New Partner SolRX Sport Sunscreen

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I am excited to partner with SolRX Sport Sunscreen.  I am out in the sun a lot and have used many sunscreens over the year.

This is truly the best there is. It is allows me to sweat and stays on for 8hours.  Perfect for those hot and sunny training days!

Use my discount code: Haskins when checking out and Save 10%. 

Winter-Spring Blog 2019

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The past few years, I have saved up my blog posts for plane rides, because it seems to be the best (and only) time for me to reflect and write.  I am headed back from St. Anthony’s and thrilled to accomplish my goal of attaining my 8th win.  What did the past few months look like towards achieving that goal?  My road was quite curvy, but fortunately it did end up straightening out.  And you know what?  I have realized over the years that the weeks leading into a race are never perfect, but that doesn’t mean a race goal is not attainable. 

I finished my last race of 2018 in December, so I didn’t want to start my 2019 season too early and I figured St. Anthony’s would be a perfect race to start off the season.  When I got back into training mid January after a break, I quickly remembered how three weeks off of swimming makes you feel like cement for three consecutive weeks in the water.  Most of my training is solo these days and that works the best with balancing Nate’s work, the kids schedules, family activities, etc.  The past few years I have told Nate that I want him to focus on what he wants to do for a career outside of my career.  Yes, I miss having a training partner for most of my sessions, but I decided that I did not want my triathlon to hold him back from what he wants to do.  My triathlon is important, but it’s not any more important than Nate’s work, his personal racing goals, the kid’s activities, family trips, etc.  I know I won’t be racing forever and I wanted my racing to have more a overall balanced approach within the family. 

The winter in the midwest this year was wet and cold. We had more snow and ice than normal, so that meant a lot of treadmill running.  I expect to be on the bike trainer all winter, but I realized that doing all my training sessions indoors really wears on me mentally.  I also missed the sun.  Three weeks at a time without seeing any drop of sunshine is tough.  Last winter I recall being able to run outside at least 2x/week, but this year I only averaged one or two runs outside per month. There were many days that it was very mentally challenging to get in the work, but I knew I had a race later that spring and needed to get it done.  I always felt better after the session as well, it was just the starting out part the was the toughest. 

Sometime at the end of January, I started to feel really drained.  I had a bad cold and just seemed like I couldn’t shake the fatigue. I felt ok during workouts, but outside of workouts I felt exhausted.  I would crash every night early after my daughter went to bed (usually by 8:30) and I would have off and on dizzy spells, headaches and bouts of nausea.   I wasn’t sure if it was a sinus infection or an iron deficiency or Vit. D deficiency or just fatigue?  I knew that I needed to do a better job with my diet.  Nate was working many evenings and so I was making dinner for the kids and sometimes would eat their leftovers and cheerios/milk/banana/peanut butter for dinner.   Caroline gets off the bus from Kindergarten at 4:10pm and then a couple of nights a week she has activities (gymnastics/swim lessons/religion class) that start by 5pm, so it’s a mini race for me those nights, (especially the nights Nate is working) and I am trying to get the kids where they need to be and fed in time.  So more often than I should, I was making not the best nutritional choices.   However, I began consciously trying to eat more meat and veggies to see if that was making me feel better.  To all the Mama’s out there, I know we tend to put caring for others above our needs, but don’t forget to neglect what you need to be healthy.  I am trying to remind myself this and be more prepared for better nutritional choices.  I also decided to get a blood test done to check for low iron, but in the meantime, I figured I needed to up my vitamins.  Last winter, I didn’t anticipate that Connor would still be nursing (although he only nurses once or twice a day), I stopped taking my prenatal for several months.   I realized I could also be depleted in key vitamins since he was still nursing, so I started back on my prenatal as well.   Any tips on how to wean my now two year old is appreciated??!! Much, much harder than I ever anticipated!

