Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Mid Week Ramblings

What is the #1 thing that athletes do the week of a race? Check the weather, of course!

I am happy to report that the forecast for Saturday is perfect (well for a Texan at least!). Partly cloudy… highs in the lower 80s and lows in the lower 60s!




I am enjoying a slight taper (15ish hours planned this week vs 17ish last week)this week, which means that I have been getting to sleep in … and funny how sleeping in until 5 something instead of waking up in the 4 o’clock hour now sounds incredible!

I also took care of a bit of housekeeping and took my bike to the LBS for a quick tune up and got a new pair of goggles. I was shocked at how much clearer my view was with the new goggles. If you haven’t replaced your current pair, consider doing so (with the same make and model that you have) before your next race. The anti-fog and clear view are totally worth the $15, plus now my old goggles are my back-up pair.

The Motherhood Effect

“Stretch marks, weight gain and overwhelming fatigue are the side-effects of pregnancy with which most women are familiar. But for some, motherhood appears to leave the female body better able to cope with extreme physical demands than ever before.”

I came across a great article that that speaks to the effects of pregnancy and childbirth on competitive and endurance athletes. I’ll save you the trouble if you don’t want to read the entire article and say this: results are inconclusive and it is a tricky thing to scientifically study, BUT the likes of Kim Clijsters (Belgian tennis player that defeated Venus Williams), Liz McColgan and Paula Radcliffe (distance runners), and Catriona Matthew (Scottish golfer who won the British Open 10 weeks after giving birth) seem to suggest that “becoming a mother somehow spurs an already high-achieving body on to even greater things.” All of the mentioned women claim that “the demands of pregnancy and childbirth made them stronger of body and more willful of mind, suggesting that in some way the rigors of the process heightened their athletic powers.”

And the changes are not just physical, there are definitely psychological / emotional changes that come with motherhood.

“Women re-evaluate where they can anchor pain and many psychologists believe that woman’s pain threshold is effectively reset so that when she resumes or takes up training again, nothing ever seems as uncomfortable.”

It makes me wonder, maybe there is a shred of truth to my son’s idea that I am a super hero after all … it is the motherhood effect!

4 comments:

ONEHOURIRONMAN said...

Time to have another baby???

Anne said...

That would be a negative! Two is perfect for us :)

Trishie said...

Excellent ... having a baby will make me stronger and faster :) Which half do you have coming up ?

Unknown said...

Awesome!!! I always have said if I can give birth to two sons, I can do anything!! It is so empowering, don't you think?