Jess on\u2026 avoiding triathlon<\/strong><\/h2>\n220<\/em>: We saw you were in France during the Test Event<\/a>, where did you watch it from? \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\nJess Learmonth:<\/strong> Oh, we didn\u2019t! No. Because [husband] Jon, yeah, he\u2019s not that into triathlon, so we were on holiday. I\u2019m not very good at following [the series] when I\u2019m not involved.<\/p>\nBecause Jon\u2019s out of the loop, he\u2019s a gas engineer and we live a normal kind of life, it\u2019s quite hard to keep abreast of it.<\/p>\n
We actually got back from France by the skin of our teeth because we were a bit risky, I was 37 weeks but they let you on the ferry until about 38 weeks. But we took a car seat just in case. If we\u2019d gone into labour, it would have been a bloody nightmare. Thankfully we didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n
Jess on\u2026 the joys of pregnancy\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n220:<\/em> So\u2026 how is it going? Are you getting fed up of people saying you have \u2018a lovely glow\u2019 yet?<\/strong><\/p>\nJL:<\/strong> Yeah, people keep saying I look well and I think, normally when they say that it means you\u2019re a bit fat. People keep saying to me, \u2018Oh, you\u2019ve got a bit of a pregnancy waddle now.\u2019 And I\u2019m like, all right!<\/p>\n220<\/em>: Ha! So has baby been behaving so far?<\/strong><\/p>\nJL:<\/strong> The worst thing has been feet in the ribs, but I think it\u2019s more on my liver or something. That wakes me up at night, but that\u2019s the only discomfort I\u2019ve had.<\/p>\n It was just a bit weird to get my head around it as an athlete that I’d had so long off for an injury, just about getting to the point where I was starting to think about interim races, and then to find out you’re pregnant. Obviously you’re very happy about it, but then at the same time, I’m thinking, ‘well, I’m not going to race again now for however long.’ But it’s given me the opportunity to come back and continue my career <\/blockquote> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n<\/div> Jess on\u2026 training through pregnancy<\/strong><\/h2>\n220<\/em>: And have you been able to train throughout?<\/strong><\/p>\nJL:<\/strong> Yeah, I\u2019ve wanted to try train through it so that I can kickstart straight after the birth, really.<\/p>\n \n- How to build fitness back postpartum<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/p><\/div> <\/section>
220<\/em>: Have you reduced the training load in any way?<\/strong><\/p>\nJL:<\/strong> To be honest, it\u2019s not really reduced that much. I think the main thing was I haven\u2019t had my heart rate above like 150 since probably January, since after 12 weeks. Since then I\u2019ve not done anything hard, just because of the research around the blood flow to the fetus, which I can understand.<\/p>\nI know quite a few people that don\u2019t think there\u2019s enough research in it but for me as an athlete, the majority of my time I\u2019m spending in that zone, so I decided that that was one thing I definitely wanted to keep low.<\/p>\n
But I\u2019ve only reduced it recently because I\u2019ve changed things, like I ride on the turbo rather than outside. But that literally only just happened, so up until probably before France I was still training probably 20 hours a week, maybe more, and with no issues, which has been really great for me.<\/p>\n
But everyone\u2019s different and you\u2019ve just got to listen to your body. So I feel really lucky that I\u2019ve been able to do it [maintain training for so long].<\/p>\n \n- Should I keep training when pregnant?<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n
- How to cycle safely while pregnant<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/p><\/div> <\/section>
Jess on\u2026 injury<\/strong><\/h2>\n ![\"Jess]( "\\"jess-learmonth-singapore-arena-games-2022\\"\/")