We had a Florida vacation planned over Caroline’s spring break that I was really looking forward to.  This vacation was a great mental recharge for me.  Ten years ago, I would have thought taking a vacation in March just before race season would be the worst decision ever, but not at this stage in my career.  I realize now, that life and training need to have that balance.  Being in the sunshine and enjoying time at the beach and Disney with the family nourished my soul.  I was also starting to feel better.  No more headaches and dizzy spells.  Most of my workouts in Florida involved carrying around my 30 pound son for eight hours at Disney. He didn’t want to sit in his stroller and it’s best not to have a child screaming at Disney, so I carried him.  I think I got in all my strength training for the month of March during those three days at Disney.  

When I returned back to Missouri after our Florida trip, the weather was warming up and I was feeling much better.  I got in some great training sessions outside and realized how much fun training can be with some company and some fresh air.  I was motivated to be ready for my race approaching.  Unfortunately, the day after we got back from Florida,  I went on a mountain bike ride (which is not really mountain biking…just on smooth gravel).  There was a rain storm the day before and a log was in the trail.  I went over too slowly and toppled over on the other side in soft mud.  I was wearing road cleats that were cranked way too tight and my calf couldn’t unclip and twisted funny.  This lead to a strain in my run off the bike and I couldn’t run for two weeks (when I knew I needed to be getting in my key training for St. As).  I just tried to stay positive and not worry about it.  The good thing about having two kids who keep you busy, is that you can’t get too down about an injury because they take your mind off of it most hours of the day.  And they also put things in perspective, it’s just a little injury.  Fortunately, it healed in time for the race.

In my St. Anthony’s race report, I mentioned how I appreciate each win more than the last and that this past win, “is as much my families win as it is mine.”  Juggling motherhood, being a professional triathlete, and self coaching is a balancing act that I don’t think I could have undertaken without the years of experience I have had in the sport and the support and life lessons from my own Mother. Thanks to all the mother’s out there who inspire me and especially my own Mom who has taught me the most important life lessons of all; to love deeply, have unwavering dedication and a deep respect for yourself and others.   For anyone reading this blog, I hope you can learn through a part of my thoughts and my experiences as I navigate through racing, training and motherhood.  Often on social media, it’s just a smiling picture, but it can’t really portray the life behind the photo!

Ironman Cozumel Update

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Unfortunately, life got in the way the week leading into Ironman Cozumel.  I started feeling run down the Sunday prior to the race.  I felt tired and a little sneezy.  I figured it was just a cold and and I wasn’t worried as I knew I would be better by race day.  The cold got a little worse on Monday and Tuesday prior to the race.  I was also fatigued.  Although I was in taper time, very short workouts felt like a struggle.  My lungs were starting to hurt and I was finding it difficult to breathe.  The morning we were supposed to leave for travel, St. Louis had a rare November snowstorm and Caroline had a snow day.  In the mist of trying to figure out how to get the kids to Grandma’s in the snow storm, make it to the airport on time and battle this virus; Nate and I made a very difficult decision to stay home.  Nate did not feel that my body was well enough to handle an Iron distance.  He didn’t want me to get even more sick and risk my health.  Ultimately, it was my decision as I know my body best and I listened to my inner voice (which is tempting to ignore) and decided to stay home.

I was disappointed not to be able to race, but I didn’t dwell on it.  Caroline had a snow day and had a blast in the snow.  Caroline and Nate made an Olaf snowman and Connor and Caroline went sledding.  I remember back in 2011 I was unable to race at the London WTS race due to a calf strain the week before the race. I remember bawling in bed for a couple hours and just being devastated for a few days.   One of the many blessings that my children bring me is life balance and putting things in perspective.

My lungs started to improve each day and I was glad to get a few projects completed around the house that take a back seat during race season.  My racing season began back in April, so this has been a long haul so far for 2018.  The one aspect that stung about not racing was all the hours of training that I would not be able to put towards a start line.  A few days ago, I talked with Nate about doing Challenge Daytona.   It’s a race that’s close to home and in an awesome location.  How cool would it be to start and finish a race on a race track?  I decided to get in a few training sessions to test out my body to see if I would be able to handle one final training push before the close of the 2018 season.  I also wanted to see how my body recovered from last weeks illness.  I have never raced in December before, so this is something new for me, but I am really motivated to get on the start line after a race cancellation in September, a crash in October and an illness in November!  I am excited to make this race happen in December!

