Little Jordy is just over seven months old now. It really isn’t that long, but, my life as it was before baby, now seems very distant as I settle more and more into motherhood.

It still amazes me how quickly they develop and respond and interact with you more and more every day. A friend of mine once told me, that since she has had kids, it seems like she has discovered a part of her heart that hadn’t existed before. I think this is also how I feel. The love you have for your own child is something unmatched by anything else.

Jordy tries so hard to crawl at the moment and it is so frustrating for him as he fails time and time again. He makes this really interesting, frog like, rocking back and forward motion on all fours, which results in a face plant as he is unable yet to coordinate his arms in time. Our boy is certainly a persistent and determined little fella though. Teeth are just starting to show. This is proving to be not much fun for Jordy or mum and dad. The routines that we were slowly starting to establish have now completely gone out the window.

“I needed to be an athlete again! So, I decided to set myself a goal.”

The euphoria of the first few months of having a baby has died down and we have settled into everyday life as parents with baby as our number one priority. However, a few weeks ago I found that I was really starting to struggle somewhat. The years of living to a strict day to day training plan of an athlete turned me into a real routine focused person. I found it difficult to adjust to my day being ordered entirely around the wants and needs of a baby and found that I really needed to change something a little bit so that I had something else important for me slotted into my daily routine. I felt like I needed just a little bit of that structure back, a bit of my old self back.  I needed to be an athlete again! So, I decided to set myself a goal.

Ultra Running

For a long time, I have had the idea in my head that I would one day like to get into ‘Ultra Running’. This is an endurance sport that has always fascinated me. For those of you that don’t know, Ultra Running, also known as Ultra Marathon, is defined as any footrace longer than the traditional 42.2km marathon.

“The physical demands and time commitment of training up to three sessions a day for long distance triathlon no longer fits with my lifestyle.”

Running is much better ‘bang for your buck’, and I have really been enjoying running since getting back into it after having Jordy. With my endurance sport background, it just makes sense for me to give it a go.

I have reconnected with my coach, have a training plan, and am now on the path to tackling my first Ultra Marathon. I am really excited about this. The training and approach differs quite a lot from what I was used to doing as a professional triathlete, but I have regained a love for exercise and running.

Appreciation, Lightness & Balance

“…a mental therapy for me as well as a physical lift.”

We are fortunate to live in a wonderful area for running and trail running in particular. I find that every time I get out onto the trails, I appreciate the surroundings a bit more and I certainly value this time to myself more. It isn’t that I took these things for granted before, rather that the freedom of the surroundings and the time spent training, running the trails, is a mental therapy for me as well as a physical lift. And it also works well as a welcome break away from the routine tasks of the most important thing which is being a good mum.

With the running, I feel like I have gained a lightness back. It is amazing how much energy it gives me, even when I am wrecked from a rough night with a crying baby, which seems pretty regular right now. I still seem to come back from most of my runs feeling rejuvenated and happy. I am really lucky, and grateful, that I have a very supportive partner, Rob, and some very special friends who give their time to enable me to do this.

The Highs and Lows of an Athlete with The Challenges and Rewards of a Parent

I now have five months left to prepare myself as well as I can, despite the circumstances, for my first Ultra. I think it is a good decision for me. Since I have returned to training and have a focus on a sporting goal, I am happier and I feel like I am a much more balanced person who can better handle the stresses of parenting and as a result, be a better mum for Jordy.

So this is it, a year and a half after retiring from professional sport and I am back into training again. I definitely don’t call this a ‘comeback’, as things are so very different now, but rather see it as another sporting life opportunity that will combine some of the highs and lows of being an athlete with the challenges and rewards of being a parent. The training is different and the time spent training is much less.

Although sport is no longer my number one priority, the goal is the same; train as well as I can with the time and energy I have got and get the most out of myself in competition. Sleep deprivation and breastfeeding are not optimal components to include in my plan but they are part of it nonetheless, and I aim to make the most of this opportunity. My family is the most important thing in my life now, but being out on the trails following my passion and challenging myself is important to me and makes me complete.

Hopefully, all going well, by the end of the year you will be reading a blog about the challenges of the final preparation for an Ultra Marathon, race day, and recovery, all while juggling the needs of a toddler! I am looking forward to exciting times ahead.

