FEATURES

Tadpole Nelson...

Friday, 24 May 2013 01:10

ED. Elaine Nelson is a tremendous endurance athlete. A national-level Nordic skier, she has proven in her first two years as a triathlete that she also possesses national-class skills in that discipline. When we learned that she was preggers, we asked her if we could post stuff about her gestation so that the entire Minnesota multisport community could celebrate the experience, albeit without the cravings, bloating and other discomforts, with her and her husband, tri-dentist, Grant.

Hi MTN Guys,

Hope you're doing well and not working too hard!

We had our 20w ultrasound and everything still looks good. We're having a BOY! My husband, Grant, is super excited. (I honestly thought all along we were having a girl - better return those girl clothes I bought!). The fetus (aka "Tadpole") is very active and loves to go weight-lifting, running, and swimming with me (he gets a little quieter on the bike - maybe a little squished?)....

I'm still feeling fairly good, a little more tired, but thankful that I can still do just about everything. I've modified my weight-lifting routine (need to be careful with Core exercises). Biking is more of a challenge since you have even less room for lung space! Running uphills is where I notice my pregnancy the most. Normally I'm a strong uphill runner, but now I'm left wondering - "where'd the oxygen go?". I've taken to power-walking some of the steeper uphills on the trails in Duluth.

Attached are two photos: One of the "Tadpole" and other of me finishing a Wed night NMTC race in Duluth last week (Bull Run). It was quite the brutally hilly course and even though I had to walk a fair number of uphills, I still had a great time and finished respectably. (I did hear one of the other girls say to a spectator after I had passed her - "I'm getting beaten by the pregnant woman!) Maybe I just wanted to prove that a woman can still do a lot, even if she's pregnant (depending on how her pregnancy goes, of course).

Have a great day and thanks so much for all you do.

Elaine Nelson