By Michelle Broder Van Dyke
A five-time national champion, Alysia Montano, was ready for another race on Thursday. But this race would be just a little different, since the former University of California star was 34-weeks pregnant.
“I’ve been running throughout my pregnancy and I felt really, really good during the whole process,” Montano said after the qualifying heat.
She finished last, but the crowd at Hornet Stadium still gave her a standing ovation. The 28-year-old ran the race in 2 minutes, 32.13 seconds. This comes about 35 seconds slower than her personal best of 1:57.34, which she ran in 2010 in Monaco.
Montano has been running all her life, and said she consulted with her doctor about her plan to continue running during her pregnancy, who encouraged the idea.
“That took away any fear of what the outside world might think ab
out 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.”
Source: buzzfeed.com