Congrats on your pregnancy! Motherhood is the most fulfilling, yet toughest "race" I have ever done.
I am currently a bit over 16 weeks pregnant with my second and know too well the many questions that you face about training, racing, etc.

As you mentioned, you will discuss things with your doctor, but I will give you an idea of what I did/am doing during my pregnancies as a fellow athlete.

With both pregnancies, I had just done an IM, so I was in great shape at the start. Because of that, I did continue to train in all 3 disciplines as much as I could. With both pregnancies, I was quite sick my 1st trimesters and very tired. As you hit your 2nd trimester, you will notice your energy back, which is great. (Be careful with your abs routine at this point, you don't want to do straight crunches, but you can definitely still do core/ab work.) I live in cold winter climate so biking outside after November wasn't an issue, but I would say after 1st trimester, it is smarter to stay on a trainer. I personally do 2-3 intense trainer workouts a week with a training facility and sme days I feel great, others I may dial my wattage back a bit. With my trainer rides, biking and swimming, I honestly do not worry about heart rate. I think 140 max is ridiculous for an athlete to follow (follow doctor's advice of course), so I go by feel. My doctor is not fazed by my workouts because they were what I was doing prior to pregnancy. But, she is adamant about not starting any kind of intense new workouts at this point (kickboxing, etc.) for fear of injury.

As my pregnancy progresses, I will see how I feel. I had some back issues my first pregnancy, so I scaled my running and biking back around 25-27 weeksto 1-2 times per week and just swam, swam, swam. As the weather warms, I will probably do the same this time. I felt great in the water where as towards the end, I couldn't run too long without my bladder annoying me.

You will have no problem staying fit and active. As far as racing goes while pregnant, frme it would depend on what kind of race and how far in to my pregnancy. I did some running races during my first trimester with no problem. Definitely go by doctor's orders.

Good Luck and Enjoy every minute of it (especially your rest while you can)!

Buy this book: http://www.amazon.com/...234118549&sr=8-1

It should answer most of your questions. Have your husband and family read it whenever they have concerns about your exercising.
The Runnersworld women's forum is also a great source of info re: training and pregnancy. Do a search or join the preggo groups.

Good luck and enjoy your pregnancy!

ps (the peeing gets better during the 2nd tri and gets worse again at the very end when the baby drops)

I also recommend "Exercising During Pregnancy" by Dr. Clapp. I have a 4.5 month old and ran up until the day I was induced. My doctor told me there wasn't a lot of science behind the heart rate number and just to listen to my body and stay hydrated. If I got tired, I slowed down and if I just didn't feel like running that day, I didn't. I also road my bike on the trainer all the way through my pregnancy. I was too nervous about being on the roads and falling. And swimming was the easiest to keep up.

I found a lot of comfort in reading the blogs of others triathlon mom's to be and triathlon mom's during my pregnancy. There are a lot of women out there who have been in your shoes and there's something reassuring about being able to communicate with these woman.

My husband was also worried about me exercising while pregnant so he also read Dr. Clapp's book. Also, the book The Best Birth had very easy to read chapters for fathers.

And your energy really comes back in the second trimester so enjoy it!

Thanks, this is great advice! I am going to the bookstore later and see if they have those that were recommended. I just wish people (at work, non-athlete friends) ect would understand that working out during pregnancy is not because I "don't want to get fat" (as most of them assume) but more maintaining a healthy lifestyle and hopefully reduce the recovery time.

Congrats! I'm currently 27 weeks pregnant and had a lot of the same questions as you do when I found out. The suggestions for checking forums are great, just realize that what one woman can/does do may not work for you. My doctor did mention the 140 max heart rate, but what she doesn't know, she doesn't know. I can hit 140 just walking some days, or be 140 jogging - but I pay very close attention to my breathing and perceived energy output. If I start huffing and puffing, I dial it down. I try not to get my heart rate over 155 - that seemed like a good number for me based on normal training (slightly lower than my perceived effort pre-preggo). Keeping hydrated (yes - many an hour on the treadmill is interupted by quick jaunts to the bathroom (usually at least 2/hour) and don't over heat. The babe can't sweat in there.

As for the peeing - I guess I'm one of the lucky ones (NOT). Since August, I have been getting up to pee in the middle of the night - I'm lucky if it's just once. It doesn't matter if I down a liter of water right before hitting the sack or have my last drink at 7:00 pm - it just happens. It didn't go away in the 2nd trimester either, and now that I'm hitting the third, I figure it's not going away now. I've been surprised the last month or so with the kid - when I wake up to pee - he/she thinks it's time to start dancing - and an hour - 2 hours later, I'm still awake and kid is still going strong. I guess that's the real training for when the baby arrives - waking up and staying awake in the middle of the night!

I had to quite riding my trainer about 23 weeks - it just got to uncomfortable to bend over and grab the handle bars. Spin and stationary bikes may be better, as you can adjust the seat and handlebars to be a lot more upright as you continue to grow. The treadmill and elipticlal are my friends.

