WEBVTT - Peloton’s Selena Samuela on Motherhood, Mental Health, and Finding Her Way Back to Running 0:00:00.510 --> 0:00:03.900 If someone was like, " Go through another twin pregnancy or 0:00:03.900 --> 0:00:06.780 run a marathon every single day, let's say a year." 0:00:06.840 --> 0:00:08.459 I would run the marathon every single day for a 0:00:08.460 --> 0:00:09.990 year. I swear to you, I would choose that. 0:00:14.340 --> 0:00:17.160 Hey everybody, and welcome to Set the Pace, the official 0:00:17.160 --> 0:00:21.090 podcast of New York Road Runners presented by Peloton. I'm 0:00:21.090 --> 0:00:23.430 your host, the CEO of New York Road Runners, Rob 0:00:23.430 --> 0:00:28.590 Simmelkjaer, and Becs Gentry from Peloton with me as always. What's 0:00:28.590 --> 0:00:29.250 up, Becs? 0:00:29.880 --> 0:00:31.350 Hi. How are we doing? 0:00:31.350 --> 0:00:32.580 We're doing great. 0:00:32.580 --> 0:00:35.520 We're doing great. I'm full- on mom mode right now so that we might have 0:00:35.520 --> 0:00:37.740 a little guest appearance any second. 0:00:38.190 --> 0:00:38.430 Yeah, yeah. 0:00:38.430 --> 0:00:39.089 Yeah, we're doing it. 0:00:39.150 --> 0:00:42.600 We are taping the day after Memorial Day and you're 0:00:42.600 --> 0:00:46.110 with the family at your home out of the city 0:00:46.110 --> 0:00:47.940 and it's got a little family time going on. I 0:00:47.940 --> 0:00:48.211 love it. 0:00:48.211 --> 0:00:50.820 A little family time. Yeah. Popped into the studio this 0:00:50.820 --> 0:00:55.170 morning. The sun was shining and got my run done. 0:00:55.170 --> 0:00:56.430 So, we're here. 0:00:57.060 --> 0:00:59.910 It was nice to see the sunshine on Tuesday after 0:00:59.910 --> 0:01:02.430 a bit of a rainy weekend, but you know what? 0:01:02.490 --> 0:01:04.470 We find a way to get it done. Hopefully everybody 0:01:04.470 --> 0:01:08.339 enjoyed that holiday. But Bec, we're wrapping up the month 0:01:08.340 --> 0:01:09.630 of May here before you know it. 0:01:09.630 --> 0:01:10.170 Busy month. 0:01:10.200 --> 0:01:12.270 Yeah, it flew by. I mean, of course we had 0:01:12.300 --> 0:01:15.330 busy month with the running and the RBC Brooklyn Half 0:01:15.330 --> 0:01:17.940 and lots of great things happening on the running front, 0:01:18.209 --> 0:01:21.360 but it's also Mental Health Awareness Month and we've done 0:01:21.630 --> 0:01:25.140 so much at Road Runners focusing on that over the 0:01:25.140 --> 0:01:30.059 last few years. We know, Becs, that for our runners, 0:01:30.270 --> 0:01:33.090 running is a vital part for so many of them 0:01:33.510 --> 0:01:34.410 to their mental health. 0:01:34.410 --> 0:01:34.500 Yeah. 0:01:34.709 --> 0:01:37.290 I always say, when I go to a race and I 0:01:37.290 --> 0:01:40.170 ask 10 people why they run, the number one answer 0:01:40.170 --> 0:01:45.030 is always free therapy. And so, we know that's a big part of it and we are 0:01:45.030 --> 0:01:48.630 having conversations this month about mental health. It's also Mother's 0:01:48.630 --> 0:01:50.100 Day, of course, that we had a couple of weeks 0:01:50.100 --> 0:01:52.950 ago. And so, for a lot of our runners, those 0:01:52.950 --> 0:01:56.940 things, running, mental health and motherhood for our moms out 0:01:56.940 --> 0:02:00.000 there, they're all tangled up in each other. For this 0:02:00.000 --> 0:02:03.600 episode, then we're going to talk with a mom who's 0:02:03.600 --> 0:02:07.020 been through all that and been navigating the intersection of 0:02:07.020 --> 0:02:07.920 those three things. 0:02:08.040 --> 0:02:10.950 I'm so honored to have this guest on to bring 0:02:10.950 --> 0:02:13.230 all of those things together because as you say, she 0:02:13.230 --> 0:02:18.060 truly is somebody who is shouting out for the moms 0:02:18.060 --> 0:02:22.230 out there advocating for mental health through physical health. And 0:02:22.260 --> 0:02:27.450 that wonderful woman is Peloton's Selena Samuela, who is a recent 0:02:27.450 --> 0:02:29.850 mom of three. I cannot believe I'm saying that about 0:02:29.850 --> 0:02:33.510 my friend, having had our first children around the same 0:02:33.510 --> 0:02:38.250 time. Now, she has two more beautiful twin girls and 0:02:38.250 --> 0:02:40.590 we are going to chat to her about navigating that 0:02:40.590 --> 0:02:46.290 physical and emotional side of pregnancy whilst running was taken 0:02:46.290 --> 0:02:49.710 away from her during that pregnancy and how she stayed 0:02:50.010 --> 0:02:51.120 being so Selena. 0:02:52.230 --> 0:02:55.590 I think it's really a great conversation. So that is 0:02:55.590 --> 0:02:57.780 coming up just after this. 0:02:58.050 --> 0:03:00.900 Peloton has got something for whatever running mood you're in. 0:03:01.320 --> 0:03:03.960 Try instructor- led runs and walks that are built to 0:03:03.960 --> 0:03:07.590 fit into your routine with classes that help you stay consistent, 0:03:07.889 --> 0:03:11.430 build speed and be in the moment. Track your metrics, 0:03:11.430 --> 0:03:15.180 see your progress, and train smarter. We've got it all 0:03:15.180 --> 0:03:17.850 to help you reach your goals and stay on track. 0:03:18.360 --> 0:03:21.720 Peloton, the official digital fitness partner of New York Road 0:03:21.720 --> 0:03:25.859 Runners. Our guest today is not only a Peloton instructor, 0:03:25.889 --> 0:03:29.730 but she is an absolute legend in my eyes, a 0:03:29.730 --> 0:03:32.940 massive inspiration and a very good friend of mine. I'd 0:03:32.940 --> 0:03:35.010 go so far as to say calling her my sister. 0:03:35.250 --> 0:03:39.990 It's Selena Samuela, everyone. Now this past year, Selena has become 0:03:39.990 --> 0:03:43.890 a mother for the second time. Two beautiful identical twin 0:03:43.890 --> 0:03:47.970 girls, Stella and Frankie, who have spent their first three 0:03:47.970 --> 0:03:50.550 weeks in the NICU. And because of complications in her 0:03:50.550 --> 0:03:54.000 pregnancy, her doctor told her she had to stop running. So, 0:03:54.000 --> 0:03:56.790 for somebody whose job and her own personal happiness depends 0:03:56.790 --> 0:03:59.550 on running being part of her fitness routine, that is 0:03:59.550 --> 0:04:04.290 not a small thing. But now, 24 weeks after giving 0:04:04.290 --> 0:04:07.500 birth, Selena is back teaching live with us at Peloton, 0:04:07.800 --> 0:04:12.210 rebuilding her running piece by piece. And she's thinking a 0:04:12.210 --> 0:04:15.840 lot about this year and the difference between acceptance and 0:04:15.840 --> 0:04:19.289 complacency. We're here to go through her whole story and 0:04:19.290 --> 0:04:23.130 I'm so honored to welcome Selena Samuela. Hi. 0:04:23.130 --> 0:04:27.330 Hi, everyone. Wow, what an intro, Becs. Thank you so 0:04:27.330 --> 0:04:29.700 much. It's such an honor to be here to be 0:04:29.700 --> 0:04:31.529 chatting with you and Rob. 0:04:31.770 --> 0:04:32.041 Thank you. 0:04:32.041 --> 0:04:32.251 We are honored to have you. 0:04:34.470 --> 0:04:38.940 Great to meet you, Selena. Absolutely. So, let's start by 0:04:39.089 --> 0:04:43.320 going back to that moment that you first discovered you were 0:04:43.410 --> 0:04:49.860 having twins. That's a big moment. 0:04:51.839 --> 0:04:54.690 Yeah, that was a big moment. Yeah, I was not expecting that. I thought I 0:04:54.690 --> 0:05:00.420 had everything under control. I shared about this publicly, but 0:05:00.420 --> 0:05:04.050 I had been through a few losses. And so, my 0:05:04.050 --> 0:05:09.210 husband and I chose to go the IVF route essentially 0:05:09.210 --> 0:05:13.500 to avoid some of the complications that popped up that 0:05:13.500 --> 0:05:16.830 we found out were the reason why those losses happened. 0:05:17.790 --> 0:05:21.330 And so, when you go through that, you think you're like, " 0:05:21.360 --> 0:05:24.359 Oh, I've got it under control. I know exactly what's 0:05:24.360 --> 0:05:28.350 happening. We did the testing and we know we have 0:05:28.350 --> 0:05:32.310 one embryo that's being implanted." And you think, boom, I 0:05:32.310 --> 0:05:36.690 know everything. And I went on vacation. I went to 0:05:37.470 --> 0:05:40.260 Italy, so I had a later date for that instead 0:05:40.260 --> 0:05:42.120 of an eight- week appointment. It was a nine- week 0:05:42.120 --> 0:05:47.910 appointment. And I go in and my doctor's like, " Oh, great. 0:05:47.910 --> 0:05:51.420 Look, little arm buds, little leg buds, heartbeat, baby looks 0:05:51.420 --> 0:05:55.350 good." And I see a little, I don't know, lump 0:05:55.350 --> 0:05:58.650 at the bottom of the screen and automatically my head 0:05:58.650 --> 0:06:00.599 goes to the worst place. I'm thinking, " Oh my gosh, 0:06:00.630 --> 0:06:04.140 fibroids, maybe cancer. What is that?" And I ask her, 0:06:04.140 --> 0:06:06.779 I'm like, " Can you just take a look at whatever 0:06:06.779 --> 0:06:08.789 is going on down there at the bottom of the 0:06:08.790 --> 0:06:14.099 screen, the ultrasound?" And she moves the little magic stick 0:06:14.100 --> 0:06:16.260 that goes on (inaudible) . I don't know what they're 0:06:16.260 --> 0:06:20.760 called. And sure enough, there was another baby with the 0:06:20.760 --> 0:06:23.339 little arm buds and little leg buds squirming around in 0:06:23.339 --> 0:06:26.550 there and she's like, " Oh." I think she was shocked 0:06:26.550 --> 0:06:29.520 as well because she put one embryo in herself and 0:06:29.520 --> 0:06:32.070 she was just like, " There are two babies there." And 0:06:32.070 --> 0:06:34.320 she's like, " You're going to have identical twins. That was 0:06:34.320 --> 0:06:37.440 an embryo that split. Congratulations." 