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Tri-Mom: Swimming, Biking and Running Through Motherhood

TRIMOMcoverfinalIf you consider yourself to be a busy mom who struggles to make time for all of the obligations of life (who doesn’t?), you should read Tri-Mom: Swimming, Biking, and Running Through Motherhood by Debra Hodgett. Nothing will make doing a 30-minute Pilates workout or getting to to the gym for a workout seem more manageable than Hodgett’s tales of fitting in triathlon training into the already super-busy job of motherhood. This isn’t a book on how to be a triathlete; instead, it’s a memoir-style book where you can glean tips from others’ vast experience.

As a seasoned triathlete, Hodgett was dedicated to her training. If you think you’re juggling now? Try juggling two-a-day workouts with two kids, a busy surgeon of a husband, household demands and volunteering at school. Certainly no easy task, and Hodgett shares her tales of balancing her dedication to the sport with the demands of life.

Workouts are important for every mom—time to yourself, the health benefits—but as a competitive triathlete, workouts are serious business and seriously affect performance on race day. The lengths Hodgett goes to to complete her workouts are comical, and I think every mom can relate to the stories. There’s the time she feels totally guilty for letting her kids swim by themselves (under lifeguard supervision!) as she’s swimming laps in the pool next to them. They, of course, end up at the end of her lane to appease her guilt and play a shark attack game while she swims. There’s the time she’s at a track running and has to run after a wayward kiddo. Truly dedicated to her kids, she would rescue turtles in the road and throw them in her bike shorts to take back to her boys! Any mom who has had her needs pushed aside to accommodate her kiddos? Yep, you’ll relate, even if you’re not a triathlete! It certainly reminds me that I’m not the only one who gets her workouts interrupted all the time.

Not only does Hodgett share her trials and tribulations of being a tri-mom, but she recruits other tri-moms to share their stories as well. Imagine a race delay messing up your perfectly timed breastfeeding plans. Or searching the car for old cereal because you’re starving after a hard workout. The highs and lows these ladies experience are hilarious—and motivating. If they can make time for all of that—not to mention the travel to the events—certainly I can get to the gym! 

So whether you’re a tri-mom yourself, want to be one or just want a dose of humor and motivation, Tri-Mom is the book for you! Stay tuned tomorrow for an excerpt! Erin

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