\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div> Jess Learmonth struggling with hip pain during the 2022 Singapore Super League Arena Games Finals. Shortly after she was diagnosed with a femoral neck fracture and was on crutches for six months. (Credit: Paul Miller\/Super League Triathlon)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n220<\/em>: So pre-pregnancy you were out with injury, remind us what happened there.<\/strong><\/p>\nJL:<\/strong> Yeah, the last race I did was Super League Arena Games Grand Final in Singapore, and I had the injury in May 2022. I fractured my femoral neck [the hip], so it was quite a severe injury. I was on crutches for six months. I literally didn\u2019t put weight on my foot for the whole time, so that was quite stressful.<\/p>\nAnd then I started to rehab it, everything was going very well. That was around Christmas time and I was aiming to get back racing the following, probably April, May time. And then we found out we were pregnant in January, which was a big shock to us.<\/p>\n
I think due to the fact that I\u2019d not raced, I\u2019d not trained, I\u2019d put on a lot of weight. I think I\u2019d put on nearly three stone, maybe, that added to obviously being a lot more fertile. But it\u2019s quite tricky for endurance athletes to get pregnant while the training is so extreme.<\/p>\n
But the plan was to go to Paris [Olympics 2024] and then I\u2019d have to probably retire and then have kids. So it was a good silver lining of a bad injury, if you know what I mean.<\/p>\n
It was just a bit weird to get my head around it as an athlete that I\u2019d had so long off for an injury, just about getting to the point where I was starting to think about interim races, and then to find out you\u2019re pregnant.<\/p>\n
Obviously you\u2019re very happy about it, but then at the same time, as an athlete, I was thinking, \u2018well, I\u2019m not going to race again now for however long.\u2019 So, it was a really weird situation, but a really happy one and it\u2019s given me the opportunity to come back and continue my career.<\/p>\n \n- Does exercise help or hinder fertility?<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/p><\/div> <\/section>
Jess on\u2026 Paris Olympics ambitions\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n ![\"L-R:]( "\\"Triathlon")
\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div> L-R: Jess Learmonth, Jonny Brownlee, Georgia Taylor-Brown and Alex Yee on the podium having won gold in the Tokyo Olympics Mixed Team Relay. (Credit: Jamie Squire\/Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n220<\/em>: And the long-term plan is still Paris qualification?<\/strong><\/p>\nJL:<\/strong> Yeah, we\u2019ve obviously got a strong women\u2019s team and it\u2019s the same every Olympics. But I think it\u2019s quite difficult to know what to expect when I\u2019ve not even given birth. And I don\u2019t know how the birth will go or what type of birth I\u2019ll have. But yeah, the provisional plan is to get back as soon as I can, and then see how I go for Paris basically.<\/p>\nBecause of my hips, it will be a new challenge for me and a different type of build-up in a way because obviously I\u2019ll have a human to look after, but I\u2019m looking forward to it, actually.<\/p>\n
I think it\u2019ll be a different challenge after so many years in the sport, it\u2019s quite nice to have something different to keep your mind off it, or spice it up, really.<\/p>\n
220<\/em>: Are you still experiencing any problems from your hip injury?<\/strong><\/p>\nJL:<\/strong> I\u2019ve been running for quite a long time now and had no issues, touch wood, with my hip, which I was concerned about because obviously pregnancy is very hip related. It seems pretty strong and coping with the 75 kilograms that I am now.<\/p>\n It\u2019s more about listening to your body and knowing the difference between a ligament pull and something that’s not right. Whether that’s because I’m an athlete and we’re kind of more in tune with that, it’s hard to tell. But one thing I would say that if you exercise regularly, then try keep it up <\/blockquote> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n<\/div> Jess on\u2026 advice from other triathlete mums\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n220<\/em>: Have you been tapping up Vicky Holland<\/a> [who had welcomed daughter Emmeline at the end of January 2023] for any advice?<\/strong><\/p>\nJL:<\/strong> Yeah, it\u2019s been quite good having Vix, she\u2019s kind of paved the way as she\u2019s probably one of the first athletes on the programme that\u2019s been pregnant and come back.<\/p>\nSo she found a female health physio that you see for your pelvic floor, so I was straight in there with them. She\u2019s also advised on things like breastfeeding and how do it around training<\/strong><\/a>. The only difference with Vix was she was kind of retired when she got pregnant, but I\u2019m really lucky to have her.