Sunday, April 11, 2010

Race Report: In which I breast feed on stage! (Now with more photos, thanks internet!)

La cocotte's nap is almost over so I'll cut to the chase. Today I finally ran the kind of time my training has been suggesting I am capable of. I split 10 km in 37:05 and ran the entire 12 km in 44:55. I'm really pleased.

Also very exciting, la cocotte "ran" her first race outside the womb (she ran 2 5 kms and a 7.8 km inside the womb). No... I didn't run a 44:55 pushing la cocotte, hubby ran the 4 km with her in the BOB. She seemed to enjoy it as judged by her foot action.

It was after the races that things got interesting. La cocotte had not had her morning nap and was getting fussier and fussier as the morning progressed. As we approached the awards ceremony she clearly wanted to sleep and her normal way of doing so is to fall asleep nursing. I kept debating as the speaker was thanking various sponsors whether I could quickly nurse her to sleep before the awards. Just as I decided I could not, she made it known she wanted to nurse, NOW! So I brought her to my breast as the announcer started with the 5th place woman. I had won so I figured I *just* might have enough time to get her to fall asleep and put her in the BOB. Nope. As they called my name, she was still nukking away. Of course I *could* have cut her off but I hate doing that. So up I went onto the stage, both sweaty running bras pushed up over my boobs, club running jacket and la cocotte herself providing some degree of cover. As cool and open as people are about nursing in public here, it is one thing to nurse discretely in a restaurant and quite another to nurse ON A STAGE! Then it got really funny/ridiculous. The prizes for this race were amazingly ostentatious. I was first handed a HUGE bouquet of flowers (taller than la cocotte). Ok.... I could handle it. Then two books, a DVD and a bag of clothing, ok, barely holding on. Then the kicker, a GIGANTIC trophy with a very solid granite base. The cup on the trophy was so large I swear I could have put la cocotte in it (except she was still busy drinking). At this point everyone, including me, was laughing and my teammate who had finished second took the trophy for me. It was an awkward turned humerous moment:




Here is la cocotte with the gigantic trophy and flowers in her post-breastfeeding stupor:

4 comments:

  1. Yay! Sounds like the ceremony was more of a challenge than the race. I'm excited to see pictures. Congrats on your awesome time!

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  2. That just totally made my day!!! I love that everyone laughed and made light of an awkward moment and kudos to you for nursing on stage! I nursed all four of my boys and the younger two until 2 and 3 years and the awkward moments were plentiful!
    Great job on your race!

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  3. Thanks SLG & Barefoot AngieB. You guys are both my heroes for nursing as long as you did. Nursing a 3 year old? Wow! That must require some creative, new positions... I already feel like we have outgrown the tried & true cradle hold and I have nothing else up my sleeve!

    Sadly, no pictures... I just checked and the camera was on the wrong setting, they are all overexposed :(

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  4. I do not have children but I still appreciate the post. Seems hat people in Italy are really nice. I was hoping for pictures to see it...
    Great time for 12k!

    Btw, I would say that 6x1k is my preferred workout and my nemesis is 6x500. Too fast for me. And it is weird, because I used to be 800 and 1500m runner and I loved speed work and 1ok run was way too long for me. But my last coach managed to beat it out of me and now I enjoy longer runs.

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