MANAGING A NEW SCHEDULE

I am back to blogging about the sport, not race reports yet, but not just another post about my baby. Even though I would love to share the news about my little angel.
The first hard weeks after our boy was born are behind and it's getting much more easier every day to manage my time. As I am not planning to race this year, I decided to take it slow and first of all build up a good base for the 2014 season.
I started to run and do gym workouts just a few weeks after Brandon was born. The very first strength workout I did at home, I was shocked how weak I had become, after a few pushups my arms were trembling and I thought: it's going to be a loooong way :-), but it turns out every next workout I was feeling stronger. I went to the pool for the first time around week 5 and felt great, since I was swimming through the whole pregnancy. Getting back on the bike, is what has taken me some time. I only started to ride the bike on the trainer this week after Brandon had turned 3 months old and I realized how much I miss it. Tomorrow is going to be my first short ride outdoor.
To manage my schedule is a bit challenging right now, it rotates around feeding times and naps, but that is how I would like to see it (doesn't happened exact, because my little "boss" can bring changes into it):
I usually train in the early morning after feeding, it can be 5.30, 6, 6.30, but not later than 7a.m., since I want to have our time together and breakfast with my husband around 8a.m. If that doesn't happened then I am taking Brandon after the next feeding to the gym and he quietly watches me run on the treadmill, sometimes it's only 30 min but sometimes it can be an hour before the cutie pie gets boarded :-). I am fit in another training in the evening when I can leave Brandon with his dad before he closes the shop. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays are a bit easier because I can leave the baby with his grandma, as well as Sunday. So here you go:
Monday: swim
Tuesday: short run, gym, spin
Wednesday: swim, run
Thursday: gym, spin
Friday: swim, run
Saturday: bike, swim
Sunday: run
Each workout for now is 40-70 min long which gives me something like 7-12 hours of training per week. I know it's not much, but I am slowly building a base for the next year and I do not want to take too much time away from my baby when he's so little and needs me the most. 

The arrival of our little angel

Our little angel just turned his first "mini Birthday" :-), Brandon is 1 month old today and I know now for sure that it is very much possible to love two man at the same time with all your heart :-). Those two men are my husband and our little son.

I'll go back in time and will tell a little bit about the arrival of my little angel and his first days in this world:

I was almost 39 weeks pregnant and since my midwife was trying to set my mind on the overdue (just to make it easier mentally for me) I was very calm and only on Monday June 10th started to get into the impatient mode, complaining that I can't get any bigger and the baby is running out of room and that last 10 days or so are going to be tough, I even replied to the lady in the supermarket "I feel miserable" to her friendly: "How are you?" :-) But I also felt like that because it was Monday, the hard day. I usually plan way too many things on this day of the week, that it is too much even for a non pregnant woman :-). I also had a few things planned for Tuesday. I had an appointment with my midwife, Terri, then a friend of mine asked me to take care of his pets the same morning. I started to feel some pain the night before, but I didn't want to bother the midwife with the fall calls and just waited for our appointment time. By the time she came I was already having contractions 10 min apart, but I still couldn't believe that it's going to happen today. Terri left and told me to call her back if contractions got closer and they did. They were 7 minutes apart and stronger when I was driving to the friend's house to take care of the pets. An hour later I asked Roman to come home and told him that it might be THE DAY. I don't think he believed me since I had to text him later again: come home NOW!!! I did a home-birth in the water, but I won't go into details describing the labor. I just wanted to say a few things:
1. It was painful and much harder than Ironman, since you don't really know when you going to get to the finish (mine took me 17 hours) and you can't really train and get ready for the labor, but the reward is epic, no Trophies or Prize money can get even close to it.
2. I had the best crew with me: my midwife Terri, doula Alejandra and of course my husband, who really helped me to get to the finish line :-).
3. Brandon was born June 11th, on my mom's Birthday, which is absolutely amazing.
4. Brandon's weight was 6.15 lb. and 20.5 inches in length and he was my love from the first sight.

Today our "Bubochka" (a little seed in Ukrainian) is getting a little more sleep and a little less poop :-). He is giving us more rest at night and less diaper changing. His mom :-) is getting better with her routine, she stopped panicking and thinking that she is doing something wrong. I guess most of first time moms think like that.

I am recovering fast and thinking about training, but only thinking, I am not planning to race this year anyway. For now I am just walking every day for 40-60 min and the little one here is taking care of the rest of my day, making sure I stay entertained and busy :-)

He is giving me some time to finish the post.

Looks like Brandon is not like me and he actually likes water:

THE FINISH (OR I SHOULD SAY THE START) IS AROUND THE CORNER

If I was compering my pregnancy with an Ironman race I would be somewhere close to the finish line now, let say about 4-5 ml away. That would be right because during those last few miles that's when you start counting every minute and start looking at the watch more often than during entire race. Same happens here with a three or so weeks to go I can't wait to get to the finish and to see the best reward :-) ever and more and more often I am looking at the calendar. Now I finally stopped counting time by the weeks and started doing it by each day. A few miles before the Ironman finish adrenalin and excitement are still rushing through and keeping you going but you kind of feel exhausted. And another similarity is that my legs are cramping the same way like they would do in the long race :-)

Since I am coming to the end of my pregnancy I would like to share my experience of a pregnant Pro athlete or just another pregnant woman. 
I am 37 weeks pregnant, it considers a full term and safe for the baby to be born at any time now. So far I am having a perfect pregnancy as my midwife says. I don't think I am doing anything for my pregnancy to be perfect it is like it is :-). 
What I did and what I didn't do:
I didn't:
- I didn't take my vitamins as recommended through the whole pregnancy. I was very strict during the first Trimester and beginning of the second one. But then they were just making me feel sick :-( even though I've tried the different once. Yet, I had a good Iron levels at the beginning and at the end.
- I didn't drink enough milk as everybody recommends 

