Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Teri's blog: The Pregnant Triathlete

Soooo... it's that time of year.  Time for goal setting.  2014 - what does it mean for me?  Well, there is something new coming into my life in early 2014 - a baby by the end of February.  

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! 



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