0:06:38.400 --> 0:06:42.450 My goodness. I can't even imagine. How did that feel 0:06:42.450 --> 0:06:48.270 hearing, going from the catastrophizing moment to joy, fear. What 0:06:48.270 --> 0:06:49.830 was that feeling? 0:06:50.310 --> 0:06:53.250 No, you're so right, Becs. You hit it right on 0:06:53.250 --> 0:06:57.120 the head. It was a rollercoaster of emotions because I was 0:06:57.120 --> 0:07:03.150 catastrophizing, correct. And then you hear it's another baby and 0:07:03.150 --> 0:07:07.410 you're like, " Okay, so the worst isn't happening, but now 0:07:07.529 --> 0:07:10.650 wait, wait a second. I was not prepared to have 0:07:10.650 --> 0:07:16.770 three kids. This is crazy." But I think it also 0:07:16.770 --> 0:07:20.280 was validating because I was having so many experiences that 0:07:20.280 --> 0:07:24.570 were so vastly different from my first pregnancy and I was like, " 0:07:25.200 --> 0:07:29.820 Am I going crazy or am I going crazy?" So, 0:07:29.820 --> 0:07:32.070 I think it was validating when she was like, " Yeah, 0:07:32.070 --> 0:07:33.720 there are two babies." And I'm like, " Okay, so this makes 0:07:33.720 --> 0:07:36.180 a lot of sense." This makes sense why I'm so 0:07:36.180 --> 0:07:38.700 much more exhausted. Why going up a flight of stairs 0:07:38.700 --> 0:07:42.210 feels like I was completely breathless, even more so than 0:07:42.210 --> 0:07:46.560 the first time I was also raging. I was so 0:07:46.560 --> 0:07:50.460 mean, my poor husband. I was so mean. My poor 0:07:50.460 --> 0:07:52.800 mom too. I was on a trip with her in 0:07:52.800 --> 0:07:56.280 Italy visiting my family and I was just not the 0:07:56.280 --> 0:08:00.720 coolest person to be around during that trip. And so, 0:08:00.720 --> 0:08:02.850 it was validating. I was like, " Oh, okay. This is 0:08:02.850 --> 0:08:04.320 why. This is why." 0:08:04.500 --> 0:08:07.830 Yeah. Oh, my gosh. There are hormones and then they're 0:08:07.830 --> 0:08:12.750 essentially doubled and the fatigue, I can't... Having only had 0:08:13.050 --> 0:08:20.310 a solo pregnancy, I can't imagine what that is like. It was wild. It was wild. Talk 0:08:20.310 --> 0:08:23.430 to me more about that. As somebody who has grown 0:08:23.430 --> 0:08:28.470 and birthed a child, what is that first trimester into 0:08:28.470 --> 0:08:31.170 your second trimester? What is that like with twins? 0:08:31.470 --> 0:08:33.780 This is going to sound like I'm exaggerating a little 0:08:33.780 --> 0:08:37.740 bit, but I swear to God I am not. It's not just 0:08:37.740 --> 0:08:40.860 double. So, when you think, so there's two, you would 0:08:40.860 --> 0:08:43.470 think it's double the effect. It feels like a lot 0:08:43.470 --> 0:08:48.990 more than double the effect. And if someone was like, " 0:08:49.020 --> 0:08:52.679 Go through another twin pregnancy or run a marathon every 0:08:52.679 --> 0:08:55.650 single day for the duration of whatever a pregnancy would 0:08:55.650 --> 0:08:58.260 be..." Or even let's say a year for every... I 0:08:58.260 --> 0:08:59.939 would run the marathon every single day for a year. 0:09:00.660 --> 0:09:00.750 Wow. 0:09:01.530 --> 0:09:02.221 I swear to you, I would choose that. 0:09:02.221 --> 0:09:02.309 Wow. 0:09:02.309 --> 0:09:02.940 I would choose that. 0:09:05.610 --> 0:09:07.620 Mentally and physically, I guess. 0:09:08.280 --> 0:09:11.520 Yes, because there is... So also with my twins, I 0:09:11.520 --> 0:09:14.939 had mono- di twins, meaning there was on placenta and we'll 0:09:14.940 --> 0:09:17.850 talk a little bit about the complications that I had 0:09:17.850 --> 0:09:20.400 in this pregnancy specifically, but there was one placenta and 0:09:20.520 --> 0:09:24.780 both babies were feeding off of that one placenta. Most 0:09:24.780 --> 0:09:30.480 twins are di- di, meaning they each have their own 0:09:30.480 --> 0:09:34.920 placenta because most twins are not identical twins. Most twins 0:09:34.920 --> 0:09:38.520 are fraternal twins. And then even amongst identical twins, there's 0:09:38.520 --> 0:09:41.160 a small percentage that could still be di- di, but 0:09:41.700 --> 0:09:43.980 the majority of them are mono- di like my twins. 0:09:45.210 --> 0:09:49.770 So, there's a higher risk with that sort of twin 0:09:49.770 --> 0:09:54.510 pregnancy. So just the anxiety alone was just, it was 0:09:54.510 --> 0:10:00.089 more than my first and just having to go to... 0:10:00.630 --> 0:10:04.410 You go to appointments every other week, you do ultrasounds 0:10:04.530 --> 0:10:06.780 and then it starts every week after a certain period 0:10:06.780 --> 0:10:09.990 as well. And depending on what happens with your pregnancy, 0:10:09.990 --> 0:10:14.010 it could happen earlier that you're... So, in some ways 0:10:14.010 --> 0:10:18.780 it's nice because you know that you're getting a check- in 0:10:18.780 --> 0:10:21.300 with your babies and it's good to hear the good 0:10:21.300 --> 0:10:25.140 news when there's good news. And then in another way, 0:10:25.140 --> 0:10:32.069 it's just exhausting because you're constantly running the potential in 0:10:32.070 --> 0:10:37.439 your head. What could go wrong? Is it going to 0:10:37.440 --> 0:10:38.730 be this week? Are they going to have twin- to- 0:10:38.730 --> 0:10:40.710 twin syndrome this week? Is it going to be next 0:10:40.710 --> 0:10:45.570 week? And so, each week is a breath of fresh 0:10:45.570 --> 0:10:47.670 air when you get the good news, but it's also 0:10:47.820 --> 0:10:52.949 anxiety leading up to the appointment, which I just did not have that experience with a singleton and with 0:10:52.950 --> 0:10:55.740 my first pregnancy with no complications. 0:10:55.740 --> 0:11:01.860 Yeah. So, tell us about the complications, when you learned about them and what that 0:11:01.860 --> 0:11:04.020 would mean for you and the pregnancy. 0:11:05.250 --> 0:11:08.429 Yeah. So, I had placenta previa, which is pretty common, 0:11:09.360 --> 0:11:15.540 but just for me as a runner, that's sucked. It 0:11:15.540 --> 0:11:24.000 sucked because placenta previa makes it so that you're asked 0:11:24.000 --> 0:11:27.090 to essentially take any kind of high impact stuff out 0:11:27.090 --> 0:11:30.449 of your day- to- day. There's just a higher risk 0:11:30.450 --> 0:11:36.030 of bleeding. And then because of that, anything can happen. 0:11:36.030 --> 0:11:40.860 Pregnancy loss, I could get sick, babies could get... So, 0:11:41.400 --> 0:11:45.240 you can't run anymore when you have placenta previa. And 0:11:45.240 --> 0:11:49.230 especially with twins, there's so many other things going on. 0:11:49.230 --> 0:11:56.640 I also had gestational diabetes, which was crazy. I couldn't 0:11:56.640 --> 0:12:01.020 believe it. I eat healthy. I exercise. I just never 0:12:01.020 --> 0:12:04.199 thought of myself as being a candidate for something like 0:12:04.200 --> 0:12:09.660 that, but it's totally random and very common amongst twin 0:12:09.660 --> 0:12:14.429 pregnancies. But the placenta previa was the big one that 0:12:14.429 --> 0:12:16.290 hit me because I had to stop running and that 0:12:16.290 --> 0:12:19.679 was tough because running for me, it's not just my job, 0:12:19.679 --> 0:12:22.830 but it's just such a big part of my wellness 0:12:23.010 --> 0:12:23.160 routine, my mental health. 0:12:23.160 --> 0:12:26.160 Had you run through your first pregnancy, Selena? And what was 0:12:26.160 --> 0:12:29.010 it like when the doctor told you for this second 0:12:29.010 --> 0:12:31.020 time around that you were not going to be able to 0:12:31.020 --> 0:12:31.350 run? 0:12:31.980 --> 0:12:34.470 Yeah, I ran through most of my first pregnancy. I 0:12:34.470 --> 0:12:37.140 did stop also my first pregnancy and that was due to 0:12:37.140 --> 0:12:41.130 some round ligament stuff. And just overall, I just didn't 0:12:41.130 --> 0:12:43.260 know, it was the first time I was pregnant. I was a 0:12:43.260 --> 0:12:49.050 little bit worried, but that was less like, " Hey, you 0:12:49.050 --> 0:12:51.540 need to stop running because this is dangerous." And more 0:12:51.540 --> 0:12:55.590 of a like, " Oh, I'm just making this choice." 0:12:55.650 --> 0:12:59.970 Yeah. As somebody who runs, you're on Peloton, you've been 0:12:59.970 --> 0:13:03.990 on Peloton for eight years almost to the day and 0:13:04.020 --> 0:13:07.980 it is your life to be running on the platform, 0:13:07.980 --> 0:13:11.010 walking on the platform. You're one of our lead strength 0:13:11.010 --> 0:13:14.100 coaches on the platform as well. So how did that 0:13:14.100 --> 0:13:17.219 feel for you to be like, I have just found 0:13:17.220 --> 0:13:21.209 my groove back with running after your first with your 0:13:21.210 --> 0:13:25.920 son and you're just rolling. You're having all of these 0:13:25.920 --> 0:13:31.950 new things thrown at you from one embryo being placed 0:13:31.950 --> 0:13:34.559 inside of you by the doctor to having twins to 0:13:34.559 --> 0:13:37.320 being like, okay, well, now you can't do one of 0:13:37.320 --> 0:13:40.110 the things that you really love to do. Where was 0:13:40.110 --> 0:13:42.840 your head going? How did you process all of this 0:13:42.840 --> 0:13:43.320 stuff? 