Anything is Possible....

photo by werner paddles

North Carolina delivered....

When I was pregnant and thinking about 2016 and what it would be like with Tav in our lives, there were many unknowns and it was difficult to predict anything. A lot depended on his health, my health, our situation at home, our motivations, and our needs. Despite the unknowns, I figured it was important to set some goals in order to stay sane, fit, and motivated. Rather early on in my pregnancy I thought setting a goal of trying to race Carolina Cup 2016 would be fun:) Setting this goal, I knew we needed to see what kind of baby tav would be, what my recovery would look like, and how that would affect my time to get out and start the recovery process and eventually "training".

I started with slow walks, longer walks, hillier walks, then body weight exercises, cross country skiing, weights, crossfit, SUP, running, mountain biking. I started with slow and steady and gradually moved into more intense interval work.

I had about a month where I could start working hard in my interval workouts but it is clearly not as simple as that,.. I had a whole new small being to look after, feed, change, play with, and teach. Creativity and good partnership with my hubby is the key. I realized I could do my runs with Tav, bring him to the gym, and as a family cross country skiing was our favorite thing to do as we could pull Tav in his kinder shuttle

To begin with I realize that just making it to the race and completing the Graveyard (13miles) at 3.5months post birth is success and not many moms can accomplish that but I am me and I am a competitive beast with high standards for myself. Not only did I want to complete the race I wanted to know that I could be not far off my old competitive self.

photo by Andrew Dye

Photo by Andrew Dye

What I noticed throughout the race
Mentally:
I struggled and wavered between competitive racer lina and new mom lina. I would get frustrated at the position I was at and my pace and then I would be excited that I was in the position I was at at this stage of motherhood and had lovely thoughts of Tav flow through my mind...
When I crossed the line I was upset for the first 30 seconds or so, as competitive Lina was overwhelming my brain and then I saw Tav and that all disappeared and feelings of love rushed through my brainwaves... it was amazing:)
Physically:
I am not yet as strong as I was pre pregnancy.. I could feel the lack of power in each stroke. Slowly I can feel my strength returning but it will take some time for sure:)

It was so great to see so many people from the community, sharing a house with Team SIC, spending some time with team Werner, seeing UB Super, Onit Pro, other racers and industry friends.

photo by andrew dye

photo by andrew dye

I enjoyed getting the opportunity to teach a women's clinic, being a part of the autograph signing with a bunch of the other pros, and racing:)

photo by andrew dye

Thanks to all that helped me get there, be there, and have loads of fun while there:)

photo by werner paddles

live, love, laugh,...DREAM!
lina

Tav is 14.5 weeks old: I've got less than 2 weeks until my first race since giving birth

I started this blog post 3.5 weeks ago...here is how it began

Thanks to SUPtheMag and SIC for these great articles

March SUPtheMag: Lina Augaitis’ Triumphant Return to Racing, Plus One
http://www.supthemag.com/sup-women/lina-augaitis-triumphant-post-pregnancy-return-to-racing-plus-one/#YkkfrIOSyvViSZ0Q.97

March SIC: Lina Augaitis Shares Her Thoughts On Combining Motherhood And Paddling
http://www.sicmaui.com/blog/lina-augaitis-shares-her-thoughts-on-combining-motherhood-and-paddling/?imt=1

TAV experienced his first trip to Florida along with many other firsts. He also proved to be a great traveller which is grand since we had a total of 6 flights and 10 more within the next 5 weeks:)

Florida was a great opportunity for me to paddle everyday out in the ocean. Lucky for me the wind was up so I could to practice in the bumps. We also walked and swam alot and enjoys the pleasantries that Florida provides

Present Day:
Since Florida Tav has been on 4 more flights to Ottawa and back over the Easter weekend. We went to visit his great grandma, aunts, uncles, cousins, grandpa, and friends... He got to meet his first dog (Seth) and experience his first easter traditions:) We also had the grand pleasures of experiencing a snow storm, ice storm and everything in between:)

I got out to some gyms and did lots of running...And I got to join in for a little paddle with the Toronto 24 hour crew in Port Credit

Now Tav is 14 weeks old. He is babbling a ton grabbing everything, licking even more things and generally just a happy go lucky kind of man... Andrew is on paternity leave so I have taken the opportunity to up my training. We are less than two weeks out from Carolina Cup and I feel pretty good. I still need to increase my strength/power but my body feels healed and have definitely increased my intensity levels although at the same time TAV is growing quickly and so my energy levels have dwindled a little with the increase in exercise and the growth of TAV.... The weather in these parts has seemingly gone from winter to summer and seemed to have skipped through spring?!?! I am not complaining... but the water is still very chilly... Can't wait to get TAV out on the board with me:) There will be A LOT of water time after Carolina Cup in preparation for the Yukon River Quest:) I need to figure out a system where I can paddle and pump at the same time... Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated:)


With this awesome weather I have also been out on the mountain bike again which has felt amazing, I just love the trails around our house. Living a doorstep away from the trails and water has allowed us to still get out and enjoy the things we love without the hassle of commuting by car:)

I have been heading to Crossfit Vernon to help increase my strength and power, those guys run a great gym with a great community, I feel very lucky to have landed in such a great little piece of paradise here in Coldstream/Vernon BC.