Happy running everyone.

Want to check out more blogs from Britta? Read about her journeys with pregnancy, motherhood, and of course her athletic career by clicking here!

Written by Britta Martin

The post Britta Martin – Motherhood & Ultramarathons appeared first on Usana Health Sciences Organization.

I always used to have to be very structured and organised to be able to get 2 to 3 training sessions in every day. Now it is all about trying to structure my day so I can hopefully still get a 1 to 2-hour slot to myself, in the battle to stay fit and active. I have a new appreciation for just how quickly time passes when I see how much a little baby changes in just a few weeks.

Back to the beginning. Jordan was born on the 21st of December. At 9:21 on that Wednesday morning, our lives changed instantly. We went into the hospital as an independent, active, freedom loving couple, with little idea about how to care for a baby. We came out as parents. Crazy.

I still look in awe at our little boy, and can’t quite believe that he is our son. The words Mum and Dad still sound very foreign and a bit unreal to me. It’s funny, I always used to say to Rob that people with kids somehow looked older or more mature and I am wondering, if the same thing counts for us now as well. Do I look and act different now, from what I looked three months ago? I pretty much still feel the same, with one big difference, that I suddenly have another person on my mind 24 hours a day.

It’s hard to describe, but the second Jordy was born, I became overwhelmed by this feeling of love for this little bundle. You look at the small innocent and dependent baby and all you want to do is care for him and do everything in your ability to protect, love and be there for him. That feeling just strengthens by the day, and I couldn’t imagine a day without him.

It’s funny though, what it does to you. Suddenly, you don’t mind anymore when you get pooped and peed on, or have got dribble and vomit all over you. For some reason, I even cope with the lack of sleep very well. Before, I was a grumpy bugger when I didn’t get the 9 hours of sleep that I felt I needed to function as an athlete. Now, I feel energized and ready for the day, even with only three hour blocks of sleep at a time.

New mum Britta Martin cycling with baby Jordy

One key reason for why I seem to have coped quite well so far, is that I have kept up a good balance. I make sure that I take at least an hour a day for myself. I am fortunate that I have the support of Rob, as well as family and close friends which enables me to do this.

To be honest, it has been, and still is a big battle for me every time I get out the door and leave Jordy behind. It sounds absolutely ridiculous, but leaving him behind, even for an hour while he is asleep, is so hard and makes me feel guilty. The first couple of times I left the house, I called Rob or my mum every ten minutes to make sure he was alright. This was a big shift for me, someone who was accustomed to being out training on my own for six to seven hours at a time. I do know though, when I wouldn’t force myself to take that time out, I wouldn’t be able to cope as well and wouldn’t be able to be the best possible mum for Jordy.

As soon as I get out and do my exercise, it doesn’t matter how hard the day has been and how much Jordy has been crying, I feel the energy coming back. It is amazing what a difference it makes.

For me, this is a really important transition. My job, before I had Jordan, was that of a professional athlete. For me, getting back into training is, in effect, like returning to work. I am only easing back into it but, ultimately this is what I do and this is what I love. The by-product is that I will hopefully be a fit and healthy mum and be able to introduce a little boy into an active and fun lifestyle. Nothing re-energises me more, and prepares me better for any amount of screaming, spewing, pissing and pooing a baby can do, than a 1 hour run in the hills around home.

During my pregnancy, I was lucky to have no complications and was able to work very hard at staying fit and active. I think I am really benefiting from this now. As soon as I had recovered from the birth, I was out there. It was a slow progress at the beginning and I had to be very patient, but eventually my fitness did come back.

I am an athlete by heart and that is what I have been doing for the last twelve years. My goal is to get back into my sport in some way. My first priority is Jordy and I will never compromise that, but I believe I can balance it right and there is a path back into the sport. During my years competing in Ironman, I was lucky to come across some amazing women who managed to return to the sport and be competitive at the highest level after having a baby. Even though, my plans might not be to go back into Long Distance Triathlon, this has given me motivation and belief that it is possible if you really want it.