Happy Thanksgiving and I wish you all a very wonderful holiday.

2018 Update

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2018 Season Update

It’s been a long time since I have written a blog. I have been wanting to write a blog, but free time to sit and write has not been available the better part of the last six months.
My 2017 season was short and sweet. I finished with an Olympic distance race in September and knew that my body would not be ready to race a 70.3 distance in October. Connor was also not taking bottle, so that meant racing a longer distance race was impossible.

It was a blessing that my season did end in September because my amazing infant sleeper went through the four month sleep regression and never seemed to get out of it! We did not experience a sleep regression with Caroline, so this was new for us. Last fall/winter was tough because Connor was waking up usually every 2 hours and although I was in bed for roughly ten hours, I woke up exhausted every morning. Caroline was in preschool 2x a week, so napping during the day was not an option either. Around 5-6 months, Connor was also getting fussy at the gym so my two hour time slot at the gym usually turned into maybe a 45 minute workout. Fortunately, it was the off-season, but mentally I was thinking in my mind how am I going to do this? Race? Train?

Around mid December, my husband realized that I needed help during the night so we started breaking up the night being on “Connor duty”. I was with Connor from 8-3AM and Nate had Connor from 3-6:30AM. Although I would still be up three or four times per night, as long as I had a three or four hour stretch of solid sleep, I felt so much better. This change gave me the ability to start actually training again.
Currently Connor is still waking frequently, but with cold season on it’s way out, I can tell his sleeping is improving. Some of his night wakings were related to back to back colds and he had two months of stuffy noses, coughing and a few nights of fevers. With little babies loving to put everything in their mouths, all the babies at the gym drop off were all sharing colds! He also has a tough time self settling, so hopefully he will get the hang of it once he is a little older. I am trying to keep him on a more regular schedule with meals and napping, so hopefully that will be another factor towards improving his sleep. With frequently wakings, I usually try to go to sleep the same time as my kids, so that when I get woken up at 10:30 or 11:00pm, I have at least had a block of two hours of sleep verses having just fallen asleep. That has helped me a lot with training, but definitely doesn’t leave much time in the day for much else…!

For the most part, I feel like I am getting back into a training groove. I have been training solo and have been coaching myself, but I am actually enjoying it most of the time. I usually do around 2-3 hours of training a day with one day off per week. My Dad is training for a half marathon, so he has been running on the treadmill while I have been cycling on the trainer. It’s nice to have a little company a few times per week and we are watching the series, “The Americans” together while we train. Nate has been coaching a high school girls team and hasn’t been making it to the gym with me, but by March he will be able to join me for a couple of workouts a week. What I enjoy about coaching myself at the moment is that I can dictate workouts based on how I am feeling on the day or even during the workout. I have so many external factors that influence my day to day activities and energy levels, so I feel it is beneficial for me not to have a plan written out in advance. I have a general plan the day before about whether I will swim/bike or run and then I will construct my workout during my warm-up. A few workouts I have felt surprisingly better than expected, so I will then add additional bike or run intervals to my workouts. There have also been days where I have felt really run down, so I back off and really listen to my body. Of course there are those days where I have a sick child who has been up at night or needs extra cuddles during the day, so that will throw a curve in my training for the day. I am also trying to stick to a plan of running only every other day and keeping my mileage fairly low at this point (usually only 20-25 miles/week). I don’t want to encounter a stress reaction or fracture while breastfeeding (I experienced this when Caroline was 11 months). Training and nursing has been easier over the winter months verses race season. I remember trying to keep up with hydration while breastfeeding in the summer months was tough, but it doesn’t seem to be nearly as difficult in the winter.

Life has been busy but so rewarding. It’s such a joy watching Connor grow each day and seeing Caroline grow into a big sister role has been great. I can’t wait until spring/summer when the kids will join me back on the race course and we will all recover at the pool.

