “A few minutes after finishing, the contractions became stronger than normal and I understood what was going on.”
Adding: “When they became more regular, we had a sandwich and then we left for hospital.”
Whilst professional runners Paula Radcliffe and Kara Goucher were both known for running vast distances whilst pregnant, Dr Priya Rajan, an assistant professor in obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, commented on Mrs Miller’s extraordinary achievement: “It’s probably the rare woman who is in good enough shape to run a marathon while pregnant. It’s probably the exception more than the rule.”
Despite looking forward to a well deserved rest, when asked by the Associated Press if she would have done the whole day over, Mrs Miller said: “Definitely again … It’ll be a story to remember.”
By Laura Beard
[Image courtesy of Raymondbritt]