This has nothing to do with training - but my husband has been getting a big kick (and useful info) out of the Caveman's Pregnancy Companion, A Survival Guide for Expectant Fathers - seems to be a bit more on the lighter side, but has some good info in it. For the family - tell them about Paula Radcliff's pregancy exercise regime - then tell them you probably won't be doing that much running... sorry - I don't really have any advice - I would think they would expect you to stay active and not just settle into the couch just because your pregnant (although - I have many a weekend day where I don't get off the couch at all - except to pee of course).

And coffee - talk to your doc. Seems that a cup of coffee a day is fine - too much can have an effect. It's something I gave up months before getting pregnant, so I really haven't looked into it too much...

Congrats - keep up the exercising (it really isn't training any more), you'll be a fit momma - and when you decide to eat the entire pint of Ben and Jerry's - you'll have 2 excuses - your pregnant and your exercising!!

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Harry: "I expected the Rocky Mountains to be a little rockier than this."
Loyd: "I was thinking the same thing. That John Denver's full of shit, man."

Welcome to the club - I too am pregnant with my first child at the age of 36. I'm just over 19 weeks at this point and all is going smoothly so far. So all I can do is comment on what I have experienced so far. I am keeping up with my running, biking, swimming and lifting, although the intensity is not what it would be with getting ready for a tri season. I am really trying to listen to my body and adjust as needed. At this point the only limitations I have found are ones that I had pre-pregnancy.

I did read the book by Dr. Clapp and found it super helpful more in what I could tell others to assure them I am not trying to do harm. I always knew that I would want to be an active pregnant woman and as long as I didn't go out to win any medals it would be fine (after all I am not Paula Radclif). Every healthcare provider that I have dealt with have all recommended that I keep up with my exercise as it helps all around. No one gave me any guidelines with heart rate, but then again I never asked because I understand that heart rate is so individual and a standard 140 would cut it for a small population but not most. I use perceived exertion and keep myself in check.

I realize you posted this a little while ago and I don't know where you are now in your pregnancy, but there is hope with exhaustion. At about 10 weeks I flet my come right back. During my first trimester I was so tired, I used to make deals with myself that I would go for 10 minutes and if I was still laboring through it I would stop. I never ended up stopping as I always had more energy afterward. That being said I was still ready for bed most nights by 7:30 and asleep by 8:30. Again that changed after those initial 10 weeks.

I'm still riding but only rollers indoors - I do plan on using my mountain bike and hitting the paths when the weather warms up. I think I will likley stay off the roads as much as I can. I am actually on my way out to find a new softer saddle for my bike as I find I am so much more sensitive these days.

Coffee, well I have been off it since before we started trying - I figured I wanted to give it up while pregnant. I do also hear a lot of people say as long as you intake is less then 16-20 oz per day.

Wish I had more to add for the husband. My husband is a fellow triathlete and supports my activity levels which is super helpful. I'm sure once your husband here's from your OB/midwife that activity is good and recommended especially if you have already been used to it over the years, he will not be as concerned (maybe?).

I'm glad to know that there is someone else out there pregnant. I swear last spring slowtwitch was full of pregnant athletes, but right now it seems like there are few of us on the forum...anyone else out there?

Good luck and enjoy the adventure!

You have some good advice here. As for getting up to pee every two hours - your body is getting you ready for when you have to get up to feed a newborn every two hours!!

Hello....there are more of us pregnant triathletes out there lurking :)

I'm currently just over 15 weeks pregnant and loving what the second trimester is bringing...especially the energy!!

I struggled with exhaustion in the first trimester and it didn't help that the weather was very cold and therefore it was hard to get the motivation to go outside for more then walking the dog and shoveling :) In January I only made it to the pool 5 times - it was hard waking up!

Although I struggled with getting exercise and was frequently in bed by 7:30 I did hook my bike up to the trainer and put my mountain bike saddle on which has been great so I got back into spinning on a more regular basis. Running was saved for warmer weather days (I was a bit wimpy) AND when the footing was decent. I was cross country skiing on the weekends whenever I had the chance and the energy because I knew that I could nap after my ski :)

Now that I have more energy I'm no longer struggling to exercise. I'm happy to be back in action. The weather is beginning to warm up and the sun is shining so that helps ALOT. I'm now trying to run more often, ski on weekends, spin twice a week depending on the weather and time, keep up some core/stength work once a week, and swim 2-3 times a week. I try to do something at least 5 days a week with two rest days but ideally in my head I'd only like to have to take one rest day. There are no more double workouts since I'd REALLY need a nap then. I have found that my body will tell me if I've done too much and plauge me with exhaustion the following day and thats when I know I need a rest day. This usually happens after a couple of days of good workouts so the rest is welcomed.

Its true that some people are concerned about my level of activity but my husband is super supportive and not concerned in the least. I tend to keep my heart rate undercontrol and not get too worked up. I feel slow but I like being out there and feeling a bit like my old self. I think it will be harder in the spring when everyone starts biking outside but by then I should have a real belly and this pregnancy thing will feel more "real"!

