The Pregnant Triathlete
Information for training as a pregnant triathlete including physiological changes, nutritional and environmental concerns plus certain risks to avoid.

The American Medical Society for Sports Medicine (AMSSM) was formed in 1991 to fill a void that has existed in sports medicine from its earliest beginnings. The founders most recognized and expert sports medicine specialists realized that while there are several physician organizations which support sports medicine, there has not been a forum specific for primary care non-surgical sports medicine physicians.

~Pregnancy is a normal condition.
But can a triathlete continue training during pregnancy and is it safe to do so?
In the absence of complications, pregnant women should follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American College of Sports Medicine recommendations of moderate exercise for 30 minutes or more on most, if not all days of the week. The goal of training during pregnancy is to maintain fitness while avoiding fetal distress.

~Physiological ChangesFor endurance athletes who want to continue training during pregnancy, this is great news. However, even though continued exercise is recommended, athletes must still contend with the changing physiology of pregnancy. The increased oxygen consumption of pregnancy will lead to a decline in exercise tolerance. Thus, pregnant athletes should stop exercising when they feel fatigued---they should not try to “train through” fatigue. After the first trimester, the enlarging uterus can cause obstruction of venous return when an athlete is lying on her back, so athletes will have to adjust weight-training and floor exercises appropriately.

~Nutritional Concerns Athletes must also be aware of their nutrition during pregnancy. They should take a pre-natal vitamin and on average, will need an additional 300 calories daily; however, the adequacy of an athlete’s dietary intake is ultimately determined by appropriate weight gain during pregnancy. With adequate nutrition, there is no evidence that training has a detrimental effect on labor or fetal growth. The babies of regularly exercising women appear to tolerate labor well. They also have been shown to have a similar head circumference and length, but lower body fat at birth and at five years of age compared to babies born to non-exercising mothers.

~Environmental Concerns Environmental conditions should be taken into account when exercising. To avoid hyperthermia or risk of relative dehydration, pregnant women should dress appropriately, drink appropriate amounts of fluids, and avoid training in extreme heat.
~Other Risks The highest risk to mother and fetus with exercise is trauma, and this can be minimized by avoiding training in an environment with a high risk of trauma or falling, especially as the woman’s balance changes throughout pregnancy. This includes discontinuing cycling outdoors and avoiding running in slippery or icy conditions or on uneven terrain after the first trimester. As weight increases, and changes in the center of gravity and curvature of the lower spine lead to more discomfort in later pregnancy, swimming and other water-based exercises, such as aqua-jogging, can help an athlete maintain aerobic fitness in a no-impact environment until she is ready to resume biking and running after delivery. There are some contraindications to training during pregnancy, including heart and lung disease and premature labor. Patients with these conditions or any other significant medical problems or pregnancy complications should be under the close supervision of a physician. All pregnant women who desire to continue their training should have regular appointments throughout their pregnancy and consult with their primary care sports medicine physician for any specific questions about their training regimen.
Just a little information!

Woke up with the worst headache ever man I couldn't believe it, my eyes were watering and everything! It started around 2:00 am and I just couldn't get it under control! About 8:00 I tried a Spark because I had to teach water at 9:00 so I had to try something other then medication it helped thank gosh!

Workout for today 2 water classes
and 30 min. run!
nice and easy day!

Ways To Be Happy:

1. Make up your mind to be happy.
2. Learn to find pleasure in simple things.
3. Make the best of your circumstances.
4. No one has everything, and everyone has something of sorrow intermingled with gladness of life. The trick is to make the laughter outweigh the tears.
5. Don't take yourself too seriously.
6.Don't think that somehow you should be protected from misfortune that befalls other people. 7. You can't please everybody.
8.Don't let criticism worry you.
9. Don't let your neighbor set your standards. Be yourself.
10. Do the things you enjoy doing but stay out of debt.
11. Never borrow trouble.
12.Imaginary things are harder to bear than real ones.
13. Since hate poisons the soul, do not cherish jealousy,
14. Avoid people who make you unhappy.
15. Have many interests. If you can't travel, read about new places.
16. Don't hold postmortems.
17.Don't spend your time brooding over sorrows or mistakes.
18.Don't be one who never gets over things.
19. Do what you can for those less fortunate than yourself.
20. Keep busy at something. A busy person never has time to be unhappy.
21. aways tell the people you love you love them!

