Ah, the domestic life. Settling down, starting a family, trips to the store for diapers . . .

Running 90-100 miles a week.

Your usual, run-of-the-mill mommy stuff.

This much we know about runner Libbie Hickman: Motherhood hasn't stopped her. A world class competitor, she finished second in the Salt Lake 10K women's division, Wednesday, just eight months after giving birth to daughter Lindy. Her water broke earlier than expected last November, and doctors induced labor. To her dismay, it still took three days to deliver.

Suddenly the term "marathon" had a new application.

"I know if I can be in labor for three days, I can do anything," she said.

Hickman, from Fort Collins, Colo., is a three-time World Championship team member, as well as a 2000 Olympian in the 10K (she finished 16th). She has 10 national championships to her credit.

Endurance is her middle name.

Which can come in handy in both running and birthing.

There are actually a lot of similarities between childbirth and racing. Both take a lot of preparation. Both can produce moments when you think about quitting. In a long-distance race it's called "hitting the wall." In childbirth, it's called "transition."

Both induce a lot of sweating and grunting. Both make you wonder, at times, what you were thinking when you signed up.

And in both cases, the end result is worth the effort.

"Lindy is my No. 1 priority," she said.

Hickman's method of having a baby may not be endorsed by obstetricians everywhere, but it worked for her. Upon learning she and her husband, Walter, were expecting a child, she stopped racing during the 2001 season. But that didn't keep her from maintaining fitness. She ran every day during pregnancy and was even preparing to run the day she delivered, until she detoured to the hospital.

In the meantime, she had gained some 35 pounds.

Five weeks after delivering, she was back on the streets. She has already run three other competitive races so far this year, finishing fourth in the Freihofer's Run, eighth in the Peachtree 10K and third in the Big 7, a seven-mile championship race.

She ran neck-and-neck with winner Esther Kiplagat on Wednesday, but couldn't out-sprint her in the last 100 meters, finishing five seconds back.

"I do pride myself on my (finishing) kick," she said.

Since her baby's birth, she has concentrated on getting her endurance back. She won't be able to work on her speed for several months.

"Things are definitely different with a baby. She's my No. 1 priority, for sure, but to be able to be running at a decent level, a level that I'm happy with, is great."

She plans to compete in the 2004 Olympics in Greece. At 37, she knows she can still race at a highly competitive level for a few more years. But having a baby doesn't mean she is going to be content with finishing second.

"I'm glad I did so well, but it's the victory you want," she said.

Meanwhile, she now has another little runner who appears to be raring to go. Lindy was at the finish line on Wednesday, in her father's arms. Her mother finished the race and headed immediately for her daughter, giving her a sweaty kiss.

"She's definitely active," said Hickman. "She likes kicking and trying to walk already. It doesn't matter to me if she's a runner — whatever she wants to do. Knowing her background, she'll probably just end up following us around."

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