The day after my last column was posted in August 2003, I gave birth to twins. My goal during pregnancy was to come home with two healthy babies. And you know how it is with us goal-oriented folks. Although I physically couldn't do much, I approached the impending birth as if it were a race. I looked for small yet rewarding ways to stay competitive, like making sure my urine was the clearest of samples at each doctor appointment. I couldn't exercise, but my "training" consisted of 15-minute side lying breaks, pregnancy-friendly yoga poses or wading in a pool.
It was hard to be motivated to do so little. Sometimes, in the same way, it is hard to be motivated to do so much. But, as it mostly does, the training pays off. My twin girls were big and healthy and discharged from the hospital with me. I was ready for my life to get back to normal.
Isn't that funny? Only those of you with kids are laughing. You know what I'm talking about. Once a small, needy baby (or two) enters your life, life doesn't go back to life as you knew it. And, if it does, you're probably not being a very good parent.
When the girls were six weeks old, we went to watch the Twin Cities Marathon. Watching the parade of runners with my newborns brought tears to my eyes. Until then I had been completely consumed with motherhood, but being surrounded by like species and recalling the excitement of the start gun, it made me long for that runner's high. I cheered and called out the names of runners, only stopping occasionally to breastfeed my twins in the back of a minivan. That is not easy to do, by the way.
Inspired, and being six weeks post-partum - that magical marker when a new mother is allowed to resume various activities - I decided to put on my running shoes. Aside from not having control of my bladder and feeling like every ligament attached to my pelvis was doused with acid, I was hopeful. Mostly, it made me wonder why any woman would be in a hurry to get back to exercise after childbirth. Sleep deprivation notwithstanding, who were these women who were so eager to train so soon after delivery?
To add insult to injury (or pain, at least) I had just published a children's book called, "See Mom Run", about a little girl helping her mom train for a marathon. I had written the damn book and couldn't live up to the title. I wanted to be the kind of woman that would write a book like that. I felt like a sham.
My doctor's advice, which I considered sound, was to delay running until I stopped peeing all over myself. I could see the wisdom in that. I didn't think they made a "sports" version of Depends. However, now that I think about it, there could be a market for that.
By then, winter had hit Minnesota, which made a continued hiatus from running much easier (remember, I'm Texan.) Once the twins were six months old I decided to get serious again. My mileage increased ever so slowly and so did the accompanying pain. I wanted to be at the start line of the marathon that year - with a race number. Each time I increased my mileage, though, it made carrying two babies up and down a flight of stairs (part of my job requirement) extremely difficult. So I returned to the doctor certain that I had a cracked tail bone, some debilitating female disease or a tumor.
But no. My doctor simply reminded me that I had been pregnant with twins. Take it easy and give myself some time, she encouraged. So I went back to training and ran a half marathon. I was just determined to get to that marathon finish and have my babies at the finish line with me and everyone around me marveling about how amazing it was that I could finish a marathon and mother twin babies. That's what I do when I see other moms out there, holding up their two-day old infants at the finish line. Wow, I think, some kinda woman she is. I'm that kinda woman, right?
Not.
I kept at it though, but something funny happened during a track workout. My heart rate was real high. That was real weird because I felt real good. But it wouldn't go down between sets. Just wouldn't. And then I didn't get my period when I was supposed to. I thought that, for once, training-induced amenorrhea had caught up with me. That's what happens to women training for marathons.
"You're not pregnant," my good friend said to me when I called slightly concerned. She was right. I had 11-month-old twins. I still had breast milk in the freezer. I could NOT be pregnant.
"You're right, I can't be. I won't even take a test."
"No," my friend said. "Take the test so you can stop worrying about it."
I took the test. I recalled how another one of my friends had remarked some years ago that I was not the kind of woman who got pregnant on accident.
I was now.
I delayed my marathon plans again. I went back to walking, swimming, yoga and, by necessity, chasing after two one-year-olds. My husband mentioned how unfortunate it was because I had just gotten my "butt" back. I gained 40 pounds, which I did not sweat, because I had just finished losing 60.
Our third daughter was born at the end of April 2005 and I didn't even think about running six weeks out. But a few weeks later I had a great one-on-one session with Joanna Zeiger-I call it the Zeiger Cure. All of the back woes that contributed to a string of DNFs for Joanna were closely related to the suffering I felt-without having a triathlon win at stake. Pelvic instability, muscle imbalances, overtraining for Joanna, and pregnancy for me, spelled disaster for our hips and lower back, which trickled down into all sorts of other ailments. She showed me her physical therapy exercises, which I have done faithfully ever since. When I started running again this January I was strong and stable and pee free (to be fair I don't think Joanna suffers from the same incontinence problem).
Now, with the help of Troy Jacobson and my indoor cycling trainer, I've accumulated significant mileage on my bike. Before having kids I hated the idea of riding my bike indoors. Mind you, I had also lived in Dallas where winter is coat-worthy only a few days of the season. Why would I ever need to ride indoors? Now, Spinervals and sleeping babies are the magic combination for a good bike workout.
There's still swimming to contend with. I'll get in the pool eventually.
So, with training in full swing and my little girls sleeping through the night 85 percent of the time, I can write again. My life has reached a new normal and my take on triathlon has certainly changed. As a three-time brain donor I worry about how "smart" my columns will be, but one thing I'm sure of, I haven't lost my sense of humor.
Back at you after the race. | 