Live is way to short to be a grumpy!

Have a great night!

I had people give me awesome feed back on the Herbal Cleanse my sister said it has helped her with the excess water weight!

Here is some other products I would suggest with that!

Herbal Cleanse
Metabolic Cleansing System Supplements

CATALYST™ (again this will tone you while your working out)
Amino Acid Supplement

ThermoPlus™ (This one will work with your metabolism helps with the fat burning)
Vitamin and Herbal Dietary Supplement

Workout for today was a 6 mile run at a nice easy pace with heart rate at 160 ok maybe 167 once in a while~ I'm trying to keep it at 160 and man that is hard~!

Road bike for about 45 min.

Stretch 15 min.

Drank : Rehydrate
Electrolyte Replacement Drink

Took CATALYST™
Amino Acid Supplement

and finished up with

Post-Workout Recovery
Sports Drink

Have a wonderful day!

Things to think about today!

I am only one, But still I am one.I cannot do everything,But still I can do something;And because I cannot do everythingI will not refuse to do the something that I can do.
- Edward Everett Hale
Action may not always bring happiness, but there is no happiness without action.
- Benjamin Disraeli

Hello Sunshine's,

We went to the Doc. today my weight is 147 wowza I think back on Dec. 5th it was 134 something like that. Well the doctor looked at my tummy and said "wow I think you are bigger then 13 weeks and or you are having twins we better check it out"..... Yea your mind goes what! Off we went to the ultra sound room and found out it's not twins however we are 1 to 2 weeks ahead of schedule whoooohoooo so I won't be pregnant the whole summer!

We have our next ultra sound in Feb. we can get more info then. and I will put some awesome photo's on my site this weekend sometime it is so fun getting bigger and bigger everyday I have to share it with you!

My work out today was run 5 miles just a little bit of weights and 45 min. Elliptical ok this was talking to my sister the whole time so I don't think that counts!

I'm really trying to keep my heart rate below 160 or right at and making sure I have enough water and enough good treats you know gummie candies (LISA) hehehe

Something to think about!
Be patient in little things. Learn to bear the every-day trials and annoyances of life quietly and calmly, and then when unforseen trouble or calamity comes, your strength will not forsake you.--W. S. Plumer

We go to the doctor today! " I can't wait, I will give you details on my weight I'm going to guess I have gained 12 pounds" I will let you know.

I had some people ask me this am "If I were to start with something what would you recommend"?

I suggest the Core Four
You will see results in the first 2- 4 weeks if you use it correctly

1~AdvoCare Spark® Energy Drink
Vitamin and Amino Acid Energy Supplement or
Rehydrate
Electrolyte Replacement Drink
2~ CATALYST™ Amino Acid Supplement* I would take this 15 min. before I work out (This will help with definition women if you have cellulite this will also help that)
3~ThermoPlus™
Vitamin and Herbal Dietary Supplement (This is a fat burner and it will help with your metabolism)
4~Meal Replacement Shake
Nutritious Meal On The Go (If you are leaving the gym and going right to work I would Recommend this for sure it has 24 proteins in it so it's going to rebuild your muscles and help you from not going to the store and picking up junk food!)

There it is!

Wow this has been fun I get home and I've had 6 people ask me about this! Here is the link again where you can place orders https://www.advocare.com/09012067/Company/default.aspx

If you would like me to do the order placing for you just e-mail me your list by the 4th of February and the 18th of February that's when I'm placing my next orders. Again if you have any questions just let me know..

https://www.advocare.com/09012067/Company/default.aspx

Here is my energy!

I've been thinking about this for a while if I should post this or not so tonight I decided I should I've been using AdvoCare products for the past 2 years this year I'm going to train with this and only this. The past few years I've shared it with some of my training friends and they have all improved in their performance and they all still use the products so I will share it with all of you....

I'm starting to take Advocare again~I've been feeling so much better so I signed up to be Distributor so if you would like to purchase click on my link at the bottom. If you have any questions you can e-mail me or just ask!

~Plus it will be fun to see after the baby is born how my body will change back with these products. I will be keeping you posted!

This is a list of stuff I use in season and out of season

CATALYST™ (both in season and out)
Amino Acid Supplement*

O2 GOLD™" (only in training, this is really, really awesome for racing!)
Herbal Dietary Supplement "Note not while I'm Pregnant" But after I will

OmegaPlex® (using now because I don't eat fish so this helps with the omega's)
Omega-3 Fatty Acid Dietary Supplement
"
Muscle Gain™
Protein Shake

Post-Workout Recovery This stuff is great!

