After giving birth to her twin boys in July 2022, Jacqui worked with her medical team to make it to the start line of the 2022 Ironman World Championship just three months postpartum. Over to Jacqui to detail the how and why\u2026<\/p>\n
Jacqui\u2019s sporting background<\/strong><\/h2>\nI started my endurance sports career as a runner.<\/strong> My parents \u2028were both runners and traveled \u2028the U.S. to do marathons, it made me want to be an athlete. I ran collegiately but was frequently injured and used biking and swimming to cross-train.<\/p>\nI met \u2028my husband through sport<\/strong> and he coached me for my first half-Ironman over a decade ago, the Buffalo Springs 70.3 in Texas.<\/p>\nI missed the Kona slot in my age-group by one position at that race.<\/strong> It lit a fire in me \u2013 I knew I wanted to race Kona one day.<\/p>\nThe quest to race Kona<\/strong><\/h2>\nSince then, I\u2019ve done 16 Ironmans,<\/strong> but my most memorable one is Kona 2022 because I raced it just three months after giving birth to my twin boys, Jackson and Jacob.<\/p>\nI asked my pelvic floor physical therapist if my idea to race it was crazy \u2013<\/strong>\u00a0to race the Ironman World Championship 12 weeks postpartum. <\/span>I wanted to race, but being healthy for my boys was the most important thing. Luckily they said it was definitely doable.<\/p>\nI also had a friend who raced a few months after having one of her kids<\/strong> \u2013 she was an invaluable resource for me during my decision-making process.<\/p>\nTraining for Kona while pregnant<\/strong><\/h2>\nMy longest Kona training run pre-birth was 17 miles at 17 weeks pregnant.<\/strong> While pregnant, I would ride my bike aerobically with one harder ride a week.<\/p>\nI stopped swimming early on<\/strong> because my lower back and legs couldn\u2019t handle the weight of my front.<\/p>\n - Should I keep training when pregnant?<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n
- How to cycle safely while pregnant<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>
<\/p><\/div> <\/section>
Training for Kona postpartum<\/strong><\/h2>\nI returned to activity about two-and-a-half weeks postpartum.<\/strong> I power-walked and rode my Peloton, which has a more padded saddle than my tri bike.<\/p>\nI felt no rush to return to training<\/strong> and enjoyed the process. I was lucky that my parents helped watch the twins so I could fit in training. My longest ride postpartum and before Kona was four hours and all went well.<\/p>\n - How to build fitness back postpartum<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n
- How to breastfeed around training and exercising<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>
<\/p><\/div> <\/section>
Racing Kona while pumping\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\nMy only goals for Kona were to beat my slowest-ever Ironman swim, bike, and run times.<\/strong> As soon as I got out of the water from the swim and saw I\u2019d beaten my swim time I knew it\u2019d be a good day.<\/p>\nI ended up running a 3:28hr marathon and finishing in 11:34hrs,<\/strong> with stopping to pump for 15 minutes each time in T1 and T2.<\/p>\n ![\""Jacqui\"]( "\\"\"jacqui-giuliano-kona-pumping\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div> Jacqui Giuliano stopping to express in transition during the 2022 Ironman World Champs. (Credit: Team Giuliano)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\nAll the women in the change tent were very supportive when they saw me pumping.<\/strong> Ironman gave \u2028me an area to sit and my husband could wait outside so that I could return my milk to him.<\/p>\nAdvice for women wanting to race postpartum<\/strong><\/h2>\nMy advice for other women wanting to race postpartum<\/strong> is to seek out advice. I could not have attempted the journey to Kona postpartum without my physical therapist or the women who have been through the same experience and assured me I could do it.<\/p>\nHearing that other women have done similar challenges<\/strong> built me up and gave me the confidence I needed to get to the Kona start line<\/strong><\/a>.<\/span><\/div>\n - Chelsea Sodaro: I won\u2019t stop talking about my postpartum journey<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n
- Mothers shouldn\u2019t feel lucky for being able to pursue sport, says Chelsea Sodaro<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>
<\/p><\/div> <\/section>
Jacqui spoke to endurance sports journalist Kristin Jenny, who has written for Triathlete Magazine, Women\u2019s Running Magazine, and Cycling Weekly.\u00a0<\/em><\/div> <\/body><\/html>\n
","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Jacqui Giuliano raced Kona just three months postpartum, stopping to express in T1 and T2. Here she tells us her motivation for racing as a new mum\u2026 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":24017,"template":"","categories":[1,23],"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"4"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2023\/07\/racing-kona-and-pumping-made-me-really-proud.jpg",1170,860,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2023\/07\/racing-kona-and-pumping-made-me-really-proud-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2023\/07\/racing-kona-and-pumping-made-me-really-proud-300x221.jpg",300,221,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2023\/07\/racing-kona-and-pumping-made-me-really-proud-768x565.jpg",768,565,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2023\/07\/racing-kona-and-pumping-made-me-really-proud-1024x753.jpg",800,588,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2023\/07\/racing-kona-and-pumping-made-me-really-proud.jpg",1170,860,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2023\/07\/racing-kona-and-pumping-made-me-really-proud.jpg",1170,860,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/220triathlon\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Jacqui Giuliano raced Kona just three months postpartum, stopping to express in T1 and T2. Here she tells us her motivation for racing as a new mum\u2026","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/220triathlon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/24016"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/220triathlon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/220triathlon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/220triathlon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/220triathlon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/24017"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/220triathlon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24016"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/220triathlon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24016"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