I am excited for the 2018 season to get underway. My first race back will be in April, which I know will be here soon enough! I am pleased with how my fitness has been progressing and I always love to get out on the race course and push myself! Thank you to my partners for the 2018 season:
BlueSeventy
ISM Seats
Groove Life
Mission Athlete
Sram Road/Zipp/ Quarq
Performance Bicycles/Fuji
Rudy Project
TriFlare

12 Days of Christmas 2017

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12 Days of Christmas Special

December is here and with that brings holiday cheer! I want to honor all of my sponsors and partners who have supported and thank them with some great Christmas Cheer!  Beginning on December 11th and ending on December 22nd, I will have a prize awarded each day on my Facebook page (Sarah Haskins Triathlete Page). All that is required for the contest is to like my page and look for a post each day that will feature the Christmas gift. How to win the prize each day is simple; the first person to like and comment on the post will be awarded the prize! Stay tuned and Happy Holidays!
Thank you to my partners and supporters over this 2017 year. I will provide free shipping to those who live in the lower 48!

Dec. 11th Blue Seventy
Dec. 12th Fuji Bikes
Dec. 13th Groove Life
Dec. 14th ISM
Dec. 15th Mission Athlete
Dec. 16th Rudy Project
Dec. 17th Skechers Performance
Dec. 18th Sampson
Dec. 19th SRAM
Dec. 20th TriFlare
Dec. 21st Zipp
Dec. 22nd Performance Bicycle

 

Scavenger hunt!!!

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At my upcoming races this fall I will be doing a scavenger hunt for some awesome gear. You will need to find one of the three stars: green, yellow, or blue to win a prize.  I will be hiding these stars around the cities where the races are taking place.  I will be posting clues on twitter to find them.  Find a star and present it to me for some awesome gear.   1 coin equals 1 prize.    Be sure to follow me on Twitter @sarahhaskinstri for your chance to find a star and win a prize!

The first race will be Escape to Des Moines Triathlon. I will be giving away gear from Groove Life, a his and hers ring set, Blue Seventy goggles with swim cap, and Glukos Energy Powder.

The second race will be the Nations Triathlon in Washington DC: I will be giving away an ISM saddle, Mission Athlete Gear, and Rudy Project Sun Glasses.

The third race will be the Escape Lake Geneva Triathlon Race. I will be giving away Zipp Bar Tape with Zipp Visor, and a pair of Skechers Running shoes, and Rudy Project Boost 01 Helemt.

 

The fourth race will be the Ironman Miami 70.3. I will be giving away:
Triflare Sarah Haskins Bikini, Fuji bikes T-shirt, and a SRAM PC1170 11 speed Chain

Three and a Half Months In….

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Time for writing a blog has become very scarce these days; however, this afternoon Connor happens to be taking a longer nap and Caroline went to the waterpark with her cousins.  Being a family of four adds so much joy.  It’s fun having a baby again in the house and it’s a wonderful gift for Caroline to have a sibling (although it may have taken her a couple of months to adjust to being a big sister).

What has my training schedule looked like the past couple of months?

Connor is now old enough to be in the infant room at the gym for two hours, so that allows some additional flexibility in getting in training at the gym and a possible swim workout with Nate.  Training solo most of the time is tough, so it is nice to have that time to train with him.

 

I am finally starting to feel like my body is returning back to it’s normal self (with the exception of making milk).  After my second pregnancy, it felt like my uterus took longer to shrink back to normal.  As I mentioned in the previous blog when I started back up with running at five weeks, I felt terrible.  My core felt very loose and I felt disconnected.  Over the next few weeks, I started to feel better.  However, at the beginning of July, I twisted my back funny and had to take three weeks off running.   The course of getting back in shape has been slightly bumpy, but I am always navigating uncharted territory and learning along the way.  This time around when I resumed running a few of weeks ago, my core and hip strength felt much better than when I started five weeks postpartum. I am slowly easing back into mileage; however, I do have a race in less than three weeks!   With that thought in the back of my head; I have to have a different mindset for my first race back and I look at it as more of a stepping stone.  I know that I won’t  be back to 100% race fitness until the end of the year (or whenever that time arrives?!)  I have been able to consistently swim and cycle now for about two months and I feel that my fitness is improving well in all three disciplines.  I have not had as much time yet in the running discipline (I have only been running for about two of the last six months), but it is great to see progress each week.