Sports Drink

AdvoCare® Muscle Fuel (I love this stuff)
Pre-Workout Supplement Drink

Muscle Strength™
Dietary Supplement with HMB and Suma

AdvoCare Spark® Energy Drink (this has caffeine so not to much for me, this has been working really, really well being pregnant)
Vitamin and Amino Acid Energy Supplement

Rehydrate (this does help with cramps, this is really good for hot days and long runs and bike rides)
Electrolyte Replacement Drink

NEW! Excel Gel™ (this is something new this year, I will try it this weekend and let you know! I always did GU this will be a great change!
Electrolyte replacement energy gel

https://www.advocare.com/09012067/Store/default.aspx

Or if you know you love the products and will use them as much as I do I would advise you to click on Become a Distributor and get 20 percent off your items like I do! Just a suggestion to save money these days.

Running Races for 2009

Now this is not an all out sprint I'm looking at these races as having fun and finish Pregnant

April 18 - Oshkosh Half Marathon
May 25 - Nashville TN Half Marathon
May 3 - La Crosse WI Half Marathon

I will also do some 5k and 10k I will have the dates for you when I get back!

Off to Orlando Florida Sunshine's!

lots of sun and rides

and all my maturnity clothing, my maternity swim suit and my running skirts!


My training is still going good I try to keep my heart rate about 160 for 5 miles.
I do interval training where I have my heart rate at 150 then up to 166 then back down I feel great!


My Half Marathon is Oshkosh April 18th so if you see a very large women running that will be me heheheheheee but you better not let me pass you Just kidding! http://www.midwestsportsevents.com/oshkoshhalfmarathon.html

Cycling During Pregnancy: Yes or No?
When an active woman becomes pregnant, she has many decisions to make. Should she continue her current exercise or training program? How much exercise is too much? Should she reduce her training intensity? Can exercise hurt her baby?
While questions are multiplying, well-meaning but unsolicited advice can make an expectant mom even more insecure: "Maybe you should just rest and concentrate on growing a baby." "All that exercise can't be good for a developing fetus, can it?" "You exercise too much anyway; this is a good time to take a break from all that."
Those kinds of comments haunt the expectant mother's every pedal stroke. "What if I fall or crash?" may become a question that adds to the growing list of concerns. "I don't want to risk any falls, but I don't want to stay home lying on the couch. What should I do?"
A visit to the obstetrician early in pregnancy will likely make women aware of the danger of engaging in any activity that could result in mild abdominal trauma. Everyone wants the best for the mom and the unborn child. The question is: what is best?
One short answer is that healthy, pregnant women benefit from at least 30 minutes of moderate activity on most, if not all, days of the week, according to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). General benefits can include more controlled weight gain, less fatigue, and possibly even shorter labor. This is especially true for women who were active prior to becoming pregnant.
Unfit pregnant women will also benefit from exercise during pregnancy, but they need to ease into a more active lifestyle. Women who are pregnant with multiple babies or women with high-risk pregnancies should consult with a doctor, as it could be recommended that they avoid exercise altogether.
Another answer for women specifically interested in riding a bike outdoors during pregnancy is to use some caution. Riding a bike with wide tires can provide greater stability, and just getting on and off the bike safely is easier without clipless pedals. When bicycling, women may feel less susceptible to collision if they avoid group rides and descents, instead sticking to wide bike paths and even terrain.
Recommended intensity levels during exercise are more difficult to pinpoint. It's obviously unethical to ask pregnant women to endure a nine-month study of the impact on the fetus of repeated exercise to exhaustion, but there are still many useful studies of exercise during pregnancy that can help define appropriate exertion.
Women That Have Done It
Many women have remained active right up to the day of delivery. Mary Jane Reoch, a world-class road racer who became pregnant at 35, pedaled from conception to delivery and raced a criterium during her fifth month. Although she was criticized for "hurting the baby," her doctors were supportive of her exercise program.
Mary Jane was active literally right up to the end: She actually rode her bike the 10 miles to the delivery room, where she gave birth to a healthy 7-pound, 12-ounce baby girl.
Blaine Bradley Limberg completed four triathlons, a biathlon, and a cross-country ski race before he was born. Blaine's mom, Barb, found out she was pregnant in the months just prior to the, a race including a 2.4-mile swim, 112 miles of cycling, and 26.2 miles of running.
After consulting her team of health care providers—including midwives, an obstetrician-gynecologist, and others who had information about exercise and pregnancy—she decided to go ahead with training and the race. She completed the event when she was three and a half months pregnant.

