Chasing Dreams in Every Season of Life

Training and racing through pregnancy

Emily is a Campfire Endurance coach and enjoys helping athletes find their finish lines at the 70.3 and 140.6 distances. She has a passion for helping expecting and postpartum mothers compete in endurance sport.

Have you ever received news that was destined to change the next few months of your life? Years? Forever? Maybe it was a minor injury; a serious injury? Taking that new job? Last March I received news that my forever was about to change - we were expecting our beautiful baby girl, Ariana.

After years of dedicating my life to endurance sport I was the fittest I had ever been. I’d just finished my dream race, the 2022 Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii. Could I ever be fit enough to get back here again? Would I want to? And at the same time, I was excited to take on my humbling new role as Mom. But what would I do during pregnancy to set myself up for success in 2024? How could I approach sport during pregnancy safely?

Read on to learn how I approached goal setting, adjusted expectations and pivoted, daily to chase my dreams.

First Trimester: Make a plan & go after your GOALS!

As a first time Mom, I had no idea what pregnancy would be like. It turns out growing a human is extremely tiring - a feeling of total exhaustion at the end of everyday that is unlike any Ironman finish I’ve experienced.

While physically I was exhausted, mentally I still wanted to chase big goals. But, I knew they couldn’t be the same as what they used to be. I wouldn’t be the same speed, and I’d have to adjust my training to focus on what I CAN do, because after all I was racing for two! What I could do changed as my bump grew.

I wanted to complete the Portland Bridge Swim (an 11-mile ultramarathon swim), race ANY triathlon, and finish the Chicago Marathon - and lucky for me my doctor was fully supportive! I knew it would be hard, but wasn’t sure - how hard - this journey would be.

At the time, coaching myself as part of the Campfire Endurance Coaching Accelerator program, I wrote myself a training plan, took several preparation for birth courses with a specific focus on the importance of pelvic floor work, and committed myself to my goals.

In the midst of hard training sessions or when I just didn’t want to do the work I remembered my “why” and that fuels me to never give up.

Takeaway #1: Find your “why,” write it down, and reflect on your goals and purpose often

Second Trimester: Adjust your expectations. Mindset is EVERYTHING

I had to ADJUST my mindset to finish what I started. I had to adopt a growth mentality. My effort and attitude were destined to determine my outcomes. And I knew I had to rely on my “why” and stay determined - I could never give up!

I had to focus on what I could do, and what brought me joy in the moment, versus mourning what I couldn’t do. Master’s swimming, Zwift racing with the F3 Fieras, uphill walking, and strength workouts were ALWAYS there.

I quickly learned as my body grew a human, I would also experience new aches and pains - like round ligament pain and pregnancy induced sciatica. Enter the belly band, a sciatica band that helped me continue running. As these new aches and pains became my new normal, I had to rely on my “why” to never give up and focus on what I could do in that moment.

Takeaway #2: Acknowledge and reflect on challenges, pivot, and keep on going!

Third Trimester: Focus on what you can control—Consistency is KEY

As I moved through my pregnancy, training became more about consistency and less and less about perfection. Where I focused my efforts - physically and mentally - had to be strategic. I only had so much energy to give each day. Consistency would be the key to accomplishing my goals.

My physical goal for each day was try to do 60-minutes of aerobic work. (That means ABSOLUTELY NO hero days!) It could be swimming with our Master’s team, Zwifting, jogging, uphill walking, or strength and pelvic floor work. I knew staying consistent during pregnancy would not only help with my goals but promote a healthy delivery of our baby and support a safe return to sport.

Takeaway #3: Do what you can with the cards you are dealt each day.

Returning to Sport

Returning to endurance sport with little Ariana onboard certainly looks different. With limited training time, I have to ensure every workout counts while also relying heavily on the treadmill, the trainer, and at-home strength while keeping a close eye on the baby monitor.

I’m passionate about living the endurance sport lifestyle into motherhood to role model healthy behaviors for my family. That’s why, I’ve enlisted the help of a Campfire Coach to be the boss of my fitness as I write my next chapter. Having an empathetic coach to guide me is critical as a busy, working mom to ensure I’m maximizing the time I do have. With the help of Campfire, the goal is to get healthy and strong enough to be on the start line of the Portland Bridge Swim and Ironman Washington 70.3 in a few short months.

Training and racing through pregnancy is challenging, certainly, but by staying active deep into my pregnancy, I’m happy that Ariana has already experienced some of the activities that make me who I am even before she was born. I look forward to sharing these with her throughout our lives, and I’m really happy that we’ve already been able to learn and grow together.

If you have any questions about my journey, please feel free to drop me a line!