Britta with her number one

It hasn’t all been plain sailing though. I had a little setback a week or so ago with a crash off my mountain bike and some cracked ribs as a result. Before this I was back to running, riding or swimming daily, only for 1-2 hours a day, often running with Jordy in a buggy. It has been amazing to see, how quickly my fitness has come back. I will see, what the next months will bring.

I am open minded and flexible and I believe you have to be as a new mum, but I do have a few ideas and goals in the back of my head. I am definitely looking ahead excited at what the future may bring with our new family, and who knows what kind of adventures I will embark on in the sporting world. There are so many possibilities out there as long as you look at it as what you “can” do with a little baby instead of what you “can’t” do because of a baby.

What is amazing is that the most normal and natural thing in life is also the most unbelievable and amazing experience, capped with emotion at a level that can’t be compared to anything else, at least nothing that I have experienced in life to date. Bringing a child into the world is an incredibly leveling experience. All of a sudden the little things that would have perhaps stressed you previously, now don’t even register. You see your achievements in a different light, gain a new clarity and appreciate them more, maybe because it is part of accepting that they are now cemented into a different phase of life. Not to say that they become insignificant, in fact the opposite.

My number one priority in life is no longer trying to do better times in training, no longer striving for new records, bigger victories, higher rankings. Rather, I feel a measure of contentment and satisfaction in what I have achieved as an athlete. I can see much more clearly some of the mistakes that I made and now the lessons learned from these become even more valuable.

What is clear, is that I still love being an athlete, testing myself, pushing myself, trying to be stronger, faster, better. Whether I actually race again competitively is another question, because as much as I love being an athlete, I also love being a mum.

Thank you very much to all my Sponsors and especially USANA for continuously supporting me to make sure Jordy and I get all the right vitamins and nutrients to be able to keep living an active and healthy lifestyle.

Cuddles with mum

Written by Britta Martin
Team USANA Triathlon athlete

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My training, or I would probably more call it exercising, has obviously changed dramatically during the last half a year. I used to train on average between 25 and 35 hours a week for my Ironman races, depending on what training phase I was in. I trained full time, 2-3 sessions a day. When I was between training sessions I would concentrate on doing what was necessary to get the best possible recover, basically eating and sleeping.

One of the biggest and probably most challenging changes for me was the mental approach for exercising in this stage of my life. Being a professional athlete for so many years, my training was very goal orientated. I always had a race coming up and this really motivated me to give my absolute best in training. Every session I did, I tried to achieve something. I got fitter and mini steps working closer to my main goals of the season.

Being pregnant, this whole aspect suddenly changes. You obviously just get bigger and bigger and less able to do your normal exercise. You feel like your fitness is declining day by day. So how do you keep yourself motivated every single day, when you are feeling heavy, tired, and a bit unwell? The couch looks a lot more inviting than the thought of getting yourself out of the door.

I had to change my approach completely. It’s not about improving and getting fitter anymore, but to keep moving, enjoying myself, getting the blood flowing and maintaining a bit of fitness. On top of this, it is so much better for your health to keep exercising while you are pregnant. You reduce the risk of so many side effects that many pregnant women have to deal with, like swelling of your limbs, backache, constipation, nausea, excessive weight gain…..and so on.

I believe that regular exercise helps with all of these problems.

I will describe in the following, what my training/exercise program looks like at the moment and what I have changed throughout my pregnancy. Keep in mind that I am coming from almost 10 years as a full time athlete and I am not advising women to suddenly go out an become fitness fanatics if they don’ have a history of doing heavy exercise. The best advice I can probably give, and what I had to learn in the last months myself, is to listen to your body. Every woman is different and I believe every single body reacts completely different to being pregnant. You have to be honest to yourself and try to get up and get motivated. Take it easy when you’re tired or kick yourself in the butt when you are just being a bit lazy and giving in to the great excuse of being pregnant.

