Looking back on our family’s big bike trek from Pittsburgh up to Edinboro for the Quad swim brings mixed feelings. We managed to fail at the Quad adult and kid bike races in multiple ways. First, a little background: I am pregnant. Some people have great, energetic, glowing pregnancies. Some people, like me, get a bad case of irritability, rhinitis, fatigue, and nausea.
My first months carrying this little embryo were pretty miserable. I barely worked out. The closest I got was walking, heavy household chores, and hey, I got my new clip in shoes set up. …Or so I thought. When we showed up in Edinboro, I found my shoes were incompatible with my bike. That was failure number one. After a bit of moping and quiet rage towards myself, I thought: I will not become grumpy and let this ruin my day.
We switched our focus to having fun with our toddler son and getting him ready to compete in the Quad Kids ride. We got Roger coated in sunscreen, looking stylish in his green Quad t-shirt, hydrated and pumped to ride his tricycle. Unfortunately, it was a day of dysfunction for our family. Roger decided to throw a giant shrieking fit to alert everyone within earshot that we were torturing him. What was the torture? Trying to put his bicycle helmet on. Rather than risk anyone calling Child Protective Services, we decided to throw in the towel.
The only thing that went our way was getting to catch up with friends who were there. Although we didn’t burn many calories, we treated ourselves to a visit to Dairy Supreme. You know, sometimes you just need some ice cream and rainbow sprinkles to smother your feelings of being an unprepared cyclist who can’t talk her child into wearing a bike helmet.
Looking to the future, I am elated to be out of the first trimester (generally known as the hardest phase of pregnancy). I have made it back to our local YMCA to work out. Fitness goals change when you’re pregnant. While I do not anticipate setting any PRs, the healthier I stay while pregnant makes it easier to get back to feeling well and like myself again after the baby comes.
Cheers to all the people training through pregnancies, injuries, feelings of fatigue or inadequacy. We all have things to overcome in life and staying fit never hurts in the long run.
Your Soon to be Mom of 2 – Katie