Very exciting times for my household. Tyson is excited. The kids (Ethan - 13, Jade - 10) are looking forward to it. Well, Ethan as much as he can as a teenager...
My last race was Deuces Wild Half Ironman Relay in June 2013. I raced the half marathon leg for my relay team. Pregnant, I found out later. With lots of celebratory wine afterwards. I felt really slow that day, and figured out why about a week later. This was about two months after Ironman Cabo and a month after LifetimeTri Leadman, which were both great race days for me. A broken thumb from a mountain biking spill in April kept me from racing/biking in May. Then, whamo... pregnant in June, a mere month into an effort to "give it a shot."
Pregnancy Training
I get asked often what type of training I'm doing while pregnant. I ran through about three months, but I then started to feel jiggly and weird, so I stopped running and started walking around 2-3 miles through my hilly neighborhood. Panting, mind you. Seriously! It was odd at first, but my daily walks were treating me right.
My doctor told me I could bike, but "just don't fall." After a broken arm in 2011 and a broken thumb in April, both from bike incidents, I decided it was a risk not worth taking, so I hung the bike for the rest of 2013.
Swimming? This is a great opportunity to be working on my swimming. Am I? Don't ask.....
Short answer - I've done quite a bit of walking and some hiking, but not much else. I have tried to stay true to my healthy eating habits, but I must admit the Christmas season hasn't helped with sweets all around me. Luckily, I'm not that much of a sweets gal...
2014 Goals
So, what's up for 2014? First, I'd like to focus on having a healthy baby, and having a pregnancy that doesn't involve too many knives and stitches, for lack of a better description. I've hired a doula to guide the process to make this the best experience for my body. I would HIGHLY encourage the education and guidance of a doula if it's in the cards for other moms.
Then, work... I plan on getting back to my work as soon as I feel that I can take it back on - part-time at first, and full-time soon after.
Then, my health and training. I love running and biking. I can see myself walking and jogging as soon as the body will allow it. I expect this will help me with my mental and physical recovery.
I have been told I won't be on a bike for at least a solid month, depending on what happens during birth :). We'll see on that one, but the bike has been calling to me recently, as I watch the gorgeous afternoon sunshine we've had. Trust me - I'll be on the bike as soon as feasible.
I have lofty goals (shocker, I know) that include some racing in 2014, especially in late 2014. But I'm not willing to set specifics until we see how February goes.
Being a Fan
It's been interesting to be a fan the second half of 2013. I don't typically behave well as a fan, but I've had a pretty fun time with it this year. Maybe because I have a pretty good excuse not to be racing!
I got to watch Tyson train for and race IMAZ in 2013, setting a PR by almost an HOUR! And, volunteering in the ONE Mutisport tent was awesome. I love watching an Ironman. I have truly enjoyed watching races from the sidelines - understanding what it takes to be a volunteer, and being able to share cheering sections for athletes - from the other side of the table. I have learned some things that I'll carry with me when I start racing again.
The Last 60 Days
I'm down to the last 60 days of pregnancy, and I'm planning to try to stay in tune with my body, not over-gain (or under-gain!), but be healthy throughout the end of the pregnancy.
It's been pretty fun (yes, I said that) to be pregnant. It's treated me pretty well these last 6 months.
Stay tuned, my friends!