So what does a typical training day look like?

Connor has been sleeping great the past month and both him and his sister go to bed around 9PM.  I try to go to sleep shortly after the kids as I am exhausted by the end of the day!  Connor sometimes wakes up around 5:30-5:45AM, but some mornings he sleeps until 7 or 7:30AM!  It helps that he is 18 pounds and can handle more milk at once.  Once the kids are up, fed and dressed; we usually head to the gym around 8:30AM.  I usually get in a swim/strength session from 9-11AM and then we have lunch and play at the pool for a few hours.  After we get home and unwind for a bit, Dad (Nate) or Grandma (my Mom) help to watch Caroline and Connor for an hour or two in the afternoon while I do a ride or a run.  After that it’s playing at the park or swimming at the neighborhood pool until dinner, bath, watching part of a Disney movie, bed time snack, book reading in bed, and nursing the baby….and then time for me to shower and sleep!

Twice a week, my Mom watches the kids so that I can ride outside for my quality rides.  The past few months have really been a balancing and juggling act trying to fit it all in, but the reality is that it can be done.  Flexibility helps in navigating workouts and I often create my workouts minutes before doing them depending on how I feel at that moment and how much time I have to get in my training before my baby will be hungry.  As Connor gets older, I will have a little more structure in my training.

How am I progressing my running with a race in a few weeks?

After Caroline, I focused on core strength.  I began doing a Pilates class 2x a week.  I found this has really helped me after both pregnancies and has helped me get back to running with more of a solid foundation.  I am again focusing on treating Pilates class with as much importance as a swim, bike or run workout.

In addition, all my easy runs are uphill on the treadmill.  I have found that running hard on the treadmill has been too much risk for injury as my joints and ligaments are not ready and it’s too much risk to be pushed too soon.  While running outside, I typically try to run at a moderate pace, focusing on good mechanics, with 1k-2 mile stretches with 1-2 min walks between.  I feel like I get much more out of this style of running verses running long and slow.  When I run slow, I feel like my mechanics and form are worse, so I am trying to keep workouts as efficient and effective as possible.  I am saving my slow, easy runs for the treadmill (usually 3-7% grade at 6.5-7mph).  The uphill running on the treadmill, also forces me to activate my glutes.

Why am I racing four months after giving birth?

I always wanted to have another baby after Caroline.  I knew that I wanted more than one child, but I also wanted to try to not take a full year off of work and instead have two partial years of work.  Last year, I worked (raced) until July and this year I will be able to work (race) for the last quarter of the year.  With that being said, I love racing and knowing that I have an upcoming race approaching excites me and motives me in my training.  As I mentioned earlier, I am not expecting to be at 100% fitness, but I am using each race as a great way to gain fitness and race before the winter off- season approaches.

Just a Few More Weeks…

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I am officially considered early term at 37 weeks along in my pregnancy! Our family of three will soon become a family of four.  The last couple of weeks I have begun to feel anxious because of the unknown date the little guy will decide to arrive.  Caroline was eight days past her due date and I remember those eight days feeling like an entire month!  Only time will tell if he decides to arrive early or late.

Thank you for your questions and interests in my pregnancy and training.  Every pregnancy is unique and I can tell differences between my two.

What are some of the major differences between your first pregnancy and second in regards to how you felt?

