With the Stan’s NoTubes-Pivot Team announcement coming out last week, excitement rushes through my body as I think of this upcoming season. With support from the Stan’s NoTubes-Pivot Team, I am confident this will be an amazing year, and I am beyond grateful. Part of me can hardly believe that I, with the help of many, have worked my way up from the very bottom. My first 3 years racing fully self-supported will never allow me to take for granted the support and help of my team and sponsors, which makes me that much more hungry to continue to embrace the work…I love the work. I am so excited to represent Stan’s NoTubes for another year, as well as Pivot Cycles.
Photo Credit: Alla Kostenko, ourhomeworld.net
Chloe Woodruff has been an encouragement to me dating back to my first days of racing with an infant. She has continued to be genuine, humble, and real. I’m stoked to be her teammate!
The Stan’s NoTubes-Pivot Team is also sponsored by Shimano (drivetrain, brakes, pedals); Maxxis (tires); Castelli (custom clothing); Clif Bar (nutrition); Fox (suspension); PRO (components); Pearl Izumi (shoes, gloves); Kask (helmets); Feedback Sports (trainers); and Cassette Creative (design, marketing).
Although a subject that comes across slightly awkward at times, but is real and amazing is that of breastfeeding. After being in my position, any awkwardness is lost to the wind and it just becomes a way of life.
During my race season, I was looking for some insight on how other mom athletes were able to nurse and train HARD. I never came across anything that was much help, so I am writing this post for the athlete/active mommy who is nursing, and I hope it is somewhat helpful. Every women needs to remember that every person is different, and this is just my personal experience. I realize that breastfeeding is not easy or possible for some mothers.
Any women’s body is working overtime while nursing, much less adding the training/race schedule of an elite athlete; or any athlete. First off, nutrition and sleep became of utmost importance!! I am continually working on listening to what my body is telling me, and responding appropriately. I have to eat well; meaning enough and nutritious food. Due to breastfeeding, I am not super strict about my calorie intake right now; I eat when I’m hungry and practice moderation. I eat more healthy fats and protein than I would if I weren’t nursing. I feel like the added protein not only aids in muscle repair and recovery, but also breast milk has to have a good amount of protein and fat in it right? So I figured that I need to replace some of what I was loosing through my milk with extra fats and proteins, vitamin and calcium rich foods, and lots of water (over a gallon a day)!! Looking back I feel like I could have benefited during my race season from taking my prenatal vitamins more consistently. I didn’t quite reach my ideal race weight this year by just a few pounds, but I wasn’t racing under ideal circumstances in many ways; and don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t change a thing!
Although, I feel that I can always do better when it comes to getting to bed early enough, I strive for an 8 hour minimum, and many nights I can sleep for 9 or 10 hours. Having a schedule for Layla is necessary, and although it has slightly changed over the past 7 months she almost always sleeps a ten hour stretch at night, a luxury that not all moms get to enjoy. Because it is while we sleep that our bodies repair damaged muscle and recover for the next day’s training, getting the rest that our bodies need to do there job is mandatory!
How does lactic in my milk affect Layla? Post workout feedings often caused more spit up, but other than that, it didn’t hurt her at all. She never turned up her nose at sour milk, but I’ve heard this isn’t true for all babies. In that case, pump and dump!!
How does nursing affect my performance while training and racing? Well, I have no way of knowing for sure. I had some issues with lactic acid burn and build-up more than I remembered in other years. Was this from nursing or was I training harder? I felt like I was burning through my glycogen stores quickly (within an hour) and the rest of my ride or race I was fighting burning muscles. I started to fuel more during my rides, and as the season went on, the burning subsided; and I was able to train harder for longer. I also never had a perfect race this year, where I felt unstoppable! Again, no way of knowing for sure if this is related to nursing or not. I guess I’ll find out next year.
I never had problems keeping my milk supply, but I have friends who dry up with the slightest bit of exercise. My production lessens while riding, but it comes right back. When Layla was almost 6 months old, I was able to race an almost 80 miler (The Park City Point 2 Point) taking me almost 8.5 hours (longer than I had hoped for, but that is a subject for a future post), and my production was back to normal by the following day.
