Getting Epic PBs During Mat Leave with Chrissie Driver
I'm Chrissie, based in Cardiff and a proud member of She Runs Cardiff.
My running journey really began in 2019. After having my second baby, I started running as a way to lose weight and improve my fitness. Around the same time, I discovered Badass Mother Runners and was inspired by the incredible community of women supporting one another. If I had to sum up the club in a few words, it would be: amazing, supportive women.
That same year, I set myself a New Year's resolution to complete a half marathon. You can tell how long ago that was because the Cardiff Half Marathon wasn't even a ballot race then!
Technically, my first running event came much earlier. In 2010, I took part in a 5K around Wollaton Park in Nottingham for Anthony Nolan, dressed as Bumblebee from Transformers. It remains the hardest 35 minutes of my life.
Running hasn't always been straightforward. In 2023, I broke my wrist in June and my foot in September. Somehow, I still managed to run in between those injuries and complete the Barry Island 10K.
In 2024, shortly after completing the Chicago Marathon, I became pregnant. Running during pregnancy was one of the biggest challenges I've faced as a runner. I managed to complete a half marathon, two 10Ks and a 5K before eventually scaling things back to occasional parkruns.
One of my favourite running memories comes from my very first race in Cardiff. I kept hearing people shout "Badass!" as I ran past. It took me a while to realise they weren't making random comments—they were reading the name printed on my race shirt and cheering me on!
I've always had a healthy relationship with running. Sometimes I enjoy the solitude and my own company; other times I need the motivation and camaraderie of running with others. As a wife, mother and midwife, it's been wonderful to have something that's entirely my own.
Running has been especially important during motherhood. Sometimes it's been an outlet when I'm overstimulated and need a bit of headspace. Other times, it's simply been a practical way to get a baby to nap! Having the goal of the London Marathon gave me something positive to focus on postnatally and helped keep me motivated during those early months.
In many ways, maternity leave actually helped me become a better runner. I took my return to running slowly and didn't run at all until I was 12 weeks postpartum. When I did start again, I went right back to basics and completed Couch to 5K before gradually building my mileage. Without the demands of work, I had more time and energy to focus on training consistently.
For the first three months, before my baby was old enough for the running buggy, every run depended on my husband getting home from work. I spent most days wearing my running kit just in case an opportunity presented itself. Once the baby was big enough to come along in the buggy, running became much easier to fit into family life and gave us both a chance to get out and explore.
I'm especially grateful for what I've achieved during maternity leave. I've managed to beat all of my personal bests, including finally breaking the two-hour barrier in the half marathon—something that had eluded me for seven years.
That sub-two-hour half marathon is probably the achievement I'm proudest of. For years it felt just out of reach. I'd trained hard, raced hard and come close enough to know it was possible, but never quite managed it. To finally achieve it during maternity leave, after pregnancy and all the challenges that come with returning to running, made it feel even more special.
Looking ahead, I'd love to work towards a sub-four-hour marathon. That might be the point where I finally invest in a coach.
For the rest of 2026, I'll be taking on the Cardiff 10K in September and the Cardiff Half Marathon in October in support of Welsh Women's Aid. I also need to get myself signed up for MoRun.
Away from racing, I love reading about running. My favourite running books are Your Pace or Mine? by Lisa Jackson and Marathon Woman by Kathrine Switzer. My favourite running podcast is Run Your Mind—partly because I was lucky enough to be a guest on it recently.
You can follow my running adventures on Instagram @chrissie.runs and TikTok @chrissiedriver.