0:13:45.210 --> 0:13:50.910 I was looking for solutions because I think having been 0:13:51.030 --> 0:13:57.270 through a pregnancy before, I knew that... And also, just 0:13:58.080 --> 0:14:01.350 at this point too, I'm in my late 30s, I've 0:14:01.350 --> 0:14:05.880 been through a little bit of life stuff. I don't 0:14:05.880 --> 0:14:09.330 see the point in wallowing in what I can't do 0:14:09.330 --> 0:14:14.370 and rather focusing on what I can do. So, I 0:14:14.370 --> 0:14:16.559 knew that I couldn't run anymore. It definitely was a 0:14:16.559 --> 0:14:23.609 bummer and it's scary to hear that, but I still 0:14:23.610 --> 0:14:27.120 had other options. I could lean into the walking piece. 0:14:27.630 --> 0:14:30.630 I could lean into the strength piece for a little 0:14:30.630 --> 0:14:34.050 bit and the walking piece was really the thing that 0:14:34.050 --> 0:14:38.430 was the most helpful for me. And I talk about 0:14:38.430 --> 0:14:40.680 this a lot on the Peloton platform, but I'm just 0:14:40.680 --> 0:14:43.650 such a huge advocate for walk plus runs in general. 0:14:43.650 --> 0:14:47.400 So, in my mind, I would do walk plus runs 0:14:47.400 --> 0:14:50.640 with easy walk to power walk. And so, I would 0:14:51.360 --> 0:14:53.520 tell myself that the power walk was a run and 0:14:53.520 --> 0:14:57.300 sometimes it really felt that way also cardiovascularly because I 0:14:57.360 --> 0:14:59.490 was carrying two babies and a lot was going on with 0:14:59.490 --> 0:15:01.770 my hormones and I got heavy. 0:15:03.000 --> 0:15:03.600 Yeah. Oh, my gosh. 0:15:03.810 --> 0:15:06.990 I have experienced the run, as you call it, run 0:15:06.990 --> 0:15:09.870 plus walk thing a bit more myself recently just coming 0:15:09.870 --> 0:15:12.720 back from injury and I really had never done it 0:15:12.720 --> 0:15:15.630 in such an intentional way before, but I think it's 0:15:15.630 --> 0:15:18.690 incredible. I think it's incredible for so many different types 0:15:18.690 --> 0:15:21.720 of people, whether they're new runners, runners coming back from 0:15:21.720 --> 0:15:25.080 injury, runners who are in a situation like yours in 0:15:25.080 --> 0:15:29.190 that time when you couldn't really run much. It's so 0:15:29.190 --> 0:15:31.620 much better than not being able to do anything. 0:15:33.030 --> 0:15:37.590 It's so much better than doing nothing, absolutely. And it 0:15:37.590 --> 0:15:41.340 really is such a great tool. Postpartum, I really leaned 0:15:41.340 --> 0:15:46.350 on the walk plus runs. It was a slow incline 0:15:46.350 --> 0:15:50.280 from the walk, power walk to walk jogs, walk runs 0:15:51.150 --> 0:15:53.250 and they work. They work. 0:15:53.550 --> 0:15:56.790 You finished work a little early because you really were just at a point of... 0:15:58.110 --> 0:15:59.190 I mean, talk us through that. 0:15:59.610 --> 0:15:59.820 Yeah. 0:15:59.820 --> 0:16:02.520 When did you feel to yourself like, this is quite 0:16:02.520 --> 0:16:04.590 frankly, uncomfortable to move? 0:16:04.620 --> 0:16:12.900 Yeah. So, I wasn't abnormally large as far as twin pregnancies 0:16:12.900 --> 0:16:15.990 are concerned, but for a singleton, it was insane. I 0:16:15.990 --> 0:16:20.850 was measuring full term at 26 weeks, maybe even before 0:16:20.850 --> 0:16:25.440 that, honestly. And meaning my type of full term, the 0:16:25.440 --> 0:16:31.080 way I was with Torin. So, I looked ready to 0:16:31.080 --> 0:16:34.830 pop and I still had almost... I still had so 0:16:34.830 --> 0:16:37.410 many weeks ahead of me, although my girls came early, 0:16:37.410 --> 0:16:40.350 so not as many at that point. So yeah, it 0:16:40.860 --> 0:16:46.230 became physically impossible to just teach the classes and also 0:16:46.380 --> 0:16:51.480 honestly commute. I struggled. I would make sure my day 0:16:52.110 --> 0:16:54.210 was planned out so that I wouldn't have to go 0:16:54.210 --> 0:16:55.650 up and down the stairs in my house. 0:16:56.670 --> 0:16:57.330 Wow. 0:16:57.810 --> 0:17:01.080 That's like how I would... And I would have my husband help me 0:17:01.140 --> 0:17:03.750 carry things downstairs and be like, " I don't want to have to 0:17:03.750 --> 0:17:05.310 go back up those stairs until we go to bed." 0:17:06.060 --> 0:17:09.300 Wow. You don't even think about that. You don't even 0:17:09.300 --> 0:17:12.750 contemplate the fact that, yeah, you've made the journey downstairs, 0:17:12.990 --> 0:17:14.730 that's it, not moving. 0:17:15.119 --> 0:17:18.000 Right. Well, because I was having a lot of Braxton- 0:17:18.000 --> 0:17:24.630 Hicks contractions very early on and they were sometimes getting 0:17:24.630 --> 0:17:29.430 scary because they would be spaced apart almost rhythmically. And 0:17:29.430 --> 0:17:32.490 so, I was like, " Oh gosh, I just really didn't 0:17:32.490 --> 0:17:36.150 want to go into labor early." I mean, nobody does. 0:17:37.020 --> 0:17:40.889 The longer you can keep those babies in, the better. 0:17:41.100 --> 0:17:43.770 And so yeah, I just did my best. And so 0:17:43.770 --> 0:17:45.719 that was another reason why. I mean, actually at my 0:17:45.720 --> 0:17:49.980 baby shower, I ended up with Braxton with contractions that 0:17:50.340 --> 0:17:54.600 started scaring me, seeming like they were labor contractions. 0:17:55.080 --> 0:17:55.708 Wow. 0:17:55.830 --> 0:17:57.780 And that was in October and I stopped working in 0:17:57.780 --> 0:17:58.320 October. 0:17:58.470 --> 0:18:02.129 Talk us through those last technical couple of months of 0:18:02.130 --> 0:18:02.850 pregnancy. 0:18:03.660 --> 0:18:05.940 Well, I made it to 35 weeks, which is great 0:18:05.940 --> 0:18:11.219 because that's for monody twins average 34 to 36 weeks is the 0:18:11.220 --> 0:18:17.730 average time that usually people go into labor with my 0:18:17.730 --> 0:18:24.210 type of twins. So, I was very happy that we 0:18:24.210 --> 0:18:27.869 knew at that point that 35 weeks is a good 0:18:28.230 --> 0:18:32.700 gestational age, very likely that there'll be a NICU, but also 0:18:33.210 --> 0:18:37.410 very likely that they won't have too many complications. And 0:18:37.590 --> 0:18:41.220 aside from just lungs being not quite ready, they were 0:18:41.220 --> 0:18:46.740 fine. So, we're lucky. They did spend three weeks in 0:18:46.740 --> 0:18:49.050 the NICU just waiting for their little lungs to be 0:18:49.050 --> 0:18:54.150 ready to do it on their own. But yeah, 35 0:18:54.150 --> 0:18:57.359 weeks I went into the city, I went because I 0:18:57.359 --> 0:19:00.450 was on a billboard in Madison Square Garden. And so, 0:19:00.450 --> 0:19:03.090 I was like, I want to get to see this 0:19:03.090 --> 0:19:07.680 billboard before I go into labor and it's so hard to move. 0:19:07.680 --> 0:19:09.149 And I had to go into the city for my 0:19:09.150 --> 0:19:14.550 doctor's appointments. I purposefully chose to have my doctors and 0:19:14.550 --> 0:19:16.740 give birth at Mount Sinai Hospital because they have an 0:19:17.070 --> 0:19:19.410 epic NICU and I knew that the likelihood of my 0:19:19.560 --> 0:19:23.580 girls coming early and needing NICU was pretty high. So 0:19:24.300 --> 0:19:28.080 that's what I was doing that day. And I was like, " 0:19:28.080 --> 0:19:31.200 All right, after this doctor's appointment, I'll go and check 0:19:31.200 --> 0:19:35.070 out this billboard, get some photos and I'll show my 0:19:35.070 --> 0:19:39.960 girls one day." And then I started having those contractions 0:19:39.960 --> 0:19:42.660 again and they just started getting shorter and shorter. And 0:19:42.660 --> 0:19:45.390 I had already taken the car almost all the way 0:19:45.450 --> 0:19:48.000 back to where I live, which is about 45 minutes, 0:19:48.000 --> 0:19:49.980 but it was the middle of the day, so it 0:19:49.980 --> 0:19:52.800 was traffic. So, it took me an hour to get 0:19:52.800 --> 0:19:57.359 to maybe two exits before my exit and we had 0:19:57.359 --> 0:19:59.520 to turn around. I was on the phone with my doctors and they're like, " 0:19:59.640 --> 0:20:06.780 Selena, those really sound like labor contractions." And I knew 0:20:06.780 --> 0:20:10.320 that they were too because they were way... I knew 0:20:10.320 --> 0:20:13.530 that they were, but I was just really hoping that 0:20:14.130 --> 0:20:17.760 it wasn't yet the time. And they were like, " You should probably 0:20:17.760 --> 0:20:20.520 turn around because if you go home, there's a chance 0:20:20.520 --> 0:20:24.030 you won't make it to our hospital and you'd have 0:20:24.030 --> 0:20:26.580 to go to a different hospital." And I didn't want 0:20:26.580 --> 0:20:29.730 that. So, I turned around, was stuck in traffic. I 0:20:29.730 --> 0:20:33.119 was in labor in a car for two plus hours, 0:20:35.700 --> 0:20:38.190 but we made it and then I had my babies, 0:20:38.730 --> 0:20:42.720 I don't know, it was the afternoon, so I had 0:20:42.720 --> 0:20:44.250 them within 12 hours of that. 0:20:46.380 --> 0:20:49.290 So, talk us through it. What happened? How was that 0:20:49.290 --> 0:20:51.450 whole situation of birthing? 