Park City Point 2 Point, August 31, 2013
Dedication is required for an on-the-go mom. I’d nurse before I left on a ride, and when I got home. At races I’d warm up, nurse, do a couple more openers, then head to the start line. I rarely got to spin out and cool down after because I had to nurse again. I have to add that Nelson has been amazing support in helping me make everything possible. He often attends my races with Layla, or watches her while I ride. Luckily I was able to pump in addition to nursing so that I had a backup milk supply for when I was out on long rides or working. Layla has taken a bottle since she was 3 weeks of age, which was awesome and freeing.
Beacon and Legs XC, May 4, 2013Hammer Nutrition Missoula Pro XCT, June 23, 2013
Even though breastfeeding added extra stress on my body, it has so many benefits. First, it is the best thing nutritiously for baby and it is the most affordable option. Nursing allows for a very special bonding time with your baby and it is very calming to them. Finally, it is usually very convenient; although, there has been the occasional 6-plus hour training ride where I have stashed my manual pump in my back pocket……it is what it is….
If this leaves any readers with questions or comments, please contact me!! It would be my pleasure to help any way I’m able to and have you succeed and reach your goals!
Mountain bike race season is over for another season! I feel mixed emotions, but I believe that like every sport, it is the off season that gives me the fire and the drive to be better than the year before. I’m taking this time to rest, meditate on last season, set goals for next season, and enjoy my family, and unstructured riding (much of which I am hauling Layla behind me in her Chariot); as well as runs, and even a little cross skills training. In my three short years of racing mountain bikes, this was the hardest of them, for obvious reasons.
Looking back, I’m not sure how it was made possible; pregnancy, child birth, breast-feeding, training, working, and racing. I found out that it was possible to work out and ride my bike through an entire pregnancy..
February, 38 weeks pregnant
Although it was not comfortable or easy it kept me sane, knowing that the pro XC national tour had already started and here I was about to give birth. I had so much fitness to make up, I didn’t know if I would ever be able to catch up. Once Layla was born on March 8, 2013, I spent the next couple weeks recouping. I had definitely underestimated the healing process! Two and a half weeks postpartum, I managed to sit on a bike seat (which was way earlier than is recommended), and I started to ride outside.
3 weeks postpartum, with 12 lbs to lose
I increased my ride’s time and intensity slowly, testing out how my body would handle the physical stress. I started my structured training 3 weeks after childbirth. It consisted of long rides for base building, core strengthening, and plyos. My coach Dustin Phillips and I had put together a tentative race schedule during the winter, but we both felt like this season was more of a “let’s try and see what happens” season. I didn’t know if my body would be able to support breast feeding, which was important to me to do for my baby; and training and racing. I had had multiple people tell me that they would recommend taking the 2013 race season off, but I wanted to at least try. I decided that if it wasn’t working then I wasn’t going to force it, and I would have to reevaluate at that time. As I continued training 12-16 hrs a week , my body continued adapting to the stress and take form again as the pregnancy weight disappeared. With the added stress due to breastfeeding, I had to be ultra aware of the extra needs of my body. Eating well, sleeping enough, and staying hydrated all became ingrained in my program. I am fortunate that Layla has always been a great sleeper, and I never had a sleepless night. I thanked the Lord daily for giving me a strong body, because I know that what I was doing was not normal! I also stayed injury free this season, which eliminated any additional set-backs.
April 27 ; Layla 7 weeks old and first race of the season.
How I was able to get away every single day to train is beyond me, except that the saying, “It takes a village to raise a child” became very real. My well planned schedule dictated when I would get my workout in each day. It depended on who was watching Layla and what time they were available, as well as working around my work schedule (Although I should mention that I took off a full 3 months off from work) . I was up before the sun on many occasions to train while my baby and my husband enjoyed sleeping in. In addition to my very supportive husband and Layla’s grandmothers, I also had a handful of good friends who helped me out so I could ride. Somehow, I didn’t miss a single workout. I wanted badly to be faster than the previous year, so my own motivation and guidance from Dustin kept me on track. He is dedicated to me and my success, so following through with my workouts was not an option, I just did them….rain or shine, and with all my heart! I also know that having mountain biking was a healthy outlet to get away by myself, which I do believe helped in avoiding any room for any sort of post-partum blues, which is so common.