<\/p>\nKatie Zaferes<\/strong><\/a> [who gave birth to son Kimble in July 2022] has given me quite a lot of advice, too. It was post Olympics for her, so again she didn\u2019t train that much through pregnancy, but it\u2019s just been really useful just to get their perspective on things.<\/p>\n220<\/em>: So can you see yourself doing like Katie, who flew from the US to race WTCS Hamburg<\/a> on her own with her son, a bike and several bags?<\/strong><\/p>\nJL:<\/strong> Oh, I was like bloody hell I couldn\u2019t, you know. She\u2019s absolutely mad. I messaged her actually and I said that and she said, \u2018you\u2019ll realise soon that when you\u2019ve got a kid, loads of people want to help you\u2019. Even so, that is mad!<\/p>\nBut to see her come back so fit is so impressive, I\u2019d love to get back racing with her and basically all the squad. I really miss it, so I\u2019m looking forward to getting back there.<\/p>\n
But I will probably be very based in Leeds. I don\u2019t go on many camps at all, really. I\u2019ll be here, palming my kid off left, right and centre to family members while I go off for a run or a ride!<\/p>\n
220<\/em>: You mentioned the female health physio that you\u2019ve been seeing, have you had access to any other pregnancy-specific coaching advice?<\/strong><\/p>\nJL:<\/strong> Yeah, so we have a female health doctor who\u2019s down in Bisham Abbey [National Sports Centre in Marlow] that I\u2019ve been seeing through UK Sport. British Triathlon then review you every so often so they\u2019ll give you guidelines, \u201916 to 24 weeks do this\u2019, \u2018these are things advised\u2019\u2026<\/p>\nI\u2019ve done my own research as well, but it\u2019s very difficult because females are very under researched as it is as athletes. Then you add pregnancy to that, it\u2019s like less research, so that\u2019s why it\u2019s so important to listen to your body.<\/p>\n
I also know I\u2019m lucky that I\u2019m in this industry where there is a focus on antenatal and postnatal care a lot more, because I need, for example, a strong pelvic floor<\/a><\/strong> for running, but the amount of friends of mine that say that they can\u2019t go on the trampoline with the kids, or they can\u2019t laugh, and you think, that shouldn\u2019t be a normal thing.<\/p>\n
Jess Learmonth:<\/strong> Oh, we didn\u2019t! No. Because [husband] Jon, yeah, he\u2019s not that into triathlon, so we were on holiday. I\u2019m not very good at following [the series] when I\u2019m not involved.<\/p>\n Because Jon\u2019s out of the loop, he\u2019s a gas engineer and we live a normal kind of life, it\u2019s quite hard to keep abreast of it.<\/p>\n We actually got back from France by the skin of our teeth because we were a bit risky, I was 37 weeks but they let you on the ferry until about 38 weeks. But we took a car seat just in case. If we\u2019d gone into labour, it would have been a bloody nightmare. Thankfully we didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n 220:<\/em> So\u2026 how is it going? Are you getting fed up of people saying you have \u2018a lovely glow\u2019 yet?<\/strong><\/p>\n JL:<\/strong> Yeah, people keep saying I look well and I think, normally when they say that it means you\u2019re a bit fat. People keep saying to me, \u2018Oh, you\u2019ve got a bit of a pregnancy waddle now.\u2019 And I\u2019m like, all right!<\/p>\n 220<\/em>: Ha! So has baby been behaving so far?<\/strong><\/p>\n JL:<\/strong> The worst thing has been feet in the ribs, but I think it\u2019s more on my liver or something. That wakes me up at night, but that\u2019s the only discomfort I\u2019ve had.<\/p>\n 220<\/em>: And have you been able to train throughout?<\/strong><\/p>\n JL:<\/strong> Yeah, I\u2019ve wanted to try train through it so that I can kickstart straight after the birth, really.<\/p>\n <\/p><\/div> <\/section> 220<\/em>: Have you reduced the training load in any way?<\/strong><\/p>\n JL:<\/strong> To be honest, it\u2019s not really reduced that much. I think the main thing was I haven\u2019t had my heart rate above like 150 since probably January, since after 12 weeks. Since then I\u2019ve not done anything hard, just because of the research around the blood flow to the fetus, which I can understand.