0:20:52.290 --> 0:20:55.440 I was really lucky. I didn't end up needing a C- 0:20:55.440 --> 0:20:59.910 section. We just went for it. I had amazing OBs 0:20:59.910 --> 0:21:05.340 who were so supportive and they were like, " Hey, look, 0:21:06.270 --> 0:21:10.709 you matched the criteria for a vaginal birth and if 0:21:10.710 --> 0:21:12.090 you want to go for it, we'd be happy to 0:21:12.090 --> 0:21:13.920 facilitate it." And I was like, " Yeah, let's go for 0:21:13.920 --> 0:21:17.790 it." So, we did and it was super quick. The 0:21:17.790 --> 0:21:20.820 girls came out so fast. It was like three pushes. 0:21:20.820 --> 0:21:24.150 Stella came out. Eight minutes later, Frankie came out breech, 0:21:24.210 --> 0:21:26.970 which was something else. And something that they don't tell 0:21:26.970 --> 0:21:29.550 you, by the way, with twins, is that you can't 0:21:29.550 --> 0:21:31.290 push as hard as you do with the first one 0:21:31.290 --> 0:21:32.580 or the second one, and also, you're going to shoot 0:21:32.580 --> 0:21:33.928 that baby right across the OR. 0:21:35.429 --> 0:21:36.300 Oh my God. 0:21:37.679 --> 0:21:37.740 Wow. 0:21:37.770 --> 0:21:42.540 Yeah. So, you have to be really delicate with those pushes 0:21:42.540 --> 0:21:43.619 and really easy. 0:21:43.859 --> 0:21:44.159 Oh, my gosh. 0:21:44.160 --> 0:21:48.300 So, it was like a very delicate, gentle... And then the 0:21:48.330 --> 0:21:50.190 OB really does most of the work with a breech 0:21:50.190 --> 0:21:53.340 baby because they have to maneuver and pull them out. 0:21:53.340 --> 0:21:56.130 But yeah, eight minutes later, Frankie came and they were 0:21:56.130 --> 0:21:59.369 great. They actually at first, they were like, " Nope, they don't 0:21:59.369 --> 0:22:01.710 need to go to NICU," because they were screaming and 0:22:01.890 --> 0:22:03.629 doing all the things that baby should do. And they 0:22:03.630 --> 0:22:07.740 were five pounds each, which is a pretty decent size for 0:22:07.740 --> 0:22:11.280 a baby. But they put them on me and then 0:22:11.280 --> 0:22:14.430 shortly after I was noticing that they were doing that 0:22:14.580 --> 0:22:18.510 kind of breathing. And I was like, " I don't think 0:22:18.510 --> 0:22:20.730 they're doing well, guys." And they're like, " Oh, nope. Yep, 0:22:21.119 --> 0:22:23.250 we got to get them up to the NICU." So, then they 0:22:23.670 --> 0:22:26.280 brought them up to the NICU and got them some support and 0:22:26.730 --> 0:22:31.560 CPAP for a little bit. And then they really weren't 0:22:31.560 --> 0:22:35.580 on CPAP for very long after that it was just 0:22:36.210 --> 0:22:39.330 getting them to a point where they could comfortably eat 0:22:39.330 --> 0:22:43.350 without having what they call events in the NICU where 0:22:43.740 --> 0:22:46.409 either the heart rate drops or their oxygen level drops. 0:22:46.650 --> 0:22:53.340 And so, they are very careful at that NICU. They make 0:22:53.340 --> 0:22:55.919 sure that everything is absolutely perfect before you leave. So, 0:22:56.220 --> 0:23:00.390 by the time about three weeks passed and they were 0:23:00.390 --> 0:23:02.640 definitely very ready to come home and I felt comfortable 0:23:02.640 --> 0:23:05.399 at that point for them to come home, but it 0:23:05.400 --> 0:23:08.310 is hard leaving the hospital without your babies. It's probably 0:23:08.310 --> 0:23:09.900 one of the hardest things I've ever done. 0:23:10.710 --> 0:23:14.010 Yeah, I can imagine having had two and been fortunate 0:23:14.010 --> 0:23:16.320 enough to leave with both of ours, I could see 0:23:16.320 --> 0:23:19.800 how that would be difficult to do. And so, you 0:23:19.800 --> 0:23:24.149 got through it, you've got two identical twin girls, which 0:23:24.150 --> 0:23:29.970 is incredible, Stella and Frankie. What's it been like being 0:23:29.970 --> 0:23:34.109 the mom of identical twins? And I hear people like to 0:23:34.109 --> 0:23:37.410 ask you all kinds of things and questions about your 0:23:37.410 --> 0:23:40.200 identical twins, including maybe some things they shouldn't ask. 0:23:42.000 --> 0:23:46.469 Yeah. There are some really ridiculous questions out there. They 0:23:46.470 --> 0:23:48.060 say there's no dumb questions. 0:23:50.520 --> 0:23:50.671 There are dumb questions. Yes, 100%. 0:23:50.671 --> 0:23:54.510 There are some dumb questions. Like, " Are they natural?" What do 0:23:54.510 --> 0:23:59.070 you mean are they... " No, sorry, they're AI. They're actually 0:23:59.070 --> 0:24:01.740 not natural. They're AI. They're hologram." 0:24:02.400 --> 0:24:02.401 What? 0:24:02.401 --> 0:24:04.169 It's because people are confused about... 0:24:06.330 --> 0:24:06.660 What are they getting at by asking- 0:24:06.660 --> 0:24:08.280 The process of doing IVF. 0:24:08.280 --> 0:24:08.550 Yes. 0:24:09.240 --> 0:24:11.609 And they think that all... Because a lot of people 0:24:11.609 --> 0:24:17.100 have fraternal twins when they have more than one embryo implanted. 0:24:17.100 --> 0:24:17.580 Yes. 0:24:17.580 --> 0:24:18.631 And so, they're confused. They don't understand that. 0:24:18.631 --> 0:24:19.231 Oh, so they think he planned it. 0:24:19.710 --> 0:24:22.560 You can't engineer identical twins. 0:24:22.560 --> 0:24:22.648 Yes. 0:24:22.648 --> 0:24:26.850 And that's why it's a question that makes no sense if you 0:24:26.850 --> 0:24:28.109 know what the process is like. 0:24:29.250 --> 0:24:31.920 It makes no sense, but it's also that word natural. 0:24:31.920 --> 0:24:35.100 I think even for those folks who did have a 0:24:35.100 --> 0:24:38.399 planned twin pregnancy, which by the way, nowadays is very 0:24:38.400 --> 0:24:40.439 rare. So, it used to be the norm because they 0:24:40.440 --> 0:24:44.129 didn't have technology to test embryos the way that we 0:24:44.130 --> 0:24:48.030 do today. So, if you go through IVF, you can 0:24:48.030 --> 0:24:51.030 choose to test your embryos and choose the healthiest embryos. 0:24:51.119 --> 0:24:53.070 And back in the day, they didn't have that. So, 0:24:53.070 --> 0:24:56.430 it was like guessing and a lot of embryos aren't 0:24:56.430 --> 0:24:58.980 viable. And so, they would put multiple embryos in there 0:24:58.980 --> 0:25:00.241 hoping that one would be viable. 0:25:00.241 --> 0:25:00.930 Exactly. 0:25:00.930 --> 0:25:04.020 And usually, the ones that aren't viable would just dissolve 0:25:04.020 --> 0:25:06.720 or I don't know what happens in there, but disappear, 0:25:06.720 --> 0:25:11.310 not survive, whatever. So that's why they would do it. 0:25:11.310 --> 0:25:14.340 But sometimes, they would put three embryos in and they 0:25:14.340 --> 0:25:17.430 just so happened to be three healthy embryos that all made 0:25:17.430 --> 0:25:20.070 it. And so that's why you saw so many twins 0:25:20.638 --> 0:25:21.000 in the past. 0:25:21.000 --> 0:25:22.020 And triplets sometimes even. Yeah. 0:25:22.560 --> 0:25:25.770 And triplets, exactly. But now the technology has gotten good. 0:25:25.770 --> 0:25:29.760 They're like, we don't want to... The risk of twin 0:25:29.760 --> 0:25:33.179 pregnancy is just not worth that because the pregnancies are 0:25:33.180 --> 0:25:35.820 high risk. They're very hard on mothers. And then also 0:25:36.000 --> 0:25:41.730 it's riskier for the babies as well. So, most doctors 0:25:41.730 --> 0:25:46.139 will not do multiple embryo implantations anymore. I think it's 0:25:46.680 --> 0:25:48.990 very hard to find people who at least in New 0:25:48.990 --> 0:25:53.490 York and Connecticut and where I've been, that's just not 0:25:53.760 --> 0:25:57.570 the protocol at all anymore. So, there's that part of 0:25:57.570 --> 0:25:59.070 it and I think you're right, but still the word 0:25:59.070 --> 0:26:00.419 natural sounds ridiculous. 0:26:01.290 --> 0:26:01.291 It does. 0:26:01.291 --> 0:26:02.490 Because what do you mean? Is my child not a human? 0:26:02.490 --> 0:26:02.550 Yeah, yeah. 0:26:02.550 --> 0:26:06.210 What do you mean natural? 0:26:06.210 --> 0:26:08.940 What do you mean natural? Yeah, that's weird. 0:26:08.970 --> 0:26:12.150 I'm in such a sweet spot actually with my twins 0:26:12.660 --> 0:26:17.280 and the public. I haven't had any bad encounters. I 0:26:17.280 --> 0:26:19.859 mean, I think one thing that's triggering for a lot 0:26:19.859 --> 0:26:22.560 of twin moms is when they hear, " Oh, your hands 0:26:22.560 --> 0:26:27.149 are full." It's like, " Thanks." Obviously, I know that. 0:26:28.650 --> 0:26:28.770 Yeah. 0:26:30.180 --> 0:26:33.180 Not so triggering for me because I'm like, " Yeah, please, 0:26:33.180 --> 0:26:34.410 I need all the sympathy." 0:26:34.859 --> 0:26:35.609 Yeah. 0:26:35.609 --> 0:26:36.840 Yeah, I need this. 0:26:37.800 --> 0:26:37.918 You're right. It's maladating. 0:26:39.390 --> 0:26:42.780 We've had some good conversations about, and you've been very 0:26:42.780 --> 0:26:44.459 open and this is a shout- out to all the 0:26:44.460 --> 0:26:47.369 twin moms out there, is follow Selena on Instagram because 0:26:47.369 --> 0:26:51.690 she is really open about her journey so far. And 0:26:51.690 --> 0:26:55.980 I think one of the most wonderful conversations we've had 0:26:55.980 --> 0:26:59.430 was when you were telling me about how you learnt to feed 0:26:59.430 --> 0:27:03.390 them and your process for this was amazing. So, can 0:27:03.390 --> 0:27:05.970 you talk us through that whole thing you were talking 0:27:06.780 --> 0:27:06.781 about? 