Namita Nayyar:
You ran 7km the day before giving birth. What is your advice to pregnant athletes about listening to their body versus pushing limits? Where is that line?
Emma Pallant-Browne:
I think the key is not to have a rigid plan because your body is so smart and it really does tell you in your HR and how you feel when you are over doing it. I expected to be swimming up to birth and possibly cycling and then actually it was the total reverse. In the first trimester I felt really nauseous in the water and stopped swimming first.
Then the biking started getting sore because he was sitting low so that was the second thing to go and running felt fine all the way up. It got slower and slower but I just listened to my body and as long as I felt good after the run (and often felt better than before the run) then I just kept listening to the body, I slept well and I ate well and I am so grateful to have been able to go all the way to birth and I think the strength training also really helped because by the end it puts quite a lot of stress on your joints!
Namita Nayyar:
Postpartum return: What was the first workout you did after your child was born, and how did it feel emotionally vs. physically?
Emma Pallant-Browne:
I did a walk the next day around the ward and then out into the car park, it was a bit tender and I was a bit sore around the C-section scar. Then the firsts actual session with a warm up and cool down etc I did was on the indoor bike and I felt like my HR went wild but it felt so good to push again and without the worry of over doing it from a HR point of view
Namita Nayyar:
How has your diet changed as a breastfeeding (if applicable) or postpartum endurance athlete compared to your pre-motherhood Ironman diet?
Emma Pallant-Browne:
I definitely day to day and at night ate a lot more (little and often) when I was breast feeding because I just felt hungry all the time but I also put the same importance on keeping hydrated as I did when I was training for the ironman.
I think training for the ironman I had bigger meals and probably didn’t eat as frequently but with breast feeding I had a lot more snacks and I found it harder to eat big meals all at once, four smaller meals felt a lot better
Namita Nayyar:
Give us a full day of eating on a heavy training day (e.g., 4-hour bike + run). What does breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks look like?
Emma Pallant-Browne:
Right now I still find it hard to train without eating first so on a double key sesh run day it would be a bit like this:
2 x hot cross buns pre session
1 x PF and H 30g gel during the session and bottle 500ml with 1500 sodium PFandH sachet
Post session chocolate milk
Breakfast: granola and yoghurt
In the day drink 1L PF and H 1500 electrolytes
Lunch: egg on white toast with cottage cheese
Post gym rusks and a coffee
Second sesh: 1 x PF and H 30g gel during the session and bottle 500ml with 1500 sodium PFandH sachet
Post session chocolate milk
Dinner: spaghetti bolognaise with green salad and then maybe a few squares of choc before bed and a hot milk
Namita Nayyar:
What is your non-negotiable recovery food or drink immediately after a hard session?
Emma Pallant-Browne:
At the moment its chocolate milk, I think its just so quick and easy and handy to have with me all the time, when I make bottles for Locky I check that I have my post session drink ready too
Namita Nayyar:
Let’s be real: Chlorine, sweat, sunscreen, and helmets wreak havoc. What is your actual, realistic hair care routine for keeping your hair healthy as a swim-bike-run mum?
Emma Pallant-Browne:
I always wash my face in the morning to wake up and post session because it feels grimy then I am on a three day routine of day 1 my hair just gets rinsed, day 2 I shampoo and day 3 I condition because I find if I put too much in it it just feels heavier and greasy
Disclaimer
The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
