Hot rides for me

Since the two of us can't ride concurrently anymore, we have been splitting our Saturdays to accommodate both of our long bike rides. Skyler has been getting the morning shift and I have the late morning/early afternoon one. Unfortunately for me, the past month has been super hot. My last training ride ended in 106 degree weather. Yikes! But I always chalk it up to good training.

Desmond is finally big enough for the bike trailer. We took it out for a test drive the other day. It was a bit scary for me because so much responsibility to ride safely. Des seemed to like it. We just need a proper bike helmet to make everything legal. Hoping this will get me outside and off my trainer more often.

Early Mornings Don't Get Easier

Skyler has been working a ton lately. He leaves for work early and gets home late. That means no time for swimming for me.

Even though he had to leave early today, I got up even earlier to finally get a swim in. I swam 3000 zombie-like yards. I came home exhausted. I had to nap when Desmond went down for his morning nap because I could barely keep my eyes open.

I hate getting up early. But I do it because of my goal: Ironman. I thought about it the whole time I swam. Only 4 months to go!

The Family Races the 4th of July "5k"

Every 4th of July our church hosts a local 5k. We raced it three years ago and we both did well. Last year we raced again. I was four months pregnant so I took it easy and Skyler had a mid-race pitstop when Pumpkin decided she had to poop now.

5ks are especially scary because of how fast they are. I am an endurance runner and a 5k is just a warm-up for me. I was especially anxious for this year's race because my speedy friends were racing and I really wanted to beat them. I used to be faster than them, but then I took a little time off to have a baby. They got faster while I got slower. It's been seven months since Desmond was born and I was ready to race normal again, no excuses allowed.

Today was a good race day. Wore my racing flats, started out front, and started fast. This is a short race, no time to speed up mid-race. Within a few minutes I was 4th place woman. I was nearing the end and I was in second place woman position. I turned around to see who was near me, if anyone, but I stumbled and fell flat on my hands and knees. Got some good scrapes and scratched my wedding ring (boo!). Got up quickly and finished strong. Finish time of 20:05. The course is 2.91 miles, so a bit shorter than a true 5k, but I'll take it. 2nd place woman and 1st place in my age group (got beat my 20 year old girl). Skyler (and Pumpkin) finished 4th overall and 1st in his age group. We both came home with ribbons. Our kids have no chance at not being competitive.

Getting Help

Skyler and I have been racing triathlons for 7 years. You would think that I would know everything about triathlon and training by now. But every year is different. We started with sprint triathlons for the first 2 years, then moved up to Olympic the next year, then 70.3 the next. Throw in marathons, Xterra triathlons, and trail running, and training takes a different turn. This year I am tackling an Ironman for the first time. As much as I'd like to think I know what I'm doing, I want to do the best I can because who knows when/if this opportunity will present itself to me again. So Skyler and I got a coach to help us figure out exactly what we should be doing every day. My fall race schedule is pretty full and I want to know how to do well at the races I've chosen, as well as peak at the correct times. Yesterday I sent my new coach my current training schedule. Good luck to all of us.

Good to Know: I'm Not Harming My Baby

Just read an article that summarized a study that found that breastfeeding moms who exercise don't harm baby's growth. I didn't know people thought otherwise. I'm kinda annoyed that some people think that women shouldn't exercise while they are pregnant and also after the baby is born. Is it better for a baby to have an overweight, unhealthy mom? I exercised during all 9 months of my pregnancy (up until the day Desmond was born) and began exercising 4 weeks after he was born. I was cautious to pick activities that wouldn't harm my growing baby and didn't get my heart rate up to high. Next time, I will be even smarter since doctor's no longer caution a 140 hr max for pregnant woman. I always felt I could have worked out harder without negative consequences. 12 minute miles just seemed a little slow for me.

Not Easy

Finding the time for triathlon training was hard enough when I didn't have a baby. Now, I have to do major planning to get it done. I can do most of my running with a jogging stroller. I can ride the trainer in my house for about an hour (while he's napping). I can attend boot camp (although he requires a lot of attention while I'm there). BUT I can't do outdoor rides or swim without Skyler's help. 

Because I don't want to sacrifice family time to get my training done, I wake up early (5:30am) to swim at the gym pool. I get home just in time to grab the baby before Skyler heads off to work. So far, the baby has stayed asleep while I'm gone, but sometimes he wakes up and Skyler has to tend to him until I get home.

For my long bike rides, Skyler and I have to switch off on Saturdays to both get our rides in. It sucks because that means that we don't see each other for most of the day, but that's just what happens in a dual-triathlete home.

From Baby to Ironman

Six months ago I pushed a giant baby out of my body. It was the hardest thing I've ever done. I thought I knew pain until that day. I had this delusion that labor would be easy because I was so active. I guess there really is no pre-determining factor on how easy/hard labor will be.

After my labor experience, I knew I could do anything. So when the opportunity came up to sign up for Ironman Arizona, I jumped at the chance. I once told myself I would never do an Ironman, but here I am $680 deep into a path I never thought would happen.

It's going to be a struggle to fit my training in between being a mom, running a business, and writing a blog, but I'm determined to make it happen.

Goals? No time goals yet. All I know is that I plan on not just finishing, but finishing fast.