Triathlon - Cultus Lake Tri Recap

You may recall from previous posts that I have done a couple of triathlons (swim/bike/run) in the past. Specifically a SPRINT distance for my 31st birthday (750M/20km/5km) and a HALF IRONMAN for 2018 (2km /90km/21km) and I was geared up to do the Cultus Lake Triathlon that Sept for my very first STANDARD (or Olympic) distance (1.5km/40km/10km) however, I found myself newly pregnant and was too lethargic to be training. Honestly, I had almost no interest in training so I requested to move my name to the following year and just hoped that 5 months would be long enough to get back in to racing shape.

Now, I am a leisure athlete. I am competitive to ME. I am not a professional athlete by any stretch of the imagination. A podium finish could be somewhere in my future, but not until I log some serious hours in each discipline.

I digress. April 16, our son arrived. A bit later than I anticipated but still on time I had a cesarean and being told several times I had a major abdominal surgery meant that training took a back burner

I did return to softball, slowly. A lot of the games we play are late and a newborn has anything other than a real schedule. I didn't want to ask my mom to come to those later games because we live in different towns from each other. My husband didn't want to come for two reasons, he has to be up at 5am to be at work and I wouldn't be home from games until 11pm. Second, he doesn't really care for softball so to ask him to stay up late and be outside was a bit of a stretch.
Reality, I had some excuses If I really wanted to be there I could have really pushed for it and I did not. Softball is something I truly enjoy but it is a hobby. My new family needed more focus this time.

Like I said, I did return to softball. I started playing partial or half games right around my birthday after getting the OK from my OB and Physiotherapist. I was close to 14wk PP before I got the ok to start running.

Things were slow. I played an entire tournament in July. Our team had playoffs - we won! Second year in a row. I was so proud of myself. I was hitting, running bases, not stealing let's be real. Playing first base and playing the entire weekend felt like I was really getting back physically which was huge. Especially after taking it SO easy for so long post surgery

Disclaimer - they tell you to rest! I was told NO driving for three wks, NO working out, NO stairs (we live in a basement suite) so it was a large change from my life previously. Even when I was 40 wks pregnant I was moving furniture, working out - doing squats! but now things were different
Add a newborn, NO sleep, you're literally just surviving. Plus a convoy of emotions running wild. Being a first time parent, there's a lot of questions and unnecessary stresses -- it's hard ok?

My softball season did not end the way I had hoped. I didn't get to play like I had wanted to. Now, I have to rely on others. I NEED someone else to either be there or take my son. Next season might be different, my son won't be breastfeeding anymore so it will be easier to not have my around. I was happy he was there, I wanted him there but I had to also have my mom or spouse attend any and all games in order to play

Feeling unfulfilled. I still had this triathlon. I was telling some people about the date. It's the closest race I've ever done. Surely someone would want to come watch? Not quite

I have several friends in the competitive athletics scene. Sure, I do triathlons but they do half ironmans, 50+km races, overnight hikes, running trails in one day that takes normal people days. They're pretty next level. They're also some of the most inspiring and kind people I've ever had the pleasure of knowing
One friend in particular. Meghan, I've mentioned her before. Is a Personal Trainer and Occupational Therapist. I solicited her to discuss run training. She had pointed out to me that I have poor ankle mobility - something I never knew let alone something that bothered me
I subscribe to the idea that running is a skill and something that can be trained and more efficient
Enter - Meghan. She agreed to help me with not only run training but getting back to triathlon shape

One of my bigger concerns was stamina. I had returned to lifting weights but honeslty. It's not the same. I truly felt more capable when I was pregnant than I do in my post partum life. Pregnant at any stage I felt more stable, stronger, faster able bodied than I did even 3+ months after my son was born

That's a frustrating place to live in 

I kept with the exercises that my Pelvic Floor specific PT gave me. I trusted Meghans programming and slowly I got faster, I was able to go further and I wasn't burnt out 

I was able to rest - the best you can with a baby. I was able to lift weights still - which is something I continue to enjoy. See a previous post labelled - If I was blind, I would still workout 

Now, I can run without pain. Without any pulling feelings, and no numbness. I was lucky that I didn't have any prolapse or other girdle type issues which are unfortunately common in child birth

If you can, I would highly suggest seeing a PT during and after pregnancy it is such a wonderful tool in your arsenal. Especially for the first time hashtag-fitmom. It's a really hard transition without the help I could have injured myself pretty badly. Or, felt the discomfort and just stopped altogether. That wouldn't have been very good for my physical OR mental health

Ok, this post was supposed to be about my triathlon

I did a freaking triathlon! 

My goals were - 40 mins swim / under 2 hrs for bike* / I don't usually set a goal for the run

I was slower than I had hoped for the swim by 5mins. It was pouring rain that day! but the wet suit was approved - phew. I like a wet suit swim personally, it's warmer and you're more buoyant in the wet suit. This swim was my least anxious, which was nice AND the water felt warmer in that out

The bike - I had been averaging about 20km per hour in the loop I do at home. Which, made me nervous because there was a strict time cut off and if I did the same on race day as I did at home then I would be potentially very close to cut off or I could be disqualified.  The cut off time was 11:15 AM and you can see above I was 15 mins faster! (woot) 

Finally, the run. My best regular time for 10km is 1 hr. Pretty standard I think? Well, that was my best without anything else, like riding a bike or swimming. Pretty excited about that too 

When I had pushed my entrance a year I was actually really happy with the decision. Last year they had the worst weather on record, bullet dodged! 

This year, I heard volunteers talking about how the weather was actually worst than last year. 

It was torrential. So. Much. Rain. I was beside myself with nerves about it

This was actually the first race I wasn't crazy nervous about. Until the night before - sigh

The night before we went to a friends wedding, using the baby as an excuse, left before midnight. It rained so much overnight. I got a terrible sleep. My son also decided to really lean into his 4 month sleep regression that week, of course. Serious lack of sleep all week, grand finale that night it was rough. Now, hearing the rain come down at 3 and 4am was doing nothing for my nerves. My husband got up with the wee man each time and tried to get him back to sleep for me - bless him

I checked in my bike the day prior because there was the option to do so. I wanted as little to do as possible that morning having gone out the day before and having the baby to drag along 

Force fed myself some breakfast. I packed water, stingers, pedialyte (possibly my best decision) and we were off! Baby did great, I brought some frozen milk for him to have during my race since I figured I would be about 4 hrs and that's a bit long to go without eating. 

It was so wet that I have zero pictures of me racing or finishing due to the weather.  I am very happy that my husband not only came out for the entire race but he helped me with my bike and he kept or baby dry and never once complained

What I do have is a pic of me with my medal, and a pic of my son and I from the night before

and of course, wee man <3