0:27:06.781 --> 0:27:08.250 About tandem feeding? 0:27:08.250 --> 0:27:10.950 The tandem feeding and where you're having the bottles and- 0:27:10.950 --> 0:27:11.040 Oh, yeah. 0:27:11.460 --> 0:27:11.461 You were just like a magician. 0:27:11.461 --> 0:27:18.210 Yeah. You really do learn how to juggle when you have 0:27:18.210 --> 0:27:21.330 twins. Okay. I don't know how much of this thing I'm allowed to 0:27:21.330 --> 0:27:25.710 say in the podcast, but I literally found myself, especially in the early days, 0:27:26.730 --> 0:27:32.310 just locked in a room with my twins top, off 0:27:32.310 --> 0:27:38.669 boobs out, just sitting there topless all day with one 0:27:38.670 --> 0:27:43.679 here, one here, burping one, one on the boob. It's 0:27:45.450 --> 0:27:49.590 so much. Or we have this thing called a, there's 0:27:49.590 --> 0:27:54.030 the twinsie pillow and then there's the My Twin Brest Friend and 0:27:54.030 --> 0:27:57.570 it's this big breastfeeding pillow, but it's massive. And I 0:27:57.570 --> 0:28:01.830 would just have that and I'd be just topless with 0:28:01.830 --> 0:28:08.430 this huge Twin Brest Friend pillow just trying to figure 0:28:08.430 --> 0:28:12.600 it out with my kids because it's like one would 0:28:12.600 --> 0:28:16.919 be, you'd get one feeding and happy and sleeping and 0:28:16.920 --> 0:28:17.939 then you're like, " Oh my God, I don't want to 0:28:18.720 --> 0:28:20.669 wake this baby up." But then the other baby starts 0:28:20.790 --> 0:28:23.970 popping off. So, you're like, " Okay." I definitely don't have 0:28:23.970 --> 0:28:28.050 time to put my shirt back on, let alone... So 0:28:28.109 --> 0:28:32.880 yeah, it was definitely chaos, but you get better at 0:28:32.880 --> 0:28:38.730 it. I eventually just stopped trying to tandem breastfeed. I 0:28:38.880 --> 0:28:42.300 ended up doing more tandem bottle feeding because it was 0:28:42.300 --> 0:28:47.490 just so chaotic for me and I would just pump 0:28:47.490 --> 0:28:51.420 and then tandem feed. And so, you put them... 0:28:53.010 --> 0:28:54.330 Lay them on the floor and go. 0:28:54.690 --> 0:28:56.970 Yeah, you put them in the... Now that's when you 0:28:56.970 --> 0:28:59.640 use the Twin Z pillow. That's this little pillow that's 0:28:59.730 --> 0:29:02.520 shaped like a heart and you put one baby on 0:29:02.520 --> 0:29:07.650 each side and then you double bottle- feed and that 0:29:07.710 --> 0:29:11.580 worked magically for a long time until they got a 0:29:11.580 --> 0:29:14.670 little bit older and they started getting fussy and we 0:29:14.670 --> 0:29:17.130 still have them on the same schedule, but sometimes we 0:29:17.130 --> 0:29:19.740 feed one and the other. So, I'll have one in 0:29:19.740 --> 0:29:22.140 a bouncer and I bounce the bouncer because they love 0:29:22.140 --> 0:29:24.750 being bounced. I'll bounce the bouncer feed and then feed 0:29:24.750 --> 0:29:27.540 the other. So, the foot is what's bouncing the bouncer. 0:29:27.540 --> 0:29:32.070 So, I'm like a drummer. I got rhythm. There's a 0:29:32.070 --> 0:29:35.640 lot of syncopation, a lot of cool stuff going on. 0:29:35.640 --> 0:29:35.700 Wow. Wow. 0:29:35.760 --> 0:29:36.090 Yeah. 0:29:36.120 --> 0:29:38.010 I just learned a lot about breastfeeding I did not 0:29:38.010 --> 0:29:39.870 know. That was fascinating. 0:29:39.870 --> 0:29:41.430 I'm sure a lot of people did. 0:29:41.430 --> 0:29:44.970 It sounds really challenging. Sounds like a sport. Honestly, that 0:29:44.970 --> 0:29:48.180 sounds like you could have a competition. That's so difficult, 0:29:48.420 --> 0:29:52.050 balancing all that and there's rhythm involved. Anyway, so talk 0:29:52.050 --> 0:29:56.460 about how, Selena, did you even think about getting back 0:29:56.460 --> 0:29:58.411 to running, going through all of that? 0:29:58.411 --> 0:29:58.651 Yes. 0:29:58.800 --> 0:30:03.090 What was that process like? Obviously, your job demands some 0:30:03.090 --> 0:30:06.240 of this. So, what was the process like of getting 0:30:06.240 --> 0:30:09.480 from there to actually being able to move and run again? 0:30:11.220 --> 0:30:13.950 Yeah. Okay. This is one of my favorite things to 0:30:13.950 --> 0:30:19.200 talk about because I think there aren't enough folks really 0:30:19.650 --> 0:30:22.800 having this conversation out loud. And so, you'll see a 0:30:22.800 --> 0:30:26.850 lot of, I don't know, influencers or people in the 0:30:26.850 --> 0:30:30.300 industry, they'll have their babies, and then all of a 0:30:30.300 --> 0:30:33.870 sudden, they're working out or running again and you don't 0:30:33.870 --> 0:30:36.750 see that middle part, the journey and how to get 0:30:36.750 --> 0:30:41.010 there. And look, no shade because everybody should... If you 0:30:41.010 --> 0:30:42.390 don't want to talk about that, you shouldn't have to 0:30:42.390 --> 0:30:45.750 talk about it. But I'm okay with talking about it. 0:30:45.750 --> 0:30:51.330 So, I've been sharing a lot and the very first 0:30:51.330 --> 0:30:57.240 thing that I did was breathe. I don't mean just 0:30:58.350 --> 0:31:02.190 to stay alive breathing, but diaphragmatic breathing, getting connected with 0:31:02.190 --> 0:31:07.260 my breath, understanding where I was putting pressure when I 0:31:07.260 --> 0:31:12.270 was breathing. So how the diaphragm and the core and 0:31:12.270 --> 0:31:14.580 the pelvic floor, how they all work together and just 0:31:14.580 --> 0:31:19.110 getting back to a place retraining my breath so that 0:31:19.110 --> 0:31:22.500 I was breathing appropriately. And that was before doing any 0:31:22.500 --> 0:31:27.120 kind of movement at all. So, I think one of 0:31:27.120 --> 0:31:30.330 the things that without going into a whole class on 0:31:30.330 --> 0:31:32.550 breath, but one of the things that I think happens is 0:31:32.550 --> 0:31:36.810 your organs move when you're pregnant and naturally and your 0:31:36.810 --> 0:31:42.270 ribs flare. So naturally things change so dramatically so that 0:31:42.270 --> 0:31:50.070 your breath also changes dramatically. So, I started with just 0:31:50.070 --> 0:31:52.800 connecting with my core and my pelvic floor again before 0:31:52.800 --> 0:31:55.230 doing anything at all. And then it just turned into 0:31:55.230 --> 0:32:01.770 working, doing pelvic floor exercises, core work. And then from 0:32:01.770 --> 0:32:08.700 there walking and then walking turned into light jogging. But 0:32:09.810 --> 0:32:11.790 it's not a linear, at least it hasn't been for 0:32:11.790 --> 0:32:16.830 me, a very linear process. I did all this work 0:32:16.830 --> 0:32:19.560 and I worked with a pelvic floor PT and was 0:32:19.560 --> 0:32:23.490 so good about my homework and really focused on that 0:32:23.490 --> 0:32:28.260 core work. And then I started walking and jogging and 0:32:28.800 --> 0:32:30.630 then my lower back would get, I would throw my 0:32:30.630 --> 0:32:32.640 lower back out a little bit. So then, I'd have to go 0:32:32.640 --> 0:32:35.820 back and stop running and jogging and go back to 0:32:35.820 --> 0:32:40.650 square one and build back up again. And I'm still 0:32:40.650 --> 0:32:42.750 in that building phase. And I think one of the 0:32:42.840 --> 0:32:46.230 harder parts, for me personally, the hard part isn't showing 0:32:46.230 --> 0:32:51.450 up and doing the exercises. The hardest part is the 0:32:51.450 --> 0:32:54.690 mental part of having to be okay with the fact 0:32:54.690 --> 0:32:59.130 that I am not where I was before and I 0:32:59.130 --> 0:33:04.680 never will be. And when I say I never will 0:33:04.680 --> 0:33:06.630 be, I don't mean I never will hit paces that 0:33:06.630 --> 0:33:08.820 I hit before. I mean, I never will have the 0:33:08.820 --> 0:33:12.000 same body I had before children. And so, I have 0:33:12.000 --> 0:33:16.260 to approach running and getting back into running very differently 0:33:16.260 --> 0:33:19.050 than I approached my first time choosing to run a 0:33:19.050 --> 0:33:21.630 marathon before I'd ever had kids and ever did the 0:33:21.630 --> 0:33:29.220 damage that I did to my body. So, I talk about this 0:33:29.220 --> 0:33:31.740 a lot right now and I talk about having grace 0:33:31.740 --> 0:33:34.140 and I think it's important to have grace. It's very 0:33:34.140 --> 0:33:36.570 important to have grace in that way to understand that 0:33:38.160 --> 0:33:41.850 I am where I am because I did this amazing 0:33:41.850 --> 0:33:46.830 thing, this miraculous thing and I can honor that and 0:33:46.830 --> 0:33:50.160 honor what I did and that I brought life into this 0:33:50.160 --> 0:33:55.260 world, but I can still want more for myself. Having 0:33:55.260 --> 0:33:59.100 grace doesn't mean being complacent. It just means that you 0:33:59.100 --> 0:34:02.670 have respect for what you did, but I still want 0:34:02.670 --> 0:34:07.830 more. And so yeah, I think the hardest part is 0:34:07.890 --> 0:34:11.100 staying there and not letting the, I want more turn 0:34:11.100 --> 0:34:14.009 into you suck because you're not running the same paces 0:34:14.010 --> 0:34:17.730 yet or because that other runner, she came back faster 0:34:18.510 --> 0:34:21.960 or whatever it is because we all really have experienced 0:34:21.960 --> 0:34:26.250 different journeys. Every pregnancy is very different. Everybody started at 0:34:26.489 --> 0:34:31.140 a different point too. If somebody got pregnant at their 0:34:31.140 --> 0:34:35.010 peak athleticism versus, I don't know, someone like myself where 0:34:35.010 --> 0:34:37.290 I had a number of losses and I was trying 0:34:37.290 --> 0:34:39.930 for a long time to get pregnant. And so, within 0:34:39.930 --> 0:34:44.759 that time span, I also had pulled back on my 0:34:44.760 --> 0:34:49.440 focus being running paces like I was running before. So 0:34:50.370 --> 0:34:57.450 yeah, I think that's the toughest part, finding that balance, 0:34:57.450 --> 0:35:00.839 having that grace and also ambition at the same time 0:35:00.840 --> 0:35:03.989 and learning how to rock that in between. 