This fall my husband and I found out that we’re expecting our first baby early this July.
As I’m sure most of you veteran parents know. Having a baby can really change your life. What I was shocked about was that even before CONCEPTION this can be the case!
In the spring we decided that we give this baby making thing a go. Once the gauntlet had been drawn it’s crazy how much the idea of a life inside you can make you crazy with your training. In that middle zone of are we/aren’t we – I would find myself huffing away on a scrambly slope mountain biking, and find my mind wondering if I was sabotaging the chance of a little life taking hold! I remember falling continuously on in the mud fest that was Summer Solstice at Kelso this year, thinking what if I am???? Oh my!
The silly thing that I think I have learned throughout this process is that you can’t let the idea of something -no matter how precious – overtake your life.
Over the following months we did not get pregnant. You then start to dissect EVERYTHING. Maybe I shouldn’t have went out for that century ride. Maybe I pushed too hard this weekend. Maybe Syd has spent too much time in the saddle for his multiple Ironmans…. It’ s enough to make you crazy.
As the summer was winding down and I discovered that I had let the major part of a race season escape me for fear of playing too hard to let a little baby take hold. I was disappointed that not only had I let a season slip by – but we didn’t even have anything to show for it!
A month later, during the most chaotic month of family surprises, hard running, and multiple other side curves we found out that we were expecting!
I think what I would take away from the situation is that I won’t let the possibility of pregnancy hinder me from playing hard. As a recreational racer, rider, runner, I am not doing any damage if I continue to play hard – before conception anyways. Perhaps if I were training professionally and at that high of a level you would reconsider – but at my level, reigning in the training was really over zealous.
We were so enthusiastic about having our first baby though it’s enough to make you second-guess this. I hope I have a good enough memory to remember my own advice when we travel down this road next!
Hopefully someone else might read this and remember to play on the trails while they have time to! Or at least before you find yourself logging training miles with a stroller!