BTW: I get up to pee on average 2 to 3 times a night - its great....lol.

Yeah! Nice to know others out there going slower but still loving the activity. Sounds like you are balancing it all really well. Weather certainly does make it tough to motivate, but we are moving toward warmer days again (i hope).

Thanks for all the advice! I am, right now, just under 8 weeks and still feeling like I drank a whole bottle of NyQuil. My next question is... (hopefully!) in my next trimester when I am feeling more energy, can I bump up my milage and duration of my workouts?
Not that I would try but what about weight loss? If all I have been able to do so far the last few weeks, is occasionally run, lift and spin class, then logic would dictate that when I start feeling better and bump up my workouts to closer to frequency and length that I am used to... would I loose weight? If so, is this unintentional weight loss dangerous?

Good suggestion about putting your mountain bike saddle on your tri bike! Brilliant!

I am NOT a doctor and have no science training at all but I would think it would be very hard to lose weight in the second trimester if you are eating a healthy well rounded diet. Your body tends to hold onto weight, at least the weight the baby needs to grow.

And I was able to pick up the intensity and duration of my workouts in the second trimester but my focus was just on staying fit, not on performance gains. I just did what felt good and was conscious of staying hydrated and not getting too hot. I never did anything where I "redlined."

I am certainly not going to try to improve on performance but, as you said, just maintain some semblance of fitness. I just slept 12 hours straight last night and still feel tired! I am going to try to get on my trainer and, at least, try and do 30 minutes.

I am getting a little frustrated at everyones (NOT slowtwitch!) advice. It seems all my non-athlete freinds and family feel its ok to tell me what to do, how to do it, and then question if "thats safe" to go for a 30 minute run at slowpoke pace! Yes, its my first pregnancy, but I have been an endurance athlete my whole life AND I am a Registered Nurse. Sheesh!

For me, now that I have most of my energy back I'm beginning to get into more of my old routine. I've been able to make the 5:30 am swims this month, spin sessions up to 1.5hours haven't been a problem and either has skiing for 2 hours. I hope to be able to get back to my usual swim-runs come March. I'm setting little goals for myself but respecting my body and any signals it gives me. What I have noticed for myself is that I really have to pay attention to hydrating and nutrition when I started to increase my workout durations. I once had a ski where I didn't have enough to eat or drink out with me on the trail and I really struggled to make it back to the car. I can also recall a spin where I had to jump off the bike to refuel...not to mention the pee breaks.

I'm not likely to increase the intensity of my workouts too much. My main goal is to maintain an active lifestyle with plenty of recovery so I have enough energy to survive what else life has in store for me that day or the next day.

As for weightloss, its not really an issue for me. I eat plenty, definitely more then the recommended 300 extra calories a day. You may find that as you become more active your appetite will increase as well. In addition I believe your appetite will increase when the baby goes through growth spurts.

Basic advice is to listen to your body it will tell you if you need to slow down and re-evaluate.

I have heard that no weight gain in the first trimester is fine, but after that it should be about a pound a week until 25 pounds or birth. If you gain less than a pound week, the doctors will start to get nervous. I am not a medical doctor and I don't know if that is the kind of thing that doctors say out of caution or due to specific studies. I would say look forward to increasing your workouts as/if you get more energy, but also look forward to having milkshakes if you aren't gaining weight.

I really don't think weight loss will be much of an issue even with the increase in activity. I didn't gain too much at all in my 1st trimester despite feeling like I needed to eat all the time (not nausea for me!). As the 2nd trimester has been underway I have finding and increase in activity and motivation and my appetite seems to be pretty in line with the increased activity but not out of control hunger I felt initially. That being said I am putting on weight with no issue at a rate that seems to be pretty reasonable. I say not need to worry about the weight, baby will get what he/she wants and needs for what you take in.

I hear ya about the advice. I got all kinds of advice from people who weren't active at all (and some who had never even been pregnant, including men) about how I should be behaving during my pregnancy. My retort was always that my doctor said it was fine but I got tired of having to explain that being active was healthy for baby and mother. It really helped to connect with other active moms on slowtwitch and through blogs because I realized I wasn't the only pregnant woman still running/biking/swimming. I don't know what it is about seeing a pregnant woman that makes people think they should give her advice on all subject matters. Unfortunately this situation will only get worse for you as you get bigger.

Ha ha ha - "look forward to having milkshakes if you aren't gaining weight"

I say - look forward to the milkshakes any time, day or night!! Weight gain or no!!

But that's just me, I'm 29+ weeks and try to eat ice cream every day. It's my vice. I don't crave it, I just know I'm pregnant and I finally get to eat ice cream whenever I want!! he he he... good thing I'm at work, or I'd hit the freezer!!

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Harry: "I expected the Rocky Mountains to be a little rockier than this."
Loyd: "I was thinking the same thing. That John Denver's full of shit, man."