Live, Love, Laugh,...DREAM!
lina

Tav is 6.5 weeks old and that means I am 6.5 weeks into birth recovery

 This has been a week of firsts in my post c section recovery.. My motto with my recovery is slow and steady....Essentially I want to re introduce my body to my regular movements pre pregnancy in small increments and at low intensities and then build up from there. I very much want to avoid any kind of major set back due to over pushing myself and causing damage (which can easily happen being me).. it's tough to know where my limits are at the moment so I am keeping it cautious and slowly increasing everything with the hopes I will get stronger slowly and eventually be back at full strength at some point... ???!??!!?!?

In the last week...

I Went for my first SUP... YES, gosh it felt good to be on a SUP again... I don't know how long its been... since November I think... I was on the SIC 12'6 x 30 inflatable... Its still cold out and I am trying to avoid overstimulating my core so I figure if I took the balance out of the equation (for me 30 inches is WIDE and thus very stable) I wouldn't over engage the core... Still although I just went for 30 minutes at a rather slow pace I focused on good technique and using my core carefully... It is really amazing how much you do use your core in this sport...

I also went for my first "run"... We got a baby sling for the chariot and I found a paved undulating route... about 30 minutes of walk run for my first two goes... I am going to work on getting a full run going on that route and then increase my pace... I forgot how hard running is when you haven't done it in a long while... Gotta push through the uncomfortable part... The cool thing about running is I can bring Tav with me and he adds a little resistance training to it all..BONUS

On the weekend, Andrew and I went for our 3rd cross country ski... I started with classic but decided to test out the skate skiing... Again, the pace was slow but we were skiing for about an hour... all felt good...Skate skiing is such a great all around work out... This is a great winter sport that three of us can enjoy together,I forsee a lot of this in our future. We got Tav in a Kindershuttle sled and it works so well.. He seems to enjoy it as he sleeps the entire time:)

Today I made it back to Crossfit Vernon gym... Oh my... it was so great to be back in the gym... It is another step closer to me feeling like my old self again but its painful for me to see where I am to where I was... I know I will get back but it is presently a mental challenge...BONUS I get to bring Tav, and luckily he loves loud noises and loud music... puts him right to sleep... phew

Lastly, the bike... I got on the fat bike for a quick spin on the snow and then out on my regular mountain bike for some road riding... again, like everything short and easy... just getting the body used to it...

So there it is... 6.5 weeks post c section.. and I am moving my body, slowly, carefully and gradually adding more and more as well as increasing the intensity...

Although I write a lot about my recovery and it is important to me... my focus has changed in my life since Tav has been born, being an athlete is so important to me but more importantly is my TAV... I am happy to skip out on something to make sure Tav is happy and he is taken care of... at this stage I am trying to take advantage of the mobility of  bringing him everywhere without him escaping. just have to pray he is in a good mood which luckily he generally is... also home is good, with less sleep, breastfeeding, and general taking care of a new baby I am tired... for sure... but all the more reason to find the extra energy to get out and do some "me" things aka training... it keeps me going and makes me feel alive and I forget my tiredness... OH and it helps to have a helpful husband...

live, love, laugh,...DREAM!
lina

Tav is one month old!!!! Hope he is a water baby 'cause I have SUP on my mind...

I can't believe its been a whole month already! Time flies when you are watching over a little person, watching them grow and start developing..... Tav is great. I have very little experience with newborns but I would guess he is on the calm side... He just doesn't like being naked and then his wild side comes out... haha.. I truly love being a mother... We are starting to bond through poop faces and feeding times. Yes like most other new parents our conversations now are mostly about the colour of poop, etc... haha

On the recovery side of things. I have been taking it rather easy this week after a big weekend of hiking and xcountry skiing I thought I shouldn't test my luck too much and have just been cruising with the man on the pavement with him in the stroller... and some very light stretches and body weight stuff... I feel good.. and am getting anxious to get out there and play for real but I know I still need to wait and heal heal heal... :)





Carolina Cup is my goal... I know it is only 3.5 months post birth but I find it nice to have goals. I have no idea what my body will do??!!? I do know I will likely have to breastfeed the man as soon as I finish as I am pretty sure my boobs are gonna kill me by the end of the race:) It will be interesting too see how quickly I can start training again... I don't want to injure myself or re injure the surgery area so its going to be slow but if I am smart I feel like it is doable... I won't lie I am nervous to race. I am competitive and I left the scene on a high and in good form... Now, not only do I have post c section to deal with but I also have my everyday life differences of having a small infant to look after:) What a journey and I hope to share it with others:) the good, the tough, and the AMAZING... it is pretty amazing:)

Also, I will be putting on a Women's Clinic at Carolina Cup which I am very much looking forward to...  I love teaching, and sharing;)

Carolina Cup Clinic!

