Whole 30, Triathlon Training and Contentment

Well, this update is a bit overdue… it’s now been 50 days since I posted on the blog! As much as I would love to post more, I am accepting the reality of the life I live, with being a full-time mom and also working part-time from home. There’s just not much time left at the end of the day! But I would like to give an update from April’s Whole 30 challenge and on my triathlon training.

First of all, a conclusion about myself after tackling what I did in April: apparently I like to do intense things. (Riding bikes around the world comes to mind. Natural childbirth is right up there on the list, too.) I think that trying to do the Whole 30, train for an Olympic distance triathlon, work from home, and be a stay-at-home mom was just TOO MUCH. Too much for my season in life. Why couldn’t I have waited a little longer and given myself more of a break? I’m not sure. I think it comes back to my seeming attraction to doing hardcore things. But I have to say, this time I think I did too many of them at once. About a week and a half into the Whole 30, I was getting burned out on the amount of effort required for every meal. I’m not one to quit, I’m really not. So I stuck with it. More than anything, I finished April simply ready for a BREAK!

So, for the Whole 30 update: For starters, I try to eat well on a regular basis. I am not 100 percent a healthy eater. I love cookies (and cake and ice cream and you get the idea). The Whole 30 was no sugar, no dairy, no legumes and no grains… and absolutely nothing artificial in anything I ate. I was encouraged that it was not actually that difficult for me to resist those foods, and I was proud of my self-discipline in never cheating. (Save one exception on day 24 where I accidentally took a swallow of Dave’s white chocolate mocha because I thought it was my cup of black coffee. Whoops!) I was also encouraged that I never had the results of the “detox period” most people experience in the first few days (headaches, tiredness). Much of my diet already is Whole 30 friendly, so I don’t think the changes had a tremendous effect. And… of course the real reason I did the Whole 30–I actually did lose some weight! My pre-Whole 30 weight was fluctuating quite a bit, so I’m not sure of the exact number, but I lost somewhere between 4-6 pounds. And several of my pre-pregnancy pants will button again, so that’s a bonus! So yes, I would certainly say my Whole 30 ended in success, but my most honest assessment of it is that it’s a LOT of work, and I’m not sure I would do it again. At least not in this particular life stage!

I really did make some awesome food on this thing! This was a tasty balsamic roast, with mashed cauliflower, baked sweet potato and green beans!

The sweet potato hash with sausage and fresh veggies became another favorite on the Whole 30!

On to the triathlon update… I finally bit the bullet and registered for the Capital of Dreams Olympic Distance Triathlon here in Montgomery. It’s next weekend! (Insert panic emoji face here.) I can honestly say I am not quite ready. I have put as much time and energy into training as my season of life will allow. In case you’re wondering, that’s not as much as is recommended to properly train for this race. I have been on the fence trying to decide if I would do the sprint distance or the full Olympic. The sprint is a 400m swim/20K bike/5K run. I was confident I could do that and probably do it well. The Olympic distance is a 1500m swim/40K bike/10K run. I have been concerned about how long the course would be open, and was trying to track down that information before I made the commitment to register. I finally found someone with the host company who knew the answer–the course closes after 3 hours and 45 minutes. Now, I’m almost certain I actually CAN’T finish in that amount of time! But the lady I spoke with was so encouraging I decided to go for it anyway. Worst case scenario… I’m running out on the streets of downtown Montgomery all on my own. Worse things have happened! I wanted to take the risk and push myself to my maximum potential. And part of me knows that this might be one of my better opportunities to finish an Olympic distance tri. So I’m going for it! Next Saturday, May 30… say a little prayer for me that I will be able to finish!

Finding enough time to train has been a challenge, not to mention it was April before I was really able to get out and go for a real ride on my bike! It has been so refreshing to get out and do some cycling!

Through all of this training and dieting, I still haven’t gotten to my pre-pregnancy weight. And although it’s a process, I’m learning to accept that and embrace it. Here’s reality: I am no longer pre-pregnancy. My body has been through a lot in the last year, and if it decides it wants to keep a few extra pounds as a result of that, I’m OK with it. I am learning to love myself as I am and not put unrealistic expectations for what society says I should look like. On top of that, I’m trying to get away from comparing myself with others. This is so easy to do! I have several friends who had babies around the same time as me. Many of them are already back to pre-pregnancy size, and it’s hard to not be jealous. But I have been realizing that everyone has their own battles. Kirby was sleeping through the night regularly at around 6-8 weeks old. What a blessing! So, I might have to work at losing weight, but other moms might be jealous of the amount of sleep I’ve been able to get. In the end, we all have highs and lows in postpartum life. And I am learning to REJOICE with those around me in their highs, rather than be jealous and resentful. “Back in your pre-pregnancy jeans in just two weeks? Good for you! I am so happy for you!”  What if we all went out of our way to be joyful for other new moms when something was going right for them? I think we would be so much more content if we all celebrated the positives in our own lives and in others’. So that’s what I’ve been learning through this process… and I am hoping that I can carry this lesson on contentment into other areas of my life!