We all know that the pregnant body is absolutely amazing. But one expectant mother is showing the world just how amazing her pregnant body is, and, well, we're pretty blown away.
Makenna Myler (we'll get back to the irony of her name in a minute!) is nine months pregnant. While growing a baby alone is a TON of work on a mama-to-be's body, Makenna seems to still have a bit of energy left. So much, in fact, that she just ran a mile in 5 minutes and 25 seconds.
The expectant mother has a full-blown baby bump, but that didn't stop her from totally shredding her mile run. Now, if you don't know anything about running, anything under about eight minutes is considered pretty speedy. Under six minutes is lightning fast. So for a woman with a full-term baby in her belly to run a mile in under five and a half minutes, well, that's something for the record books!
We can't get over how fast this mom-to-be is! But she has many other adoring fans, too, including her husband, Mike, who can't get over her mile time, either.
Mike shared a video of his pregnant wife to TikTok, captioning it, "A Mile at 9 Months Pregnant." At present, the video has over 3.4 million views.
Quickly, the video went mega viral because, like us, people just couldn't believe how fast this mama was! I mean, running a mile in under six minutes is pretty incredible anytime. Running it that fast when nine months pregnant is almost unbelievable. Thank goodness there is video proof.
In the cute video, you can hear the dad-to-be's commentary. "It's a big belly," he says to the camera as she finishes her first lap. He also cheers her on, saying, "Let's go, Kenna. Nice and smooth."
Clearly, Makenna is an experienced runner. She's been running competitively since high school. Not only can you tell by the video that she has great form and looks very comfortable on the track, but she also would never be able to make that time if her body wasn't fully equipped to do it. While she's certainly working hard, she doesn't seem to be overexerting herself.
Of course, she's a bit winded at the end. Who wouldn't be? We're tired just watching the video! Still, it definitely seems like Makenna is knowledgeable enough about running, as well as her own body's abilities, to decide what fitness regimen is appropriate.
Mike explained to viewers that the couple had actually made a bet. He said he would pay her $100 if she could finish within eight minutes. Welp, she blew that one out of the water by several minutes. Go, girl!
It's super impressive that Makenna was able to pull off such a speedy mile. She opened up to Today about it. "Neither of us had any idea what to expect during a pregnancy," she shared. "We've always heard I'd just kind of shut down as I got further in. In month two, Mike was convinced running an 8-minute mile in my ninth month was a pipe dream, so when I bet him I'd run a 7-min mile, he put $100 dollars down, and gave me an extra minute."
While most people were totally floored by Makenna's mile, some people on the internet didn't appreciate seeing a super-pregnant woman running. Some comments scolded her for endangering her baby, though that's probably a bit of a stretch. According to Makenna, her doctors say she's totally fine to continue running throughout her pregnancy. "Both doctors I've worked with have been more than happy, and even encouraging with my regimen," she said.
Makenna says that her family, who always knew she was atheletic, was more blown away by the fact that the post went viral than anything else. "I think they were more impressed by the TikTok views," she said. "However, I think the mile put the entirety of my training into perspective for people close to me. I hope it inspires women, just as I was inspired by other pregnant athletes, to pursue goals in spite of what the status quo says we ought to pursue."
Makenna is definitely one tough mama, and it's truly inspirational to see her out there embracing the power of her pregnant body. While not everyone feels up to running, or even exercising at all while pregnant, it's a pretty incredible reminder that women's bodies are capable of so much.
It's also a reminder that women, pregnant or not, should get to make their own choices about what they do with their bodies. Typically, they're pretty good judges of what's best for them and their babies.