‪#‎Repost‬ @supcarolinacup with @repostapp
・・・
Ladies! We've got a clinic just for you! Find out about our clinic with Lina Augaitis–one of the world’s top female SUP racers–here: ow.ly/XytTl ||‪#‎supcarolinacup‬ ‪#‎sup‬ ‪#‎paddleboard‬ ‪#‎standuppaddle‬ ‪#‎wrightsvillebeach‬@linaaugaitis

http://wrightsvillebeachpaddleclub.com/carolina-cup/

live, love, laugh,..DREAM!
lina

3.5 weeks: Tav is still cute and I am still on the recovery train

Andrew wrote a fun blog so I am just going to link to his...

http://andrew-in-bc.blogspot.ca/2016/01/cultural-assymilation.html?fb_ref=Default

Notes on my recovery and life with Tav:


I am off pain meds and have been for a few days now... which feels great and allows me to listen to my body more carefully.
 I am up to 1 hour walks on the snowy trails behind our house... Its great as its a 30 minute uphill slogg and then a slightly slippery 25 min downhill so I have to use my stabilizing muscles... I am trying to increase the time and the intensity a little each day.... I feel good before, during, after... doesn't feel like exercise but I know I have to keep it easy for a little while longer... I can't wait until I can start SUPin, skiing, swimming, biking again.... oh and lift some weights... I've never seen my abs so floppy before:) haha.


At home I have been starting to do some body weight exercises, slowly with little intensity but trying to get the motions there... I am doing high reps of everything. I have also started doing some mild yoga.

I feel good but am trying my best not too push it too much yet as I am only 3 weeks out of surgery. This is a huge mental challenge for me but if I look at it in a positive manner it's a nice test of psychology and mental work out... I hope my patience now will reward me in the future witha solid recovery and when I am ready to hit it hard again I can....

Update:
We tried out the Kindershuttle this weekend up at Sovereign Lakes on xcountry skis.... I felt great throughout my ski (I did take it extremely easy) but I fear between that and slightly more intense hikes I might have pushed slightly too hard... So now I am totally taking it easy for a few days (for real).... I don't think I did any damage but I really don't want to re tear anything... sometimes a small scare is good to put me back in place and reassess my recovery...

live, love, laugh,..DREAM!
lina

10 Days: Tav's life= Eat, Poo, Pee, and Sleep...and my road to recovery

We have also gone grocery shopping, and on some wintery walks in Kal Park and around the hood..

Tav has been entertaining us quite well, the days slip away between naps, feeds, changing diapers, tummy time,, etc. It's funny I can't really remember life without him now... and its only been 10 days.

Personally, I am glad that I am no longer pregnant and that instead of my tummy growing in size it is slowly shrinking but my new troubles are more in the chest region.... instead of getting smaller they have grown tremendously... For a regular woman this might be exciting stuff but for an athlete and me personally it is pretty frustrating thankfully it is for the function of keeping the little man alive and healthy so I am coming to grips with them being annoying and in the way... I'll leave it at that

I have been recovering well (knock on wood)... Granted I am still on Tylenol and Ibuprofin to get me through the days, I have been moving about almost normally... From caring for Tavas, some minor house cleaning, and my walks my goal is to get my blood flowing and body moving... I still have awhile before I can lift anything but am slowly trying to rebuild strength through some more endurance style activities. I mention my walks, these are still quite casual in nature for example what would normally take me 10 minutes to walk takes me 20min... haha... so it is nothing exhilarating but at least provides me with the mental sanity of getting outside and doing some "exercise"....

All in all we are all happy and doing well... let the adventures of parenthood continue.... as they will:)

live, love, laugh,...DREAM!
lina

Tavas James Dye: Born Decemeber 31, 2015, Bringing in the New Year in Style

Andrew's Blog sums up the days events very well..

http://www.andrew-in-bc.blogspot.ca/2015/12/birthday.html

We are at Day 3, safely made it home and survived our first night just the 3 of us.... The learning curve is crazy, and yes, mistakes are made and different strategies are tried but I am confident the three of us will figure it all out...

Good news,
milk is coming in and Tavas is an amazing eater, I apparently can produce a lot of milk too...yipee!

Bad News:
Being pregnant, giving birth, and I can at least testify to the first 3 days post sucks for feeling like any kind of athlete... from recovering from major ab surgery, to crazy weird left over baby flop and crazy huge, hard boobs... there is nothing sexy, strong, or anything about it all as I wobble around the house... hahaha.... BUT I can already also testify that it also seems to not matter at all because we are so in love with our little guy and want nothing more than for him to be healthy, safe, and happy....

yay for this new adventure.... motherhood... WOW! AMAZING stuff..

live, love, laugh,..DREAM!
lina