I would love to get back into training once I have had my baby. For me, maintaining as much fitness and strength as possible is my overall goal. I try to go out every single day, but I have had to change the type of exercise that I have been doing as my pregnancy has progressed. I am six months pregnant now, which means I will start my third trimester next week. I am not running anymore because the extra weight in my abdomen gives me a lot of pain in my groin and ligaments in this part of my body. I am doing lots of uphill hiking in the hills and mountains instead. I can really recommend this. It builds a lot of strength in your legs and gets your cardiovascular system going, and unlike running, it is low impact. You are out in the fresh air and get sun on your skin and it just gives you an overall good feeling. On days when you feel more energised, you can push it a bit harder uphill, otherwise just go slow and steady. Coming back down the hill gives you extra strength for your leg and butt muscles but otherwise is nice and easy and can be very relaxing. My hikes are from 1 hour up to 3.5hrs, depending on how I feel. I just make sure I take enough water and one or two of my yummy USANA bars.

I try to get out on my bike twice a week as well. My rides used to be up to 6 hours long, when I was still training, but I had to shorten them more and more. At the moment I am happy to ride for 90 minutes – 2.5 hours. My pace is of course a lot slower than before. I can really feel the extra weight and the reduced lung capacity, but just being out and turning my legs over is great.

The other very good thing to do during pregnancy is to go to the gym. Again, it is not about being able to lift heavy weights, but maintaining some strength in your muscles. It will help you with every day activities and being able to cope with the extra weight you’ve got and it will help during labour.  I do safe exercises and avoid too much core, especially your abdominal muscles (rectus abdominals).

What I will probably do the most over the next weeks is swimming.  As you can read in every book about pregnancy, it is great for your body and the weightless feeling in the pool makes you feel normal again and not like an elephant.  The water pressure helps your blood flow in the placenta and I believe your baby will love it as well. It doesn’t matter how fast you go, but just get in the water and start moving.  My sessions are still up to 4km long at the moment, but I will see how much longer I can keep it up, and will likely reduce the distance soon.  Being pregnant doesn’t mean that you can’t do exercise. You still have plenty of possibilities. You just have to adopt a routine that suits and adapt it along the way as your body changes throughout your pregnancy. Out of the choices of swimming, hiking, biking and gym, I normally choose one or two options a day, depending on how my body feels and how much time I have got. As I have mentioned at the beginning, the most important thing is to listen to your body, and sometimes, when I am just too tired, I take it easy and start over the following day.

I believe that the longer I can keep up a certain amount of training, the easier it will be to get my fitness back afterwards and the better I will feel during my pregnancy and hopefully during labour.   I have read heaps of research and studies and they all confirm that you will not harm your baby when you keep active as long as you are sensible. Obviously, high impact sports like boxing etc. or sports where you are in danger of having a high impact fall are not ideal, but swimming, hiking and doing safe exercises in the gym are ideal and recommended. Happy training/ exercising to everyone! 

The post Britta Martin’s Training During Pregnancy (Blog 2) appeared first on Usana Health Sciences Organization.

This is my first winter in New Zealand in a few years and, thanks to El Nino, it is shaping up to be a bit of a cold one. I am definitely a hot weather person. I love training in the heat and when it comes to racing, the hotter the temperature the better it is for me. The reason why I am still in NZ during winter is that this year I have decided to focus 100% on qualifying for Kona and, more precisely, on doing a really good race there. This means no trip back to Germany this year but instead some early season races in the Southern Hemisphere to top up my points and then, provided I have qualified come the end of July, a big build up for Kona in Noosa, where it will at least be quite cosy during August and September.

There are a number of really important things that I have to focus on to enable me to endure the challenges associated with training long hours in winter time. One thing that I think is important and that is to is to have some really big goals to think about on a daily basis. Focusing on these targets motivate me to get out and do the training regardless of the weather conditions.

Another thing is that it becomes even more important to take car of myself. Good nutrition is important all year around but, for me, during winter I am really extra careful to make sure that i not only eat a healthy, balanced diet, but that I also take extra care to make sure that I keep a really strict routine with my Usana supplements. The Usana Essentials are invaluable and give me the added confidence that I am giving my body the very best chance at staying healthy, and recovering adequately on a day to day basis to be able to handle my training.

My next race is planned to be Ironman 70.3 Korea, at the beginning of July. This is my mid-winter goal and will be a good test to see how my winter training has gone so far. No doubt I will still log a few more sessions on the dreaded indoor training before then but, so far, I am surviving it. Keep warm everyone, summer is just around the corner

Cheers,
Britta

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