Thirty-four
weeks pregnant, Montano ran the 800 meters Thursday in the U.S. Track and Field
Championships. The five-time national champion finished in 2 minutes, 32.13
seconds — nearly 35 seconds slower than her personal best of 1:57.34 in 2010 in
Monaco.
"I've
been running throughout my pregnancy and I felt really, really good during the
whole process," Montano said after the qualifying heat.
That
the 28-year-old former University of California star finished last in her heat
didn't matter one bit to the crowd gathered at Hornet Stadium. Trailing the
lead pack by more than 120 meters for most of the race, Montano received a
rousing ovation as she finished her first lap and the cheering grew louder when
she finally crossed the finish line.
"I
just didn't want to get lapped and be the first person to get lapped in the
800," said Montano, the 800 national champions the past four years.
She
was never close to being lapped, taking a nice relaxed pace from the start and
maintaining it throughout.
That
was according to the plan Montano laid out after consulting with her physician.
Not only did doctors give Montano the OK to run, they encouraged her.
"That
took away any fear of what the outside world might think about a woman running
during her pregnancy," Montano said. "What I found out mostly was
that exercising during pregnancy is actually much better for the mom and the
baby. ... I did all the things I normally do ... I just happened to be
pregnant. This is my normal this year."
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ReplyDeleteThe stuff in the blogs blows out my mind. syed shaff
ReplyDeleteThanks Julie Johnson-will keep on Post.
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