it all started with walking at an indoor track

Tomorrow I am competing in my second sprint triathlon, the Why Not Tri.  I am thankful to have a friend that signed up along with me.  She helps keep me accountable (translate: someone I can moan and groan to about the training).  I wrote the following earlier this week, Monday to be exact, and it’s just a peek into this interesting yet inconsistent journey I have been on towards this triathlon.

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I “finally” got out this afternoon for my run.  I say finally because it took three tries to put Rose down for a nap.  Each time, as soon as I set her down, she would wake up (this is something recent) but they say third times a charm, right?  It “appeared” the third time would be the charm……until she woke up!  (Hang head in defeat.)  In my babies defense, I did go switch out laundry before heading out on my run.  Obviously the wrong decision.  (And that’s a whole other debacle scenario: baby is napping, what should I do first?!?!?!)  She awoke as I was ready to head out the door therefore, last-minute, I decided to just put her in the stroller and take her (push her) along for my run!  I was really looking forward to a stroller free run but alas, it it’s not the end of the world and it turned into being a pretty nice run……until she (as in my sweet little baby) cried for the last 15 minutes.

It was then, in that crying phase, where outside of just not wanting to be in the stroller, there was really nothing I could do for Rose but keep running to get home.  It was here that I started thinking about not only my race this Saturday but my training for it in general.  Training with a baby is just stinking hard.  There have been runs where the soundtrack I am listening to is a fussy baby or bike rides on the huzband’s  trainer (in the basement) that were cut short because baby got bored watching momma or weeks where training really didn’t happen due to a sick baby who just wanted snuggle’s all the time!  I am thankful for the friends and family that have partnered with me and helped me out, like holding her at the pool while I swam laps or pushing her in the stroller while I rode my bike!

baby wearing selfie aka Rose selfie

When I think about my attempts to train, exercise, be healthy, loose the baby love (that’s what I call baby weight), whatever you would like to call it, probably the most important word that comes to mind is flexibility!  Goals to work towards (like races) help motivate me in my fitness journey, however this time around flexibility was and is key.  There are days baby is in tow, along with all of babies stuff.  There are days where I am thankful for an extra set of hands willing to hold her for a little while.  There are days where I am just too tired from a not so good night of sleep to even want to get out and there are days where I try to squeeze in what I can between feedings (this can sometimes be a wee bit stressful).

Flexibility will be key come race day as well.  As much as I have tried, as many bottles as I have purchased (so far three different kinds), my little Rose has just not taken to drinking milk out of a bottle.  What she has taken to is just chewing on the end of the nipple and smiling at me!  Ha!  So come Saturday, part of my “race day plan” is taking time to breastfeed my baby!

Flexibility people, flexibility!

I am thankful for one more great friend who is willing to take on my little Rose, to take on her cute, sweet smile as well as her non bottle feeding habits!  I sometimes want to get anxious about it, about the thought of her wanting to eat and I’m somewhere on mile 7 of my bike, about the thought of trying to feed her one more time before the start of my swim, or about her having a really off day and turning into Godzilla baby!!  However, I know she will be in good hands, I know my friend has no problem flagging me down in the middle of the course if Rose really needs me (which makes me feel good), I know there’s no such thing as Godzilla baby (right?!) and I know it is about being healthy and having fun.  The anxiousness just doesn’t fit in here!

My baby isn’t going to starve and though my training has been inconsistent, at least it’s been there.  Flexibility!  I am thankful I get to do this but this will be it for a while.  (Okay, maybe a 5K at the end of summer….or in two weeks when my little family does the Color Run together.)

Flexibility is a reminder that it’s okay.  It’s okay not to run as fast.  It’s okay not to go as long.  It’s okay to take a break.  It’s okay to just enjoy the time.  It’s okay to make it about time with my family (bike rides, frisbee, fun runs, badminton, etc) and not about my weight.  It’s okay that right now, my girls are my focus and they get to be a part of my fitness journey.

because every post should end with their child mummied up in a sleeping bag