Laura Lohr recently ran her first marathon, and she thought that running the marathon was tougher than giving birth. She first compares the process of training for and then running a marathon to having a child:

When you cross the finish line after all the labor your body has prepared months for, it is an incredible experience. You forget all the pain you felt running the race as you cross the finish line and look into the eyes of victory. I did the impossible; I ran a marathon. It really was similar to the moment of joy and elation I had when I first held Allison and looked in her eyes. Something you cannot describe. The tears and emotions would not stop.

I had a c-section and I have to say that giving birth was a thousand and one times easier than running a marathon. Mostly because of the prescription medication they give you after child birth. I am taking Tylenol 8 Hour and really, they are not enough.

Having never given birth and having no prospects of ever giving birth, I just can’t imagine the marathon being tougher. I can see where she is coming from with her comparison of having to spend a good chunk of the year training and that you have to make a lot of sacrifices for a marathon, but the end results are very different. The marathon is a very in the moment thing. You can reflect on past marathons, but once it is over and you have recovered you move on to the next one. Having a child is anything but a momentary experience.

Maybe I think this way because I am a man and do not have any children yet. It is just a little hard for me to draw the comparison. It was still fun to read Laura’s article, though. She wrote up her marathon race report a few hours after, if you are interested in reading that.