I was 8 weeks pregnant when my team and I competed at the South East CrossFit Regionals in 2013. I felt that this truly set the stage for my pregnancy. As a former gymnast turned college pole vaulter, I have been an athlete my entire life. Going into Regionals, I didn’t know how the mama instinct would interact with the athlete instinct. Would I forget the pregnancy during a workout and overdo it? Would I be unable to forget the pregnancy and hold back too much? In hindsight, the result did not surprise me. My body knew EXACTLY what was allowed. Each workout was a best effort with smart recovery. After Regionals, I switched my mentality from cross-fitness to birth-fitness; competition goals took a backseat to a healthy pregnancy and natural labor preparation. Despite the refocus, I was surprised how little my workout regimen changed. The biggest adjustment came from cutting out the intensity aspect of CrossFit. I moved at a pace with which my body agreed and if a time cap … [Read more...]