By Gale Bernhardt For Active.com

What About the Baby?
There are several benefits to the mother if she maintains an exercise program while she's pregnant, but what about the baby? Numerous studies have followed offspring of exercising mothers and have found the babies to be healthy, with normal growth and development.
In an interesting study conducted at the University of Vermont, head researcher James Clapp, MD, matched two groups of pregnant families for socioeconomic status, education, marital stability and body size. The fathers were also included in the body size data.
The two groups were matched for pre- and post-pregnancy exercise habits; both groups of mothers breast-fed, had similar child care arrangements, and had comparable parental weight change over time.
The only difference between the two groups was exercise during pregnancy. One group exercised "vigorously" by running, doing aerobics, cross-country skiing, or some combination of all three. They exercised at least 30 minutes three times per week throughout their pregnancies. The second group ceased all exercise except walking.
The researchers found that by age five, the children of the vigorous exercisers had less body fat than the children born to the walking group. The children born to the second group were called "a bit on the fat side." In addition, the vigorous exercisers' children scored significantly higher on the Wechsler test of general intelligence and coordination as well as on tests of oral language skills.
General Guidelines for Exercise During Pregnancy
Not everyone will be able to maintain a regular exercise program during pregnancy. Some exercise, however, is better than none. ACOG and ACSM revised the recommendations for pregnant women in 2002 to make them less restrictive.
ACOG now suggests that women use their rate of perceived exertion (RPE) as a guideline rather than limiting themselves to a specific heart rate: Generally speaking, if you can carry on a conversation while you exercise, your heart rate is in the right place. This equates to a RPE of 12 to 14, or 60 to 80 percent of aerobic capacity for most pregnant women, according to ACSM (2006).
This guideline may be overly conservative for well-trained athletes. It's important that every woman establish her personal guidelines in consultation with her medical professionals.

Little things!

Lisa and I head up to Rochester MN to find Maternity clothing La Crosse doesn't have anything! Our first place Old Navy for their HUGE selection of clothing "NOT" didn't find to much however, I shouldn’t complain I did get two pair of paints and some shirts. We went to TJ Maxx I tried on 9 items and only 1 worked “imagine that”! Then off to the mall but we had to make a stop in to the World Market they have the best Fruit Slices no not real fruit its gummy candies and they are so yummmmmmmmmy. Off to the mall to get something to eat we went to Applebee’s that was ok food. Went to do another form of exercise walk the mall we came up to Motherhood store “thank gosh” found some more goodies, it was so funny the lady that was helping me out was so nice she brought some shirts over for me to look at and man oh man they were UGLY "”in a nice polite way” You should have seen Lisa's face that was Priceless! It was a great day I found some clothes got some exercise sitting in the car working my mouth, walking the mall and trying clothes on hehehhe. When I got home I put all my normal clothes away ~ I put every pair of my size 4 and 6 jeans in first, my shorts, swimming suit, my small bra’s, my running shirts, except my long sleeve they still work and then I put in everything that I wouldn't want to try on and not have it fit.

The biggest mental challenge is!
Even though I have done 5 Ironman, can run forever if I needed to and have done a ton of other physical events because I train for it and I put my mind to it. It is nothing like the mental aspects of pregnancy (where you really can't train for) ~For me and I’m sure for most women is the changes of your body handling the mental aspect of this you know going from 120 to 130’s to 140’s and sometimes it’s doesn’t’ stop there, getting stretch marks, having water retention and not fitting into my clothes and I’m only 10 weeks along. I have to be as positive as I can just like I am with everything else. Even though my body is changing and getting bigger and bigger everywhere and I mean everywhere and when I have one one of those moments “man oh man” I just remember, I have a little baby growing in me and that just changes my whole state of mind! I have forever to get my body back to where it was and I only have 9 months to have this amazing little angle growing in me and it will be with me/us forever!

Hello Sunshine's,

What a training day today was!

Spinning 45 min.
Running 3 miles
Feel a little light headed and ready to get sick
Have a headache but not willing to give into that so I did Pilates for an hour.