After having Ryder in April 2012, tri season was just around the corner. Training for my triathlons helped my get back in shape by focusing on being strong and preparing for my races without obsessing over the number on the scale. Being outside and enjoying the amazing Colorado weather helped me fight off the ever-changing hormones and "baby blues" and scheduling time to train helped me make myself a priority and not just get sucked into the "selflessness" that accompanies motherhood. I take great pride in the fact that even being a homeschooling mama of 3 and now 4 kids, I have been able to train for triathlons without a gym membership and without spending a ton of money. (I do have to say that Tony's teacher's schedule and his willingness to be supportive does make a huge difference.) Just days after doing the Tri for the Cure 2013 with my mom (a breast cancer survivor) I found out that I was pregnant with Rowan. So evidently triathlons are the key to getting pregnant! : )
Fast forward to today.
After my last pregnancy I didn't do a tri until August so I had most of the summer to train. This time I signed up for the Tribella (one of my favorite triathlons to do : ) which is at the end of June (yikes!) They offer a super sprint distance instead of the Sprint and even though I knew it would bug me not to do the full sprint, I wasn't sure how my delivery and recovery would go ( since I was signing up during my third trimester : ) and decided that would be the best option for me. A dear friend of mine was recovering from a leg injury and we both decided to do the super sprint together.
After having Rowan on April 3rd, I've felt like the weight just isn't "melting" off like it seemed to with my other babies. Even nursing all the time doesn't seem to being greatly affecting my baby belly. It's been particularly hard to find workout clothes that I feet comfortable in, but once again I'm glad to be focused on tri training instead of just "losing weight."
I planned to start my tri training plan right after my 6 week dr. appointment, so during my 5th week, I decided I would try to walk/jog once, swim once and bike once just to get back in the groove and get over my "fears" after not doing these things for 6 plus months.
Unfortunately, I found out that the pool at Bally has been under construction, so swimming was out and we weren't able to get the bike tuned so biking was out. Instead, I ending up spending my first 2 workout weeks walk/jogging and doing pilates. Here is what my postpartum/ tri training workouts looked like:
week 1 & 2 - Enjoyed little Rowan and adjusted to being a family of 6 : )
week 3 - Family walks
week 4 - Family walks
week 5 - Walked/jogged twice (2 miles each time)
Pilates once ( my core is soo weak!)
week 6 - Walked/jogged 3 times
Pilates twice
week 7 - Swam half a mile twice (felt amazing! I missed swimming so much)
Biked 6 miles ( nearly killed me! sore for 2 days)
Walked/jogged 2 miles
week 8 - First brick workout! Swam 400 m and Ran home from southeast - 2.5 miles (hard!)
Biked 8 miles (a little better, but still really tough)
Ran/walked 2.5 miles (feeling stronger)
Pilates once
week 9 - Ran/walked 2. 5 miles twice (felt much better/ faster)
Biked 7 miles (quick bike ride before we left for Cheyenne for my bday weekend : )
Swam half a mile once
Pilates once (in Cheyenne)
week 10 - Biked 14 miles with Shayna : ) (so hard!!)
Biked 11 miles in Cherry Creek State park (tough but super rewarding : )
Swam 400 meters during adult swim at Shayna's pool
Swam 600 meters at Southeast fitness center
Ran/walked 2.75 miles twice (feeling much better!)
Pilates once
week 11- Ran/jogged 3 miles twice
Swam a half mile twice
Biked 16 miles at Aurora reservoir
Race week:
Ran 2 miles
Biked 11 miles then Ran 1 mile (felt stronger)
Swam 400 meters
2 days off to Rest : )
TRIBELLA!!!
The race was awesome but still really tough as my cardiovascular fitness isn't anywhere near where I'd like it to be. I'm doing a full sprint with Shayna on August 11th and I'm working on a post to show how I'm upping the miles and the intensity as I prepare for that : )
