2013 WAS A BREAKTHROUGH YEAR FOR EMMA GARRARD.


A professional triathlete, the 32-year- old notched her best performances at both the XTERRA USA Championship in September and the XTERRA World Championship in October, where she ranked first among Americans. But it wasn’t the quick splits or paychecks that highlighted her season. Rather, it was the birth of her son, Torin, last December that topped her list of accomplishments. And, as she lined up on the podium to collect her winnings for her effort at worlds, that cherubic, blue-eyed baby boy hoisted on her hip was the best prize of them all. Garrard is at the forefront of a new


wave of triathletes who have gamely navi- gated the transition from pregnancy to elite racing. Just over the past 18 months, a cadre of elite triathletes, including 2012 Olympic gold medalist Nicola Spirig along with non-drafting pros Rebeccah Wassner and Samantha War- riner and XTERRA pro Kelley Cullen have returned to top-level racing mere months after giving birth. And more are following suit: 2008 Olym- pian Sarah Haskins is set to race again in 2014 after hav- ing daughter Caro- line in July, and ultra-distance stars Amanda Lovato, Kate Major, Desiree Ficker and Kim Loeffler have also contributed to the recent triathlete baby boom. So how have


these women made a nearly seamless jump from new mom to top triathlete? Garrard began by drawing inspiration from athlete mom pioneers, including her friend Nikki But- terfield who saw her best performances, including a win at the 2012 Abu Dhabi International Triathlon, post-baby. Other elite long-distance athletes — like runners Kara Goucher and Paula Radcliffe — have blazed a trail for new moms who want to stay competitive, all but squashing


the old-school idea that pregnancy for endurance athletes automatically equals retirement. Not that it’s an easy trail to follow.


Pregnancy takes an obvious toll on the body that can take months, if not years, to recover from. Throw in sleep depriva- tion, time management challenges and the stress of caring for a tiny human, and it’s one very steep climb from the delivery room to the starting line.


n ACTIVE REST Granted, how quickly — and comfort-


ably — one is able to re-enter the com- petitive arena varies from person to per- son. Garrard’s remarkable return was no doubt propelled by her extremely active pregnancy, during which she ran, cross- country skied or swam until the day she delivered Torin. This, she says, ensured that she maintained her cardiovascular fitness in those nine months enabling her to bounce back, more or less, after having the baby. “Throughout


Tom Kimmell


Olympian Sarah Haskins and husband Nate Kortuem welcomed baby Caroline in July. Haskins modified her training during pregnancy and plans to return to racing in 2014.


the pregnancy, I wanted to stay as fit as possible without taking any chances,” she says, adding that she exercised about an hour a day, but took it easy, especially in her third trimes- ter. “It wasn’t as much about my triathlon career as it was just a part of my lifestyle. I’m


just not happy when I don’t exercise.” While staying active isn’t always an


option for expecting moms — many experience sidelining nausea, debilitat- ing muscular pain or may run the risk of preterm labor with exercise — it’s a key variable to the timing of a comeback, says Carolyn Mazur, who has worked with numerous elite athletes through- out and after pregnancy as the founder of Fusion Physical Therapy & Sports Per-


“Throughout the pregnancy, I wanted to stay as fi t as possible without taking any chances. It wasn’t as much about my triathlon career as it was just a


part of my lifestyle. I’M JUST NOT HAPPY WHEN I DON’T EXERCISE.”


36 USA TRIATHLON WINTER 2014


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