I learned in a very personal way this season that anything is possible with hard work, determination, and the Lord’s grace and blessings!! A few season highlights include my first two national podiums; 3rd at Marathon Mountain Bike Championships, and a 3rd place finish at XC Nationals in Super D; as well as a 7th place finish at Missoula Pro XCT and 8th place at XC nationals in Cross Country. Going forward, my blog is going to key in on how I make life happen as a mom and elite athlete. I will share in detail, how I feel breastfeeding affected my performance, how I stay fit in the off season, favorite fit recipes, how I incorporate Layla as a part of many of my workouts, and much more!
Thanks for reading!
Rose
July 6, Marathon National podium with Serena Gordon and Pua MataJuly 21, Super D National PodiumApril 29 with hubby Nelson and Layla
Layla was born on March 8, 2013. She was 7lb 3 oz, 19 inches long
She was born with a collapsed lunge, which caused her a 2 day stay in the Nicu. Fortunately, her lung healed itself with just oxygen, and I was able to hold her and nurse her while she was there.
Nelson was amazing support through the labor and delivery; and he is an awesome father!
Layla is my mom’s first grandchild, and so she will be very spoiled I’m sure!
3 of Layla’s Uncles…..they will always have her back!
I had such an easy pregnancy that I assumed I would also have a very easy labor and delivery. I had done everything possible to be prepared…stayed in good shape, didn’t gain too much weight, ate right; but there is nothing that could have prepared me for the labor. I was induced at 4 days overdue due to dangerously low fluid levels. Although my midwives tried to put me into labor using the most holistic approach possible, my body didn’t respond to anything but pitocin. Pitocin contractions are extremely difficult to withstand, but after 8 hours of hard labor, I delivered a beautiful baby girl without having any pain killers. This was by far the hardest thing that I have ever had to do, but the most rewarding! I don’t think I could have gotten through it without drugs if I hadn’t kept myself in good shape!
Layla is a month old, and she is strong and growing so fast it’s unreal! We have spent most of this last month just getting accointed.
Although I did get a second degree tear, it healed fairly quickly. I was able to start some light weight workouts, and short walks after 1 week. Each week I felt stronger, and by the middle of the 2nd week postpartum, I was able to climb back onto my bike saddle, and I’ve ridden almost every day since thanks to Nelson’s flexibility to watch his little girl while I’m out.
My next post will be about my recovery, training, and how balancing life with a newborn is going……
We were blessed with sunshine and warmer temperatures this last weekend! It made me miss riding outdoors so much that I decided to try riding my mountain bike in hopes that it would be tolerable. I lucked out, and managed a lovely ride, although not very comfortable. Stuck to mostly flat dirt and paved roads, and just road super easy, but was able to last over 3 hours. I am really appreciating that I have managed to stay somewhat fit!
Although I still have great energy, it is tougher than I’ve ever experienced at this point to have the same quality workouts, so I am just trying to maintain keeping some fitness base, knowing that every workout that I do now will only help me to bounce back faster after delivery. My lungs feel constricted, and the weight gain makes me feel heavy and often makes me stiff regardless of the type of workout I am attempting. I feel that it is ok to share that I have gained 30 lbs. As an athlete, this could be mentally challenging, but thankfully, I have been fine with it for the most part, and I’m confident that my baby and I are both super healthy. I am, however, more excited than ever to start working to get back to the normal me in just another few weeks. For now, I’ll continue to eat nutritious meals, and exercise on almost a daily basis.