My first pregnancy was a brand new experience, so I didn’t have anything to compare it to.  I only had the internet and fellow mothers who could give me insight to how they had felt.  Most of my differences were felt in the first trimester and my differences could have been felt because I was carrying a different gender with each pregnancy.  With my daughter; I felt more emotional and had more food aversions (verses food cravings).  With my daughter during the first trimester the thought of eating raw vegetables and chocolate were not appetizing…which is very different from my normal diet.  I would have nausea, but mostly during the evening and sometimes I could only stomach a few bits of dinner.  During this pregnancy with my son, I had more food cravings.  I craved meat and salt and eating raw veggies was never a problem.  I still had periods of nausea but it was not as intense as with my daughter.  I did lose my breakfast three times and this never happened with my daughter!  Interestingly, women do increase their protein intake while pregnant with boys.  It’s amazing how the body will tell you what it needs!  I was exhausted the first trimester with both pregnancies.  Both pregnancies I ate more dairy (milk, yogurt and cheese) during the second and third trimester.

Was your training different with your first and second pregnancy?

My first pregnancy was a huge learning curve.  Around nine weeks I quickly learned how much I had to back off on training due to fatigue and an increase in my heart rate.  With my second pregnancy, it was nice knowing what to expect and what my limit was with training.  During my first pregnancy, I limited my training 90min-2 hours a day of exercise and first trimester I was able work out about six days a week.  During the second and third trimester, I felt like I had to energy to work out around 60min -90 min daily and don’t remember taking a day off (unless I was ill or traveling).  I had to stop running around 6 months due to round ligament pain and from then on switched to the elliptical.

With my second pregnancy, my training has backed off slightly more than with my first.  Most of this is due to having another child and all the joy and responsibilities that go along with that!  I typically have been working out 5-6 days a week throughout my pregnancy and it’s been more in the 60-90 minute range.  I had to cut back on my running mileage sooner (around 20 weeks, I had to limit my runs to three miles at the time due to some off and on hip ligament pain).  I did notice that I was able to run longer into my pregnancy (I could run through the seventh month), but mostly uphill and only for about 20 minutes at a time.  During my second pregnancy, my stomach grew much faster (those muscles do have memory and stretch more quickly the second time).  I feel that this boy will also be bigger than Caroline, but it has not held me back from being active….although at times slightly uncomfortable.  If I feel uncomfortable, it’s usually after a long day of walking around the zoo or theme park.  During both pregnancies I have used a Medela pregnancy band which has really helped support my belly.  This pregnancy I have also been more uncomfortable cycling.  I have had to sit almost completely upright on the trainer.  I believe this is due to his position possibly being higher and/or bigger in size as the pregnancy has progressed.  I carried my daughter very low and this made cycling more comfortable…but running less comfortable.  I have discovered the stair stepper at the gym as a great workout because I can attain some leg strength while being upright.  With both pregnancies I have really learned to listen to my body and do what feels good.  I try not to push anything beyond the aerobic zone and stop if I feel any type of pain.

What is your training nutrition like during pregnancy?

Because my training volume has decreased, my sports nutrition has decreased as well.  Gels are not needed during my workouts, but I still use a carbohydrate electrolyte drink to help me have more energy during my exercise.  Primarily during the first trimester, I noticed that my blood sugar would drop very quickly during workouts.  I use GLUKOS energy drink to help combat the drop in blood sugar and fatigue during first trimester.  During the third trimester I felt it is easier to eat smaller meals more frequently throughout the day to combat with the baby squashing the stomach, avoid the feeling of being uncomfortably “full” and combat some heartburn.  After workouts, if it was going to be some time before I was able to get in a meal, I eat a GLUKOS whey protein bar.  Throughout my pregnancy, I feel that it’s important to focus on my protein intake, as well as eating plenty of nutrient dense foods.  Nate would make me a GLUKOS Whey Protein smoothie with spinach, carrots, blueberries, banana, coconut milk, peanut butter, and flaxseed. This was a very nutrient dense meal. 

How difficult was it to get back into training after your first pregnancy? 

