What can you learn for your second pregnancy as an endurance athlete?
Here race team athlete Elaine Garvican discusses what pregnancy is like the second time around when juggling training, life, pregnancy and a toddler offer further levels of learning and experience.
Most articles which talk about training while pregnant assume it is the athlete’s first baby. This isn’t an unreasonable assumption by any means, since the first time you go through it, you’re not only clueless, but you know you’re clueless! Even scouring the internet for the blogs and interviews from other mums-to-be doesn’t fill in all the gaps, and you end up making a lot of it up as you go along. By the end of that pregnancy, the trouble is that it turns out all you have become is an expert in how YOU can (or can’t!) train during THAT pregnancy. So roll on baby number two, and in many, ways I found myself back at square one – with the added complication of a toddler (and a global pandemic) to really make things interesting.
This is the biggest and most obvious difference the second time around; you are already responsible for a tiny person, who (depending on the age gap) might be out of nappies or might not, might be at pre-school or might not and might require a lot of your time and attention… or might require ALL your time and attention! When I fell pregnant with my first child, I came from a very high level of fitness and used to completing a lot of training hours in all three disciplines. Even allowing for my increasing size and decreasing energy levels, I could still plan my day around the weather, the best opportunity for a half-empty swim lane, a physio appointment, or any other commitments I had that day. With a toddler, plans are always flexible, revolving around naps, mealtimes and their activities– and things frequently change. In the early stages of a second pregnancy, when the full-body, energy-sapping fatigue hits, gone is the opportunity to spend all afternoon recovering from a 45 min tempo run on the sofa. If I wanted to turbo, it had to be while my daughter slept, but it was only possible if I still had enough energy to entertain her for the rest of the afternoon – if I was too lethargic to play with her, the misery would be felt by us both. Many days, I simply had to nap when she did, as I quite simply couldn’t keep my eyes open any longer. This meant more unplanned rest days, and an early reassessment of how many training sessions a week was practical.
The second factor to consider is the same point, viewed from the other side – I have given birth before, and regardless of how diligent you are with your post-natal physiotherapy, it is a biological fact that your body is never the same again. This isn’t a 100% negative observation, as in some ways, you may be stronger or more capable. But I can’t deny that by traditional measures, I was not as fit, or as lean, or as strong as I was during my first pregnancy. Lockdown, and its associated training constraints, also played a part there, but in general, the fitter you are, the longer you can hang onto a given level of fitness. Nine months ago, I was regularly running for an hour with my daughter in the running buggy, but as time passed, and we both got bigger (and heavier!), it became less and less practical, and by the time I was 6 months pregnant, my inability to engage my core to push her and also maintain half-decent running form meant it was no longer possible. Consequently, running could only happen on the weekend, and the remaining decline in run fitness was much swifter, although just like the first time around, I found hill reps much more comfortable and enjoyable than any attempt at speed variation on the flat.
Not only is every athlete different, but every pregnancy for every athlete is different. Symptoms, which may have been overwhelming with one baby, may be entirely absent the next time (or vice versa!). I have been able to continue to hit power zones of pretty much the same wattage on the turbo until very recently, as long as the interval was short and the recovery sufficient – in contrast, last time, my turbo sessions were all of steady, aerobic quality. This might be due in part to a change in mindset, where I aimed simply for 2 or 3 sets a week of only 45 – 60 mins during the aforementioned nap (which kept me motivated and interested) but also a difference in the position of Baby 2.
There are always a few universal rules that can be applied to all expectant athletes, especially if phrased in a vague enough manner. Having now trained through two pregnancies, I find myself even more convinced that the most useful thing you learn from the experience relates to the specific circumstances of your current situation – and the acceptance and flexibility that comes from that.
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