0:35:04.890 --> 0:35:07.770 You show up with all of those things very beautifully 0:35:09.330 --> 0:35:13.110 for sure in the squares that we see curated on 0:35:13.110 --> 0:35:17.010 social media and on Peloton. But I want to know 0:35:17.010 --> 0:35:19.440 the honest side of it because having gone through it 0:35:19.440 --> 0:35:25.920 with one baby and I definitely got in my head 0:35:26.010 --> 0:35:29.820 about this not just being a day- to- day, 9: 0:35:29.820 --> 0:35:33.420 00 to 5:00 office job that I was going back to. It 0:35:33.420 --> 0:35:38.790 was going back to being on camera, multiple different angles 0:35:38.940 --> 0:35:44.520 of being on camera. I think the tread is a 0:35:44.520 --> 0:35:48.239 safety net in many ways because you're encompassed by this 0:35:48.239 --> 0:35:53.550 giant machine, but in the strength studio, you're exposed and 0:35:53.640 --> 0:35:57.960 you're also then exposed to social media, to criticism, to 0:35:58.440 --> 0:36:02.430 good or bad as well. There might be some good 0:36:02.430 --> 0:36:08.070 criticism and bad. And how have you navigated that whilst 0:36:08.969 --> 0:36:13.050 understanding to have this grace and this patience as well? 0:36:13.980 --> 0:36:18.690 Yeah, you're absolutely right, Becs. It's so intimidating. I think that 0:36:18.690 --> 0:36:20.790 was the toughest part of me coming back to work. 0:36:20.820 --> 0:36:23.880 It wasn't, can I teach the classes? I was ready 0:36:23.880 --> 0:36:26.190 to teach the classes, physically able to teach the classes. 0:36:28.170 --> 0:36:31.320 What is the number on the tread screen as far 0:36:31.320 --> 0:36:36.569 as my sprint today versus four years ago or whatever. 0:36:37.380 --> 0:36:43.350 Sure, but that's not as important. So, the thing that 0:36:44.010 --> 0:36:49.560 was the scariest was coming back and having to show 0:36:49.560 --> 0:36:53.430 up in a body that looked very different and that 0:36:53.430 --> 0:37:02.310 maybe you're right, I wasn't 100% ready to expose. And 0:37:03.390 --> 0:37:06.960 I think I had to... Yes, the truth of it 0:37:06.960 --> 0:37:09.780 is that is hard. It's hard to be half naked 0:37:12.390 --> 0:37:15.180 in our sports bras and our shorts in front of 0:37:15.180 --> 0:37:21.570 everybody and to do that when you've changed in a 0:37:21.570 --> 0:37:25.620 way that sure you couldn't help and you did on 0:37:25.620 --> 0:37:29.940 purpose. And again, look, we're so happy with our babies, 0:37:29.940 --> 0:37:35.340 but it's still a reality. I just keep leaning on 0:37:35.340 --> 0:37:37.890 the fact that there are other people who are going 0:37:37.950 --> 0:37:44.850 through what I'm going through and that it is not 0:37:44.850 --> 0:37:50.790 a niche narrative. It is very much there's so many 0:37:50.790 --> 0:37:53.130 people. 50% of the population are women. I don't know 0:37:53.130 --> 0:37:55.890 what percentage of that population ends up giving birth, but 0:37:55.890 --> 0:37:58.080 I'm sure it's not a super small percentage of the 0:37:58.080 --> 0:38:02.219 population. So, it's a lot of people out there and 0:38:02.219 --> 0:38:06.480 postpartum is forever. Postpartum isn't just the first year after 0:38:06.480 --> 0:38:08.520 you had a baby, it's the rest of your life. 0:38:08.520 --> 0:38:11.549 Your body changes for the rest of your life. Pelvic 0:38:11.550 --> 0:38:14.759 floor, your pelvic floor is different and the way that 0:38:14.760 --> 0:38:17.160 you have to approach fitness is different for the rest 0:38:17.160 --> 0:38:22.380 of your life. And I know that might sound scary 0:38:22.380 --> 0:38:24.150 to somebody, but I think it actually makes us stronger 0:38:24.150 --> 0:38:29.279 individuals overall and it can make us so focused in 0:38:29.280 --> 0:38:32.700 a totally diferent way. Motherhood makes you focused in a 0:38:32.700 --> 0:38:36.690 completely different way, in my opinion. And so yeah, that's 0:38:36.690 --> 0:38:39.420 what I lean on. I lean on that. I lean 0:38:39.420 --> 0:38:41.310 on the fact that there are so many other people 0:38:41.310 --> 0:38:44.489 that are experiencing something very similar or have experienced something 0:38:44.489 --> 0:38:47.549 similar and that it can be something that we can 0:38:47.550 --> 0:38:50.190 be doing together so we're on this journey together. 0:38:50.520 --> 0:38:55.260 Yeah, I love that. And I guess that's why you decided 0:38:55.260 --> 0:38:57.570 to be very open with your followers in the Peloton 0:38:57.570 --> 0:38:59.430 audience about your mom pouch. 0:38:59.430 --> 0:38:59.489 Yeah. 0:39:00.840 --> 0:39:02.880 So, talk us through that. Talk us through the mom 0:39:02.880 --> 0:39:06.239 pouch and what it means to you and why you're 0:39:06.239 --> 0:39:06.839 sharing it. 0:39:07.290 --> 0:39:12.060 Bro, the mom pouch is pouching so much right now. It's 0:39:12.239 --> 0:39:15.391 really pouching after twins. It's next level after twins. 0:39:15.391 --> 0:39:17.640 If everyone could have seen us in the green room the other 0:39:17.640 --> 0:39:18.540 day, they'd laugh. 0:39:19.020 --> 0:39:23.730 Oh my God, yes. No, I think that the mom 0:39:23.730 --> 0:39:29.640 pouch is a beautiful thing. Sure, especially after twins, like 0:39:29.640 --> 0:39:33.299 I said, it's different. It's made it so that I 0:39:33.300 --> 0:39:35.910 can't wear the running shorts that I used to wear 0:39:37.080 --> 0:39:39.839 at the moment because there is so much extra skin 0:39:39.840 --> 0:39:42.299 that I actually do have to wear compression, something compression 0:39:42.300 --> 0:39:45.870 to help me out in my runs at least. Not 0:39:45.870 --> 0:39:49.260 so much with strength training, obviously, but with running. So, 0:39:50.100 --> 0:39:53.819 there's that. But I do love the mom pouch and 0:39:53.820 --> 0:39:56.759 I love the process because it is a reminder of 0:39:56.760 --> 0:40:03.480 what the bad assery of motherhood and that's where our 0:40:03.480 --> 0:40:07.920 babies came from. So yes, we want more. Yes, we 0:40:07.920 --> 0:40:11.340 want better. Yes, we're going to work towards a world 0:40:11.340 --> 0:40:16.080 where the mom pouch isn't so extreme so that it 0:40:16.080 --> 0:40:19.469 hurts us when we run. But in the interim, I 0:40:19.469 --> 0:40:24.780 know this sounds cliche, but we can't hate our bodies 0:40:24.780 --> 0:40:33.600 into change. That is not how you progress. I mean, it's 0:40:33.660 --> 0:40:35.969 the same thing with running, right? You can't hate your 0:40:35.969 --> 0:40:37.350 way to a better pace 0:40:38.370 --> 0:40:38.820 Well said. 0:40:39.510 --> 0:40:44.670 You can't. So, leaning on... When I look at the 0:40:44.670 --> 0:40:47.430 mom pouch, I'm like, " Oh yeah, you're such a badass. 0:40:47.430 --> 0:40:50.700 You did that. You carried twins and look at what 0:40:50.700 --> 0:40:54.420 you're doing now. And that's where those beautiful babies came 0:40:54.420 --> 0:40:56.460 from and how could I hate the thing that made 0:40:56.460 --> 0:41:01.200 my beautiful babies?" And so yeah, we love the mom 0:41:01.200 --> 0:41:01.831 pouch. We rock the mom pouch. 0:41:01.831 --> 0:41:01.832 Yes, yes. Exactly. 0:41:01.832 --> 0:41:08.968 Yeah. There must be a huge mental health lesson here 0:41:08.969 --> 0:41:13.440 too, Selena, both in regards, I mean, of course, some 0:41:13.440 --> 0:41:17.310 women just are dealing with straight- up postpartum depression and 0:41:17.520 --> 0:41:22.530 that's a thing that we've had conversations about on this 0:41:22.739 --> 0:41:27.420 podcast, women who found running in movement helpful to them in 0:41:27.510 --> 0:41:30.570 getting through that kind of thing. But then there's also 0:41:30.570 --> 0:41:34.230 just what you're talking about, which isn't postpartum depression per 0:41:34.230 --> 0:41:39.660 se, but it's just issues about self- image and expectation 0:41:39.690 --> 0:41:45.780 management of what your body was, what it is, what 0:41:45.780 --> 0:41:47.670 it can do versus what it used to be able 0:41:47.670 --> 0:41:52.170 to do. All of that is also, it's mental health 0:41:52.170 --> 0:41:54.030 at the end of the day because our self- image 0:41:54.540 --> 0:41:57.750 is a huge part of our mental health. 0:41:59.550 --> 0:42:00.930 Yeah, absolutely. 