Physically it was much easier than I expected (but still hard) to get back into training after having my daughter.  Mentally, it was very challenging however; as it was tough to leave her, plan nursing breaks and get into a routine.  First time around I was so excited to get back to race fitness, I believe I ramped up my training a little too quickly.  I started swimming and cycling on the trainer two-three weeks after she was born and I began running about four weeks after she was born.  There is a bit of trauma that occurs post birth and I feel it’s important to let that soft tissue heal before doing much exercise.  Looking back, I started running way too soon for me.  I ended up having a few set backs with running six weeks in and then had to wait until eight weeks post birth to resume running.  I don’t know yet this time around how my body will feel, but I know I will do a better job of being patient and listening to my body.  I also realized last time there was no way possible to start training verses exercising until I was sleeping seven to eight hours per night.  Fortunately, Caroline started sleeping well around ten weeks, so I was able to ramp up my training around that time.  With this second baby, I won’t start more intense training until he starts sleeping well and/or with just one wake up per night.  Having a three year old child with a newborn will also present more fatigue, so I will have to adjust and monitor my training this time around.

How should you approach training after delivery without risk of injury?

I recommend to ease back into training slowly and listen to your body.  If you feel really fatigued, take an active recovery or rest day regardless of what your training plan says to do (if you are following a plan).  One lesson I had to learn was not to be regimented in a specific training plan.  This enabled me to have more flexibility and hit my key training sessions when my body was ready to respond and absorb.

I believe it’s important to focus on strength training, especially your core and hips post birth.  Understand that your ligaments continue to be looser up to a year after birth (especially if you are nursing).  My pelvic floor was often sore after a long run up to six-seven months post birth, so I believe it’s also important to work on strengthening your pelvic floor as well.

About 11 months after I gave birth to Caroline I had a sacral insufficiency stress fracture.  In all my 20 years of running prior to this point, I had never suffered a bone injury.  After the injury, I learned that this is a risk factor with nursing while training/racing.  Your body is losing many more nutrients due to milk production and many women (like myself) do not have a cycle while nursing, so you don’t have the estrogen surges needed to help build strong bones.  What can I do next time around?  I still want to continue nursing as it is best for the baby, but will have to be aware the risks and what to do moving forward.  1) Increase amount of Vitamin D and calcium/magnesium  2) Try running every other day or decrease running volume until I am finished with nursing  3) My daughter loved nursing and I overproduced milk so at 11 months she was nursing four to five times per day, which is more than recommended.  I did not realize this at the time, but looking back I could have been incorporating more food into her diet around nine-ten months and decreased the number of feedings.

What do you believe will be the biggest challenge with being a professional triathlete and mom of two?

Having the mental energy required to be Mom and having enough mental/physical energy for my workouts.  When I had my daughter, I was worried sick when she had here first cold at six weeks old and still worry about her.  It’s just part of being a parent!  I think it’s important to recognize how much energy is expanded whether it’s physical or mental with being a parent and take that into account with your training.

My daughter has been very attached to me lately.  I think she senses the new baby coming and hearing others say that Mom is going to be busy when the new baby arrives.  In addition, we have gotten to spend lots of time together during my pregnancy.  It’s hard to imagine dividing your heart for the second child, but as I have heard your heart doesn’t divide for the second baby, it simply grows twice in size.

This time around, I need to be reminded more than ever to take my training a day at a time and if I start to feel overwhelmed to simply take a moment and to relax and breathe.  It will also be very important to be flexible and not get stressed if I have to adjust a workout or two.  Prior to having kids, worrying about getting sick was a big stressor because I could miss out on a huge race I had been training for, etc.   With kids around, sickness will happen, but I have learned it’s even worse to stress about it.  Also, backing down on some training sessions to avoid an illness lurking is much better in the long run verses pushing through a hard workout.

After my second, I am sure I will learn much more about time management and balancing work and motherhood.  The key will be to find that balance and it’s ok if it takes some time to figure it all out.

 

 

 

The Home Stretch of Pregnancy Training

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As I enter into the 28th week of my pregnancy, it’s hard to believe I am officially in my third trimester.  It’s hard to believe that in just a few short months, our lives will be forever changed with our baby boy entering this world!  It’s very exciting, but also daunting to think about all the changes ahead.

