Trimesters to Triathlons: The Triathlon Diary of a Postpartum Mom

April 28 to May 25

Focus: Build #3 - Endurance and strength in preparation for Great White North Half Ironman

Hi! Here is the next four weeks, including your trip to Moab. Take a look and let me know if I have the days correct. Volume is really starting to build at this point as we get closer to race day.

Recovery, nutrition, sleep, and massage are all extremely important, especially with how busy you are at home with the kids. You're doing great and we're getting very close to the home stretch.

Let me know if this looks manageable.

Regards,

Abby

APRIL 28

Got official results from yesterday's race - 1:59! Can't believe it. I'm over the moon even though I can barely walk. I was under two hours despite all my race mistakes!

No structured workouts this week. Don't even have to attend swim club if I don't want to. Any workouts I do can't be longer than one hour and must be followed by a full recovery day. Don't know how I feel about this. I'm relieved because quads are really sore. Going downstairs is not good. However, I'm very emotionally invested in my training. As much as I love rest days, I find them mentally hard and spend the entire time feeling anxious. Like every minute that goes by my fitness is draining away.

Took mountain bike for a spin, with Chariot, to see what needs fixing - certain I have a leaky front shock. Harder to deal with kid issues pulling Chariot with bike because I have to stop and get off, but easier to ignore any squawking because they're further away. Managed not to fall off bike.

Attended swim club to make up for missing last week. Sore legs helped slow down the swim kick. Lucky me, the entire workout was almost all pull.

APRIL 29

No workout today.

APRIL 30

Bought a new swimsuit. Hoping it will make me faster. It didn't. Did 400-meter intervals. One steady, one slow at beginning then harder at the end, and one hard at the beginning slower at the end. Had a faster time with first interval (8:30 min). Really, really hate the long intervals. The entire time I wonder how I'm going to complete 2000 m with no pool ledge to grab and sneak a rest. Told Randy to hold off doing the 750 m intervals until the week I get back from Moab so I don't miss them. I don't want to do them; I just know I need to do them. Think my lane mate and I got our water bottles mixed up. I hope he doesn't have cooties.

MAY 1

Got mountain bike back from shop. Hooked up Chariot and took it for a short ride to test it. Legs felt good on bike. Could have done without the backseat rider yelling, "Keep pedalling, mommy. Pedal faster."

Finally finished pumping all 40 bags of milk for Roo. Three hundred and twenty ounces of milk. I am a cow.

MAY 2

Yay, we're driving to Moab in the motorhome with our friends, Christy and Ben. Very hard to leave the kids. In-laws staying at our house to look after them. Ashley really wanted to come with us. Told her she couldn't because we were going biking. Will have to pump milk five times a day to keep up supply for when I get back.

MAY 3

Still driving. It's a very odd feeling to have nothing to do. Stop at Jan's Restaurant in Lima, Montana at 8 a.m. to pick up a few slices of the best pie ever made. Finally arrive in Moab! Argh! Drove to slow. No time for a ride or run. Call home to say goodnight to kids.

MAY 4

Awesome, consistent training + slickrock = Mountain Biking Goddess! Biked Klondike Bluffs trail. It was sooo easy. Rode with three other couples. Found it frustrating riding with such a big group. Too much stop and wait time. Finally left group, hammered back to trail head and did tempo run on trail (finally worked up a sweat). Felt incredibly good. Pace between 4:30 min/km and 5:00 min/km up hills.