0:42:01.140 --> 0:42:04.500 What have you learned through this journey about that and the 0:42:04.500 --> 0:42:07.770 role of the movement and the running for you in 0:42:08.520 --> 0:42:11.760 helping you, I guess, in a way reshape your image 0:42:11.760 --> 0:42:15.719 of yourself as a mom of twins in this case? 0:42:16.980 --> 0:42:20.040 Yeah. I think one of the first things I think 0:42:20.040 --> 0:42:23.009 about when you ask that question is, I don't know, 0:42:24.390 --> 0:42:26.968 you go on your Strava and you see your old 0:42:26.969 --> 0:42:31.770 running paces. I actually posted about this. I did that 0:42:32.460 --> 0:42:34.950 recently where it's like I couldn't help myself. I scrolled 0:42:34.950 --> 0:42:39.090 through it and I looked back at, I don't know, 0:42:40.469 --> 0:42:42.779 I think I had ran four miles that day. So, 0:42:42.780 --> 0:42:46.200 I looked at when I ran four miles in the 0:42:46.200 --> 0:42:48.960 past and it was like a 6: 30 mile and 0:42:48.960 --> 0:42:53.730 then I had just finished a 9: 30 mile and I 0:42:53.730 --> 0:43:00.930 was just like, I think in that moment we have 0:43:00.930 --> 0:43:05.730 a choice. In that moment you can be like, " Oh, 0:43:06.030 --> 0:43:08.520 I suck." Or you can look at that pace and 0:43:08.520 --> 0:43:11.760 be like, " Wow, what a badass. You did that." And 0:43:12.210 --> 0:43:15.629 cheer yourself on because you're like, " Wow." And it's amazing 0:43:15.630 --> 0:43:17.339 that I went through everything that I went through and 0:43:17.340 --> 0:43:21.150 I'm still here. And then remembering, okay, how did I 0:43:21.150 --> 0:43:26.340 get to that 6: 30 pace? Did I just magically 0:43:27.150 --> 0:43:29.640 start running that pace? And I know for some people, 0:43:29.640 --> 0:43:31.350 and by the way, for some people, that 6: 30 0:43:31.350 --> 0:43:35.670 pace is not fast. That is my version of fast 0:43:37.500 --> 0:43:42.989 and I didn't magically get there. I was a boxer 0:43:42.989 --> 0:43:45.690 before I was a Peloton instructor and so running was 0:43:45.690 --> 0:43:48.419 always part of my story. And then I always loved 0:43:48.420 --> 0:43:50.610 running, but I wasn't a fast runner by any means. 0:43:50.610 --> 0:43:53.940 It took me three years of running and working on 0:43:53.940 --> 0:43:57.330 my running and working on my paces to go from 0:43:57.330 --> 0:44:00.960 running around a 9: 30 mile for four miles to 0:44:00.960 --> 0:44:03.989 running those 6: 30 miles. I took a long time to get 0:44:03.989 --> 0:44:07.230 there and I had no babies back then. I had 0:44:07.230 --> 0:44:09.810 no babies back then. So, it's just putting it into 0:44:10.590 --> 0:44:14.910 perspective right there. And so rather than having to do 0:44:15.120 --> 0:44:18.870 crazy mental acrobatics, I mean, well, we always have to 0:44:18.870 --> 0:44:22.080 do mental acrobatics sometimes to just fake it till we 0:44:22.080 --> 0:44:24.210 make it kind of stuff and I'm all about that. 0:44:25.530 --> 0:44:28.860 But yeah, just putting it into perspective that way and 0:44:30.150 --> 0:44:35.129 understanding that since I know I've done it before, if 0:44:35.130 --> 0:44:37.590 I really wanted to, I could do that again. The 0:44:37.590 --> 0:44:43.110 question is, my goals might have shifted today to maybe 0:44:43.110 --> 0:44:48.360 that specific pace, it's not necessary, not today, but maybe 0:44:48.360 --> 0:44:50.310 it will be in the future. I've got a triathlon 0:44:50.700 --> 0:44:54.839 coming up in September and I'm shooting for a Half 0:44:54.840 --> 0:44:59.850 Iron Man towards the end of the year. So, I 0:44:59.850 --> 0:45:02.820 don't know. I think you have a choice. You could 0:45:02.820 --> 0:45:05.940 decide to knock yourself or you could decide to be 0:45:05.940 --> 0:45:09.510 proud of yourself and be inspired by it. So, when 0:45:09.510 --> 0:45:13.350 people are like, oh, I think again, there's this fine line. 0:45:15.540 --> 0:45:18.360 Someone said to me like, " Forget about that girl. She 0:45:18.360 --> 0:45:20.310 doesn't exist anymore." I'm like, " I don't ever want to 0:45:20.310 --> 0:45:25.529 forget about that girl. I'm proud of that girl." That girl, she 0:45:25.530 --> 0:45:29.130 worked really hard, but this girl right here is also 0:45:29.130 --> 0:45:32.850 working really hard and also deserves the flowers. But I 0:45:32.850 --> 0:45:37.560 don't think it benefits us to play small. We should 0:45:37.560 --> 0:45:39.600 still be like, " She was a badass." 0:45:39.989 --> 0:45:43.049 Yeah, I agree. And that comes really nicely around to 0:45:43.050 --> 0:45:48.630 you talking about, you've been saying this a lot at work and personally, 0:45:48.630 --> 0:45:52.140 the acceptance is not the same as complacency. So, you're 0:45:52.140 --> 0:45:57.509 encouraging people to instead of potentially giving up on where 0:45:57.510 --> 0:46:00.359 they are right now because it is not quite where 0:46:00.360 --> 0:46:03.750 they were or where they would like to be immediately 0:46:05.400 --> 0:46:09.360 accepting it and not just being like... So how has 0:46:09.360 --> 0:46:10.320 that helped you? 0:46:11.400 --> 0:46:17.250 Yeah. I mean, I think it's like a little bit of my mantra right now where it's like 0:46:18.090 --> 0:46:20.520 having grace is important, it's necessary, but grace has an 0:46:20.520 --> 0:46:26.520 equal complacency and you're absolutely right, Becs. You shouldn't quit 0:46:26.520 --> 0:46:29.969 something just because you're not where you were before. It's 0:46:29.969 --> 0:46:32.370 a horrible... And we keep talking about like you can't 0:46:32.370 --> 0:46:36.239 hate yourself into progress. If you are trying to run 0:46:36.239 --> 0:46:39.630 a faster pace and you're telling yourself you suck, you 0:46:39.630 --> 0:46:42.000 can't do it, you're so much less likely to do 0:46:42.000 --> 0:46:46.050 it. So, it's the same kind of idea. It's like, 0:46:46.050 --> 0:46:51.090 you got to tell yourself that whatever it is that you're shooting for, and 0:46:51.090 --> 0:46:53.489 I think it's important to have goals and aspirations, you 0:46:53.489 --> 0:46:54.960 got to tell yourself that you can. 0:46:56.790 --> 0:46:57.000 Yeah. 0:46:57.030 --> 0:46:57.060 100%. 0:46:58.890 --> 0:47:02.219 How do you do that on a hard day when you've had the 0:47:02.219 --> 0:47:05.219 twins waking up in the middle of the night, Torin 0:47:05.219 --> 0:47:09.270 is three and a half years old, like he's going through his 0:47:09.270 --> 0:47:15.509 own growth leaps right now as well. So how do 0:47:15.510 --> 0:47:22.500 you put those fatigue, tiredness, frustration aside and not just 0:47:22.500 --> 0:47:24.150 give up and not just be like, " I'm going to 0:47:24.150 --> 0:47:26.549 take a nap on the couch because I need one." 0:47:27.060 --> 0:47:31.050 Yeah. I think it's like the blind trust in the 0:47:31.050 --> 0:47:31.710 process. 0:47:33.600 --> 0:47:35.190 The decades in the industry. 0:47:35.460 --> 0:47:37.920 Yeah. It's the blind trust in the process. Yeah. And 0:47:37.920 --> 0:47:43.560 it's like training plans aren't training plans for nothing and 0:47:44.460 --> 0:47:50.280 we know and timelines might be different and that's the 0:47:50.280 --> 0:47:52.830 thing that I've had to really work on is that 0:47:54.270 --> 0:47:57.300 I might have a plateau or I might have to 0:47:57.300 --> 0:47:59.609 live somewhere a little bit longer than I did in 0:47:59.610 --> 0:48:05.310 the past. I might hit fatigue faster and that's just 0:48:05.310 --> 0:48:10.140 a data point, but just like blindly trusting the process. 0:48:10.140 --> 0:48:12.719 I think I talked about this, another thing I talked 0:48:12.719 --> 0:48:14.370 about on my social media today, talked about this stuff 0:48:14.370 --> 0:48:17.670 a lot, but I was talking about how I had 0:48:17.670 --> 0:48:21.000 felt, like my legs were lead and that I wasn't 0:48:21.000 --> 0:48:25.529 improving on both the endurance and power side of my 0:48:25.530 --> 0:48:32.040 running. I was hovering around this like 10K being the 0:48:32.040 --> 0:48:35.340 most that I... I couldn't really run past it without 0:48:35.340 --> 0:48:38.760 feeling really bad and I couldn't really move past a 0:48:38.760 --> 0:48:44.879 certain pace and it was like a little daunting, but I 0:48:44.880 --> 0:48:49.320 just, again, trusted the process, kept showing up even if 0:48:49.320 --> 0:48:55.109 they weren't the paces and the comfort that I was 0:48:55.110 --> 0:49:00.300 hoping to achieve. And then literally, just a few days 0:49:00.300 --> 0:49:02.910 ago or yeah, I don't know, like four days ago 0:49:02.910 --> 0:49:05.790 or so, I hit a PR that was literally almost 0:49:05.820 --> 0:49:09.960 10 minutes on my 10K. I went from running a 9: 0:49:11.219 --> 0:49:16.049 40 something mile on my 10K to an 8: 30. 0:49:16.860 --> 0:49:17.130 Wow. 0:49:17.130 --> 0:49:17.190 Wow. 0:49:18.630 --> 0:49:20.430 It just, boom. And so, it- 0:49:20.520 --> 0:49:25.350 The light switches sometimes. The body wakes up, something clicks. 0:49:25.350 --> 0:49:28.920 That plateau is the adaptation's happening and then bam, there 0:49:28.920 --> 0:49:28.921 you go. 0:49:28.921 --> 0:49:35.310 And then, bam. Exactly. And again, it's not like the 8:30 is the fastest I've ever run in my life or 0:49:35.310 --> 0:49:36.420 anything by any means. 