A pregnant lady has confounded doubters once again by running a five-minute mile only one month before her due date.
Makenna Myler, 30, is a middle-distance runner who refuses to let motherhood interfere with her training.
The soon-to-be mother-of-two from Orange County, California, maintained her fitness regimen during her first pregnancy in 2020, finishing a mile in five minutes and 25 seconds simply to test if it was feasible.
Makenna, who is pregnant again, pushed herself last month to hit the tracks again and even beat her previous record by eight seconds.
Makenna, who is set to give birth any day now, ran the pregnant mile to demonstrate what our bodies are capable of.
The 30-year-old has outperformed expectations both times, clocking miles in less than 10.40 minutes, according to Runner’s World.
Considering her status as a professional athlete, Makenna claims that trolls chimed in throughout both of her pregnancies to advise her she shouldn’t train so hard while pregnant—but she blew them off.
She added that she assumed it was very typical to workout while pregnant, but it turns out there are a lot of individuals who think it’s not natural.
Part of it has been genetic; she knows some excellent runners who became pregnant and whose pelvises simply couldn’t withstand running.
She explained that a lot of it has to do with how one prepares one’s body before pregnancy; she was jogging before pregnancy as well, which benefited her.
The mother also said that her body was not in the mood to exercise on certain days and advised others to heed their bodies.
There were so many days when she attempted to run while pregnant and it simply wasn’t working, so one doesn’t always win. Yet one keeps trying.
However, at the end of the day, it’s vital to listen to one’s body and just do what one is capable of, since the most essential thing is a safe pregnancy.
Makenna runs for Asics and typically participates in 5km and 10km events. Before being pregnant, she would train six days a week.
Her rigorous training schedule required her to run twice a day, in addition to longer runs on weekends.
Makenna intended to see if she could break her five minute, 25 second pregnant mile record from 2020 with her second pregnancy, which is now full-term.
And she beat her previous mark, running the new mile in five minutes and 17 seconds last month.
She said that for her, it’s not even about proving others incorrect, but about questioning the truth of what one is capable of.
She is a firm believer in listening to one’s “internal governor,” the voice inside one’s brain that advises one to stop when necessary, but one can test it first.
If one listens to that voice, one will not do something that would put one in danger.
Although others chastised her for being so active when significantly pregnant, Makenna said that she felt no need to prove anything.
The individuals who are overtly cruel are taking something out on her, but it has nothing to do with her, she said.
Often, it comes from someone who is self-conscious and compares themselves to what she is doing.
But the only person she is comparing herself to is herself, and she is striving to beat her own time.
Everyone’s pregnancies are unique, and she simply tries to enjoy her own.
Makenna and her husband Michael, 31, a marketing manager, laughed about how quickly she could run a mile when nine months pregnant during her first pregnancy.
They wanted to test whether she could accomplish it in less than eight minutes, which was Michael’s challenge.
It began as a joke the first time; they thought it would be humorous, but it went completely viral, she said.
The reactions weren’t all favorable; several people advised her she shouldn’t be working out so hard.
Yet she noted that her fitness level was high owing to her intense workout program as a full-time athlete, and she thought her body could withstand more while pregnant as well.
Makenna, the mother of 2-year-old Kenny Lou, said that she was unable to fulfill the same standards when pregnant.
Nonetheless, due to her athleticism, it was still greater than most.
She stated that it is still a matter of ‘luck of the draw,’ since some women are unable to run while pregnant owing to the architecture of their pelvis.
Some, such as Makenna, felt they could continue to push themselves since their bodies were already used to high-intensity training.
She told that she cut down her mileage a lot and has been a lot slower, but she has been extremely meticulous with her strength training to make sure her pelvic shift and increased weight don’t cause any damage.
She opted to keep exercising after two physicians agreed it was OK. She also convinced her husband she’d be able to run at least a 7-minute mile when she was further along.
Her husband even promised her $100 if she finished the run in less than eight minutes to keep her motivated.
She posted on TikTok about how amazing it was that she finished the race in 5 minutes and 25 seconds.
Makenna’s amazing run drew acclaim from social media users.
Way to go, Makenna Myler! All the best to you and your family for many more accomplishments and happiness.