<\/p>\n I know quite a few people that don\u2019t think there\u2019s enough research in it but for me as an athlete, the majority of my time I\u2019m spending in that zone, so I decided that that was one thing I definitely wanted to keep low.<\/p>\n But I\u2019ve only reduced it recently because I\u2019ve changed things, like I ride on the turbo rather than outside. But that literally only just happened, so up until probably before France I was still training probably 20 hours a week, maybe more, and with no issues, which has been really great for me.<\/p>\n But everyone\u2019s different and you\u2019ve just got to listen to your body. So I feel really lucky that I\u2019ve been able to do it [maintain training for so long].<\/p>\n <\/p><\/div> <\/section> 220<\/em>: So pre-pregnancy you were out with injury, remind us what happened there.<\/strong><\/p>\n JL:<\/strong> Yeah, the last race I did was Super League Arena Games Grand Final in Singapore, and I had the injury in May 2022. I fractured my femoral neck [the hip], so it was quite a severe injury. I was on crutches for six months. I literally didn\u2019t put weight on my foot for the whole time, so that was quite stressful.<\/p>\n And then I started to rehab it, everything was going very well. That was around Christmas time and I was aiming to get back racing the following, probably April, May time. And then we found out we were pregnant in January, which was a big shock to us.<\/p>\n I think due to the fact that I\u2019d not raced, I\u2019d not trained, I\u2019d put on a lot of weight. I think I\u2019d put on nearly three stone, maybe, that added to obviously being a lot more fertile. But it\u2019s quite tricky for endurance athletes to get pregnant while the training is so extreme.<\/p>\n But the plan was to go to Paris [Olympics 2024] and then I\u2019d have to probably retire and then have kids. So it was a good silver lining of a bad injury, if you know what I mean.<\/p>\n It was just a bit weird to get my head around it as an athlete that I\u2019d had so long off for an injury, just about getting to the point where I was starting to think about interim races, and then to find out you\u2019re pregnant.<\/p>\n Obviously you\u2019re very happy about it, but then at the same time, as an athlete, I was thinking, \u2018well, I\u2019m not going to race again now for however long.\u2019 So, it was a really weird situation, but a really happy one and it\u2019s given me the opportunity to come back and continue my career.<\/p>\n <\/p><\/div> <\/section> 220<\/em>: And the long-term plan is still Paris qualification?<\/strong><\/p>\n JL:<\/strong> Yeah, we\u2019ve obviously got a strong women\u2019s team and it\u2019s the same every Olympics. But I think it\u2019s quite difficult to know what to expect when I\u2019ve not even given birth. And I don\u2019t know how the birth will go or what type of birth I\u2019ll have. But yeah, the provisional plan is to get back as soon as I can, and then see how I go for Paris basically.<\/p>\n Because of my hips, it will be a new challenge for me and a different type of build-up in a way because obviously I\u2019ll have a human to look after, but I\u2019m looking forward to it, actually.<\/p>\n I think it\u2019ll be a different challenge after so many years in the sport, it\u2019s quite nice to have something different to keep your mind off it, or spice it up, really.<\/p>\n 220<\/em>: Are you still experiencing any problems from your hip injury?<\/strong><\/p>\n JL:<\/strong> I\u2019ve been running for quite a long time now and had no issues, touch wood, with my hip, which I was concerned about because obviously pregnancy is very hip related. It seems pretty strong and coping with the 75 kilograms that I am now.<\/p>\n 220<\/em>: Have you been tapping up Vicky Holland<\/a> [who had welcomed daughter Emmeline at the end of January 2023] for any advice?<\/strong><\/p>\n JL:<\/strong> Yeah, it\u2019s been quite good having Vix, she\u2019s kind of paved the way as she\u2019s probably one of the first athletes on the programme that\u2019s been pregnant and come back.<\/p>\n So she found a female health physio that you see for your pelvic floor, so I was straight in there with them. She\u2019s also advised on things like breastfeeding and how do it around training<\/strong><\/a>. The only difference with Vix was she was kind of retired when she got pregnant, but I\u2019m really lucky to have her.