0:49:36.420 --> 0:49:38.100 It's your postpartum PR. That should become a thing by 0:49:38.100 --> 0:49:38.400 the way. 0:49:38.489 --> 0:49:38.821 It's my postpartum PR. 0:49:38.821 --> 0:49:38.822 Yeah. 0:49:38.822 --> 0:49:42.841 And it was a huge massive PR too for a 10K. 0:49:42.841 --> 0:49:46.620 We should start using that language more when you think 0:49:46.620 --> 0:49:48.240 about it. What would that be? PPPR. 0:49:48.239 --> 0:49:48.241 PPPR. 0:49:48.240 --> 0:49:48.241 It's a great idea to start- 0:49:48.241 --> 0:49:50.040 Triple PR. 0:49:53.430 --> 0:49:57.330 Triple PR because I mean, it's real, right? It really 0:49:57.330 --> 0:50:02.250 is real and it gives women who've had kids something 0:50:02.250 --> 0:50:05.160 new to shoot for and not to your point, Selena, 0:50:06.300 --> 0:50:15.870 being a captive to your pre- partum self. I think it's a really interesting thought. I'm going to have a meeting about that at Road Runners. We're going to see if we can start 0:50:15.870 --> 0:50:17.609 working on that. I love that idea. 0:50:17.610 --> 0:50:21.270 Yes. And also, one more thing I wanted to share 0:50:21.270 --> 0:50:23.940 that is helpful. It's a little tip for anybody who 0:50:23.940 --> 0:50:29.219 is struggling with that, doing the mental acrobatics and not 0:50:30.360 --> 0:50:35.550 really getting bummed out about the pre- partum numbers. I 0:50:35.550 --> 0:50:40.680 like to think of that girl that really fast, Selena. 0:50:40.680 --> 0:50:43.230 I like to think of that girl as I'm not 0:50:43.230 --> 0:50:49.500 chasing her shadow, her shadow, she is my bestie. She 0:50:49.500 --> 0:50:53.430 is cheering me on. So, it's like that girl is 0:50:53.430 --> 0:50:55.799 so proud of the girl that I am today. And 0:50:55.800 --> 0:50:57.930 I think about that a lot. I'm like, would Selena 0:50:57.930 --> 0:51:03.090 back in 2020 or whatever, would she be knocking Selena 0:51:03.090 --> 0:51:06.870 today because she has an 8: 30 PR versus a 6: 0:51:06.900 --> 0:51:14.100 30? No, absolutely not. So yeah, she'd be celebrating. So, I 0:51:14.100 --> 0:51:15.780 like to think of that as my bestie shadow. 0:51:15.779 --> 0:51:21.900 And you know what? Postpartum Selena has something that prepartum Selena always wanted, I presume. 0:51:24.690 --> 0:51:26.130 Yeah, 100%. 0:51:26.130 --> 0:51:26.220 It's three children, right? 0:51:26.219 --> 0:51:26.221 100%. 0:51:26.220 --> 0:51:30.270 That is the beauty of it. It really is. Hey, what 0:51:30.270 --> 0:51:33.510 would you say, because I know we know there's moms 0:51:33.510 --> 0:51:36.300 out there listening to this. They may be on long 0:51:36.300 --> 0:51:39.570 runs training for something, or maybe they're just trying to 0:51:40.230 --> 0:51:42.870 get back into the swing of things, right? They're dealing 0:51:42.870 --> 0:51:46.950 with that postpartum run, maybe that first postpartum run. What 0:51:46.950 --> 0:51:50.730 would you say to them, even mid- pregnancy, wherever they 0:51:50.730 --> 0:51:54.989 are in their journey about how this can go for 0:51:54.989 --> 0:51:55.260 them? 0:51:57.450 --> 0:52:01.620 Yeah. I think I would lean on my current mantra 0:52:01.620 --> 0:52:05.520 where it's like, " Hey, this might not look exactly like 0:52:05.520 --> 0:52:11.100 what you want or what your ideal is. This might 0:52:11.100 --> 0:52:15.750 be that in between phase, but A, you're not alone 0:52:15.930 --> 0:52:20.100 so many other people experience it including your favorite athlete, 0:52:20.700 --> 0:52:24.989 including your favorite athlete. It's just obviously looks different because 0:52:24.989 --> 0:52:29.760 they're a professional athlete, but everybody experiences this." And I 0:52:29.760 --> 0:52:34.560 would just lean into that mantra where it's like celebrate 0:52:34.560 --> 0:52:38.219 what you did, it's amazing and give yourself that grace, 0:52:38.400 --> 0:52:42.780 but also lock in because... And lock in at the 0:52:42.780 --> 0:52:46.170 pace that you need it to be. Focus on what 0:52:46.170 --> 0:52:49.770 you can do in the moment. Focus on what that 0:52:49.770 --> 0:52:53.460 next... Focus on that. And that's what I mean by 0:52:53.460 --> 0:52:57.719 lock in. Not like lock in and you better get that PR 0:52:57.719 --> 0:52:58.950 from four years ago. 0:52:59.010 --> 0:53:02.461 Yeah. Focus on the now. Focus on right here. 0:53:02.461 --> 0:53:04.830 Focus on right here, what you have in front of you, because there is so 0:53:04.830 --> 0:53:07.530 much that you can work on right now. And I 0:53:07.530 --> 0:53:10.620 think that's exciting. It's exciting to be like, oh, cool. 0:53:11.370 --> 0:53:13.650 It's like almost like a new puzzle or something. 0:53:13.890 --> 0:53:13.891 Yeah. 0:53:13.891 --> 0:53:14.311 Yeah. 0:53:15.360 --> 0:53:15.810 Perfect. 0:53:15.810 --> 0:53:16.290 It's great. 0:53:16.320 --> 0:53:16.859 Perfectly said. 0:53:16.860 --> 0:53:21.090 Thank you so much, Selena. This is an amazing conversation 0:53:26.248 --> 0:53:26.250 for so many reasons. 0:53:26.249 --> 0:53:26.250 Rob's just struck. 0:53:26.250 --> 0:53:26.251 Yeah. 0:53:26.251 --> 0:53:26.252 He's "I have learned so much right now." 0:53:26.252 --> 0:53:29.160 For sure, for sure. No doubt about it. I mean, 0:53:29.160 --> 0:53:32.400 but even as a guy, I've got so many women 0:53:32.400 --> 0:53:34.560 in my life who've gone through this kind of thing 0:53:34.560 --> 0:53:37.770 and we've got so many of our members who are 0:53:37.770 --> 0:53:42.000 going through this. It's a huge storyline in the world 0:53:42.000 --> 0:53:48.000 of running. And your story is a great way to hear 0:53:48.000 --> 0:53:51.900 it, hear it personalized for someone who's pretty well known 0:53:51.900 --> 0:53:55.739 as an athlete and someone who's active and you've got 0:53:55.739 --> 0:53:57.239 a lot of people who look up to you in that 0:53:57.239 --> 0:54:00.780 world. So, Selena, it's been really great having this conversation. 0:54:00.810 --> 0:54:03.029 Thank you for sharing. You've shared a lot and you 0:54:03.029 --> 0:54:04.891 share a lot on your social... This is what you do. 0:54:04.891 --> 0:54:04.892 I'm an open book. 0:54:04.892 --> 0:54:08.760 Which is amazing. Really, it's great. 0:54:08.760 --> 0:54:12.750 Yeah. It truly helps everybody out there to see the 0:54:12.750 --> 0:54:15.509 real side of it because there's far too much curated 0:54:16.110 --> 0:54:18.570 goodness out there and we all need the goodness, but 0:54:19.410 --> 0:54:22.680 you definitely have, I know, helped. I see so many 0:54:22.680 --> 0:54:27.120 more twin mom hashtags on our Peloton leaderboard and it's 0:54:27.120 --> 0:54:30.960 wonderful to see the openness and the joy as well. 0:54:31.739 --> 0:54:35.340 Yeah. It's been really great to be back on Peloton. 0:54:35.340 --> 0:54:37.380 It's been great to be back running again. 0:54:37.380 --> 0:54:37.470 Yes. 0:54:39.150 --> 0:54:43.170 The joy of running, it's unlike anything else. 0:54:45.239 --> 0:54:45.361 Thank you so much. 0:54:45.361 --> 0:54:49.950 We're here cheering you on in your triathlons and Half Ironmans this year. 0:54:50.489 --> 0:54:50.671 Good luck. 0:54:50.671 --> 0:54:50.672 Thank you, Selena. 0:54:50.672 --> 0:54:52.111 Thank you. Thank you so much. 0:54:52.111 --> 0:54:56.219 Best to you. Best to your family. Appreciate it. New York Road Runners is a 0:54:56.219 --> 0:55:00.029 nonprofit organization with a vision to build healthier lives and 0:55:00.030 --> 0:55:04.200 stronger communities through the transformative power of running. The support 0:55:04.200 --> 0:55:07.140 of members and donors like you helps us achieve our 0:55:07.140 --> 0:55:10.770 mission to transform the health and wellbeing of our communities 0:55:11.010 --> 0:55:15.569 through inclusive and accessible running experiences, empowering all to achieve 0:55:15.570 --> 0:55:20.819 their potential. Learn more and contribute at nyrr. org/ donate. 0:55:21.210 --> 0:55:24.750 June is like a sneaky, sneaky, busy month at New 0:55:24.750 --> 0:55:28.649 York Runners. People think it's November and then the halfs that are 0:55:28.980 --> 0:55:31.890 busy times and of course they are, but we've got 0:55:31.890 --> 0:55:35.730 the MasterCard Mini 10K, the Citizens Queens 10K. We've got 0:55:36.000 --> 0:55:40.110 the Achilles Hope and Possibility, Four Miler, the Pride Four 0:55:40.110 --> 0:55:42.719 Miler. So much happens in June. 0:55:42.719 --> 0:55:42.960 So much fun. 0:55:43.440 --> 0:55:46.110 We're gearing up for a really busy and fun month 0:55:46.110 --> 0:55:48.900 of running. A lot of that will be in Central Park 0:55:48.900 --> 0:55:51.930 as well as in Queens in the month of June. 0:55:51.989 --> 0:55:54.509 Well, that does it for another episode of Set the 0:55:54.510 --> 0:55:59.010 Pace. What a great conversation, Becs, with your colleague, Selena 0:55:59.010 --> 0:56:02.549 Samuela. Hopefully one that a lot of people will hear 0:56:02.550 --> 0:56:04.770 and that folks can relate to. I know you can. 0:56:05.580 --> 0:56:08.070 Yeah, absolutely. And she is doing such a good job. 0:56:08.070 --> 0:56:10.080 Make sure you go and follow her on her Instagram. 0:56:10.080 --> 0:56:12.510 If you do want to know more about her journey 0:56:12.510 --> 0:56:15.150 or if, as Rob said, you are an aspiring mom 0:56:15.210 --> 0:56:18.930 or currently pregnant, especially if you are pregnant with twins. 0:56:19.560 --> 0:56:21.210 She is going to help you out a lot. 0:56:21.359 --> 0:56:24.029 All right. Well, that's it for today. If you like the 0:56:24.120 --> 0:56:26.550 episode, make sure you leave us a rating or a 0:56:26.550 --> 0:56:29.489 comment. We'll see you next week. Enjoy the miles.