Last week, I did a leg workout out of Muscle and Fitness Hers that made me sore for 3 days. I love this workout so much that I feel like I should post it for all of you also:
1. Single-leg Squat ~ works glutes, hamstrings : Stand in a Smith Machine, grip the barbell with your right hand, and hold a dumbell in your left hand. Raise your left leg off the floor straight out in front of you, foot flexed, and sink down into a squat until your right thigh is parallel to the floor. Drive through your heel to push up to the start position. Complete desired number of reps and switch legs, before starting next set.
2. Single-Leg Step-up with Knee Drive ~ works Glutes, Hamstrings, and Quads: Holding dumbbells in each hand, stand with your left side next to a flat bench and place your left foot (your driving leg) on top of it. Push through the center of your driving foot, pressing your body straight up onto the bench while lifting your right leg to a 90 degree angle. Reverse the motion to step back down, repeat desired number of reps and switch legs before starting next set.
3. Alternating Jump Lunges ~ works core, glutes, hamstrings, quads, and calves: Starting in a lung position with your left leg forward, jump straight up and switch legs midair, landing softly in lung position with your right leg forward. Immediately push off after landing to start your next jump, continue to alternate legs for desired number of reps and sets.
4. Bulgarian Lunge ~ works shoulders, core, glutes, hamstrings, and quads: holding a dumbbell in each hand, stand lunge-distance from a box or flat bench, facing away from it. Place the top of your foot on the box. Keeping your chest up and your front foot flat, slowly lower straight down into a lunge position until your front thigh is at least parallel to the floor. Drive through your front heel to return to standing. Complete desired number of reps before switching legs and beginning next set.
5. Box Squat: Holding a dumbbell in each hand, with the tops resting on your shoulders and your upper arms parallel to the floor, sit on the edge of a box or a flat bench. Keeping your chest up and your midsection tight, drive through your heels to come to standing. return to sitting and then repeat for desired number of reps and sets.
Photo: 01/21/2013. 34 weeks pregnant. Enjoying a skate ski at Grouse Mountain Golf Course.
2013 will without a doubt be a year to stretch me physically and mentally. I am looking forward to the challenge with open arms. With the due date of my first baby just 5 weeks away, I feel excited, anxious, and nervous; but definitely ready to meet this little girl, and develop a new normal of life with her.
Staying active helps me to focus on the mountain bike season ahead of me. Although I have been enjoying the cross training and lighter workouts, I am excited for structured training and my race schedule. I crave the excitement that comes with racing and the many friends that I only see during the race season. Having my tentative racing schedule written out, adds to my hunger.
However, I know above all else, that despite my drive and ambition, my family will be coming first. My husband Nelson is the most supportive and loving husband and best friend that I can ask for, and without his support I would not be able to be a pro mountain biker. There are many sacrifices that he makes during my race season, and those demands will only grow with a newborn. In return, it is important that I am sensitive to the days when I might need to skip a training ride when it just can not be done, and I am preparing myself to be ok with that. I am simply going to plan the best that I can in order to train appropriately, work part-time, and maintain a balanced family life. I have high hopes that the juggle will be very possible.
With the cross country season not only starting when I’m supposed to be having a baby, but also most races being held so far from my home in NW Montana (with the exception of Missoula XC of course), I want to put my focus more on endurance races in 2013. This is the part of my 2012 season that I didn’t get to complete due to my pregnancy, and I think it will be a nice change of pace, literally. When planning my race schedule, I also had to consider the fact that I will be breast-feeding. There are no races on my schedule over 60 miles until Sept. I will be posting my schedule in the near future.
I am very excited to share this amazing journey with you. Each day brings new surprises, and I am continually reminded that God’s plan for my life is better than I could have ever imagined.
I found out last Thursday that we will be having a baby GIRL in March! I am excited, and so thankful that my body is doing so well. I have not had to slow down much, and I have been enjoying not only casual fall bike rides, but also trail running once again. It is also time to re-join my gym, Access Fitness, and start a strength training routine through the winter. Mountain bike race season will be upon me before I know it, and this is a great reminder that I must keep working out almost daily, so that I can bounce back quickly after the baby comes!!!