The second trimester had some ups and downs with my training.  I was still fortunate to be able to get in fairly consistent training, but I had a couple back to back bad colds that left me feeling drained and fatigued for a few weeks.  With the holiday travel and parties, it seems that this time of year, we are more likely to pick up bugs…especially with toddlers in tow.  Pregnancy also lowers your immune system in order to protect your growing baby, so when I do get a cold it seems to linger a bit longer than normal.  While recovering from colds, I still try and get a short workout in (as long as I don’t feel too tired) as I feel better moving the body; both physically and mentally.  Another change for me is getting used to a real “winter”!   The last four years, I have been spoiled by Florida winters, so I am getting used to more indoor training!

Around 19 weeks, I started cutting back my run volume.  I noticed that if I ran longer than 20 or 30 minutes at a time, I put myself at risk to have sore joints (mostly my hips).  I now run several times a week on the treadmill at an incline.  To keep my mind occupied, I start the incline at 3.5% grade and go up .5% incline every five minutes.  I keep the pace very conservative (at 6.0) and I am sure the pace will continue to slow and the incline will continue to increase as my baby grows.  With the incline, I can get my heart rate up and also keep the pace and pounding relatively gentle on my changing body.  I only stay on the treadmill 20-25 minutes (and I sometimes still have to take a bathroom break to empty my bladder~.   I have also found a piece of equipment at the gym I prefer over the elliptical (last pregnancy I switched over to the elliptical during the third trimester).  I have been using the stair stepper machine and I have found to enjoy the leg strength and cardio at the same time that this machine provides. I usually do this machine for 20 min prior to getting on the treadmill.   This equals around 40 min of leg cardio at the gym.  After my “running”, I will spend about 30 min strength training.  I feel it’s important to try and keep up with as much strength training as I can during my pregnancy.  Around 20 weeks, I stopped using any free weights (the squat bar), as I felt to be a bit off balance with my growing belly.  I currently use the machines and body weight exercises. Once I feel pain and or discomfort with running, I will be sure to stop for the duration of my pregnancy and continue with walking elliptical and the stair climber. During my running, I use this band to help support my abs, baby and my ligaments.   This is the same band I used last pregnancy and I was recommended to me from other runners during their pregnancies.

I have continued to swim and cycle on my trainer.  I have found several series of tv shows on Netflix to keep me occupied while I ride my bike.  A difference I notice with this pregnancy verses my last is that I seem to be carrying this baby higher.  I have had less round ligament pain while running and swimming, but I have noticed that I have to be very upright while cycling.  I feel that I get out of breath easier while riding than I remember during my last pregnancy.  With the slight bending over position needed for cycling and the baby feeling higher up on me; perhaps my diagram is getting more compromised.

 

As with the last pregnancy, I take it a day at a time and do what I feel I am up for on that day.  I have felt a bit more tired during the second trimester than I remember with Caroline.  This could be due to a toddler to take care of in addition to the exercise.  It was also true for me that my stomach grew much faster with my second pregnancy.  I guess once those abdominal muscles have been stretched previously, they stretch much faster the second time!  I feel that at six months, I am at a similar size at seven months with Caroline!  I am already starting to have a hard time tying my shoes.  Plus, baby boys tend to be slightly bigger than girls, so I expect to grow a little bigger with him and gain a little more weight.

I look forward to meeting our second child in the next two and a half months!  I will continue to keep up with exercising as long as I can and also begin to continue with exercises that will help me with child birth.  I will post about those another time!  Best wishes to everyone getting in the winter training in preparation for an awesome 2017 season!

 

 

 

Fuji Set up for 2017!

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I have put together a short video showcasing my riding equipment for the 2017 racing season.  This video highlights my favorite bikes, the Fuji Norcom Straight and Transonic SL.  I have been a Fuji athlete since 2010 and have been a sponsored athlete of Zipp, Rudy Project, ISM, and Sampson for ten years.  SRAM , Quarq, and Speedfil have been a partner of mine for the last couple of years.  I am looking forward to kicking off the 2017 season later this year!