- I didn't write a journal. I started several times, could never stick to it

- I didn't finish reading any of my many "pregnant" books which I got at the beginning of my pregnancy (sorry, Dina, I am working on it)
- I didn't learn Spanish. I started though. 
- and I didn't train for at least last 7 months
- I didn't stop having a coffee. I've tried, but my blood pressure was always low and I was recommended to have a cup of coffee  

I did and I still do:
- I do eat plenty of fruits vegetables and healthy foods
- I gave up wine completely and surprisingly I never even craved it 
- I exercised and I still do: the first 3-4 weeks I was actually still training hard, getting ready for Ironman Arizona. Once I stopped training I gave up biking almost completely, I was just doing a short rides to the pool once in a while. It wasn't something I enjoyed much while pregnant. I was running, swimming and I started to do yoga 1 or 2 times a week. I stopped running around 30th week and switched to walking 3 times a week, swimming 3 times a week and one class of yoga. All my exercise sessions are 30-60 min long around 6 days per week. I'll try to swim until I feet in my bedding suit, I switched from size 30 to 32, then to 34 and now is 36 and I don't want to invest in a next size, it's scary. 
- I work. I am coaching a few athletes and I am helping out my husband at the bike shop "Epic Cycles" as a bike fitter, as a mechanic (I am still learning) and sometimes as a seller (I am not really good at this one). 

The choices.
- we decided to have a baby natural way. This means that we found a midwife, who is following my pregnancy and all of my appointments with her are taking place at home as well as most of lab tests. I am going to have a baby at home too most likely in the water. It doesn't mean I am brave it means I don't really know what I signed for :-))). But honestly, we just think this is a right way to do it.
- we decided to wait until the birth of the baby to find out if it's a boy or a girl. There are not too many surprises left in life and we want to enjoy this one. Also there are many cute things in yellow, red and green colors

- I am planning to come back to racing, but not this year. I don't want to rush into it and make it my priority in stead of enjoying being a mom and slowly learning how to manage my time after the big changes in my life. I really admire those women who came back to sport after having a baby and hope to be able to do the same. 

There are many Pro triathletes who are becoming new moms this year and I though that it's just because I am pregnant there are so many of us around, but look at the list...
- Nicola Spirig had a baby boy in March
- Laurel Wassner had a baby girl in January 
- Pip Taylor gave birth to a baby girl in April
 Expecting moms:
- Kathy Tremblay, Olimpian from Canada
- Tine Deckers, Pro athlete from Belgium;
- Maki Nishiuchi, Japan;
- Desiree Ficker
- Kate Major
- Kim Loeffler 
- Sarah Haskins
- Amanda Lovata

I want to Congratulate all of them and wish them the best luck. 
I'll try to keep everybody posted......, 20 more days :-)

IN THE MEANTIME

I always thought that once I get pregnant I'll have so much free time, but I guess it wouldn't be me if I didn't know how to fill up my free time and keep myself busy.

Project #1:
I had a chance to join the Retul Classes and to get certified as a Retul bike fitter. I really like the processes and an idea to help riders to get comfortable and sometimes to get rid of joints or muscles pain sounds great. I keep practicing and getting good experiences at Epic Cycles   fitting cyclists and triathletes on their favorite two wheelers.

Project #2:
For three months: December, January and February we organized a running program with a goal for runners to have a good start getting back in shape and for triathletes to start developing a base training for the long season of triathlon ahead of them. We had a few small races planned in our program with the final event, Gasparilla Half marathon. I am very proud of my athletes who finished the marathon on that hot day and had a great experience.

                                                                                                          

Project #3
Personal coaching. This one started last year and I am very happy how the progress going, my athletes are getting more into it and becoming more and more professional with the training, nutrition and recovery. They already started the season 2013:
Maria Lemeseva, PRO athlete from Russia did hew first race Abu-Dhabi International Triathlon, She improved in all three disciplines and got 4th overall female place on a short course.
Alixa Villalobos, first full year triathlete did her first sprint distance triathlon and finished 2d in her age group, we really need to work on her Transitions :-)
Stephen Crowley, my very first athlete keep making me proud with his progress

Project #4
Staying healthy through the pregnancy by getting enough exercising, eating healthy and stay positive and happy

I also picked up a hobby, photo shooting.

And of course plenty of baby books are filling up rest of my free time :-)
I could probably continue the list but something just came up and I have to go :-)))

BIG CHANGES

This is a little strange, that 2 years in the row I am trying to do Ironman
Arizona and something won’t let me do it. Even though this year the
reason to cancel my trip to Arizona was really great compare to the last
year when I got injured. So after the race in Augusta I was well
motivated and ready to go to do my last Ironman in the season 2012
with only few more weeks of hard training ahead of me. I was pushing
hard in the water swimming with coach Alec, riding hard couple long
rides and my running was coming alone. One part of my training was a
bit frustrating, why my recovery is so bad, after each hard workout I
felt like I just finished the race :-( and another thing was: Why I keep
gaining wait? Looked like my hormones were really messed up, but
why? Three pregnancy tests gave me a pretty clear answer: yes, I am
pregnant. To be honest I had mixed feelings, since this pregnancy
wasn’t planned for the next 1 or 2 years, but on the other side the time
was perfect and I always wanted to be a mom :-). I am 6 months
pregnant and we are very excited happy expecting parents :-).

I am having one in about 18 years long break, but I would love to come
back to racing again in 2014, I love the sport and I still have a passion
for the triathlon. For now I am just enjoying easy exercising, like an
easy swim, jog or yoga. So far I am having a smooth pregnancy, after
all I am the Healthy Triathlete :-)