I met \u2028my husband through sport<\/strong> and he coached me for my first half-Ironman over a decade ago, the Buffalo Springs 70.3 in Texas.<\/p>\n I missed the Kona slot in my age-group by one position at that race.<\/strong> It lit a fire in me \u2013 I knew I wanted to race Kona one day.<\/p>\n Since then, I\u2019ve done 16 Ironmans,<\/strong> but my most memorable one is Kona 2022 because I raced it just three months after giving birth to my twin boys, Jackson and Jacob.<\/p>\n I asked my pelvic floor physical therapist if my idea to race it was crazy \u2013<\/strong>\u00a0to race the Ironman World Championship 12 weeks postpartum. <\/span>I wanted to race, but being healthy for my boys was the most important thing. Luckily they said it was definitely doable.<\/p>\n I also had a friend who raced a few months after having one of her kids<\/strong> \u2013 she was an invaluable resource for me during my decision-making process.<\/p>\n My longest Kona training run pre-birth was 17 miles at 17 weeks pregnant.<\/strong> While pregnant, I would ride my bike aerobically with one harder ride a week.<\/p>\n I stopped swimming early on<\/strong> because my lower back and legs couldn\u2019t handle the weight of my front.<\/p>\n <\/p><\/div> <\/section> I returned to activity about two-and-a-half weeks postpartum.<\/strong> I power-walked and rode my Peloton, which has a more padded saddle than my tri bike.<\/p>\n I felt no rush to return to training<\/strong> and enjoyed the process. I was lucky that my parents helped watch the twins so I could fit in training. My longest ride postpartum and before Kona was four hours and all went well.<\/p>\n <\/p><\/div> <\/section> My only goals for Kona were to beat my slowest-ever Ironman swim, bike, and run times.<\/strong> As soon as I got out of the water from the swim and saw I\u2019d beaten my swim time I knew it\u2019d be a good day.<\/p>\n I ended up running a 3:28hr marathon and finishing in 11:34hrs,<\/strong> with stopping to pump for 15 minutes each time in T1 and T2.<\/p>\n All the women in the change tent were very supportive when they saw me pumping.<\/strong> Ironman gave \u2028me an area to sit and my husband could wait outside so that I could return my milk to him.<\/p>\n My advice for other women wanting to race postpartum<\/strong> is to seek out advice. I could not have attempted the journey to Kona postpartum without my physical therapist or the women who have been through the same experience and assured me I could do it.<\/p>\n <\/p><\/div> <\/section> Jacqui Giuliano raced Kona just three months postpartum, stopping to express in T1 and T2. Here she tells us her motivation for racing as a new mum\u2026 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":24017,"template":"","categories":[1,23],"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"4"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2023\/07\/racing-kona-and-pumping-made-me-really-proud.jpg",1170,860,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2023\/07\/racing-kona-and-pumping-made-me-really-proud-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2023\/07\/racing-kona-and-pumping-made-me-really-proud-300x221.jpg",300,221,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2023\/07\/racing-kona-and-pumping-made-me-really-proud-768x565.jpg",768,565,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2023\/07\/racing-kona-and-pumping-made-me-really-proud-1024x753.jpg",800,588,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2023\/07\/racing-kona-and-pumping-made-me-really-proud.jpg",1170,860,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/47\/2023\/07\/racing-kona-and-pumping-made-me-really-proud.jpg",1170,860,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/220triathlon\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Jacqui Giuliano raced Kona just three months postpartum, stopping to express in T1 and T2. Here she tells us her motivation for racing as a new mum\u2026","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/220triathlon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/24016"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/220triathlon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/220triathlon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/220triathlon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/220triathlon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/24017"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/220triathlon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24016"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/220triathlon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24016"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}The quest to race Kona<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Training for Kona while pregnant<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Training for Kona postpartum<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Racing Kona while pumping\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\""Jacqui\"](\""https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/34\/2023\/07\/jacqui-giuliano-kona-pumping-b9e9a05.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413"\" "\\"\"jacqui-giuliano-kona-pumping\"\\"\/")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>Advice for women wanting to race postpartum<\/strong><\/h2>\n
","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"