<\/p>\n Katie Zaferes<\/strong><\/a> [who gave birth to son Kimble in July 2022] has given me quite a lot of advice, too. It was post Olympics for her, so again she didn\u2019t train that much through pregnancy, but it\u2019s just been really useful just to get their perspective on things.<\/p>\n 220<\/em>: So can you see yourself doing like Katie, who flew from the US to race WTCS Hamburg<\/a> on her own with her son, a bike and several bags?<\/strong><\/p>\n JL:<\/strong> Oh, I was like bloody hell I couldn\u2019t, you know. She\u2019s absolutely mad. I messaged her actually and I said that and she said, \u2018you\u2019ll realise soon that when you\u2019ve got a kid, loads of people want to help you\u2019. Even so, that is mad!<\/p>\n But to see her come back so fit is so impressive, I\u2019d love to get back racing with her and basically all the squad. I really miss it, so I\u2019m looking forward to getting back there.<\/p>\n But I will probably be very based in Leeds. I don\u2019t go on many camps at all, really. I\u2019ll be here, palming my kid off left, right and centre to family members while I go off for a run or a ride!<\/p>\n 220<\/em>: You mentioned the female health physio that you\u2019ve been seeing, have you had access to any other pregnancy-specific coaching advice?<\/strong><\/p>\n JL:<\/strong> Yeah, so we have a female health doctor who\u2019s down in Bisham Abbey [National Sports Centre in Marlow] that I\u2019ve been seeing through UK Sport. British Triathlon then review you every so often so they\u2019ll give you guidelines, \u201916 to 24 weeks do this\u2019, \u2018these are things advised\u2019\u2026<\/p>\n I\u2019ve done my own research as well, but it\u2019s very difficult because females are very under researched as it is as athletes. Then you add pregnancy to that, it\u2019s like less research, so that\u2019s why it\u2019s so important to listen to your body.<\/p>\n I also know I\u2019m lucky that I\u2019m in this industry where there is a focus on antenatal and postnatal care a lot more, because I need, for example, a strong pelvic floor<\/a><\/strong> for running, but the amount of friends of mine that say that they can\u2019t go on the trampoline with the kids, or they can\u2019t laugh, and you think, that shouldn\u2019t be a normal thing.<\/p>\nJess on\u2026 the joys of pregnancy\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n
It was just a bit weird to get my head around it as an athlete that I’d had so long off for an injury, just about getting to the point where I was starting to think about interim races, and then to find out you’re pregnant. Obviously you’re very happy about it, but then at the same time, I’m thinking, ‘well, I’m not going to race again now for however long.’ But it’s given me the opportunity to come back and continue my career <\/blockquote> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n<\/div>
Jess on\u2026 training through pregnancy<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Jess on\u2026 injury<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"Jess](\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/34\/2023\/09\/jess-learmonth-singapore-arena-games-2022-35ec0ea.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413\" "\\"jess-learmonth-singapore-arena-games-2022\\"\/")
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Jess on\u2026 Paris Olympics ambitions\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"L-R:](\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/34\/2021\/12\/GettyImages-1331539504-b66e4dd.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413\" "\\"Triathlon")
\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div> It\u2019s more about listening to your body and knowing the difference between a ligament pull and something that’s not right. Whether that’s because I’m an athlete and we’re kind of more in tune with that, it’s hard to tell. But one thing I would say that if you exercise regularly, then try keep it up <\/blockquote> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n<\/div>
Jess on\u2026 advice from other triathlete mums\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"GB](\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/34\/2023\/09\/jess-learmonth-bike-training-pregnant-069fb75.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413\" "\\"jess-learmonth-bike-training-pregnant\\"\/")
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