I’m overdue for an another athlete-mom interview, so check out this interview with an amazing mom of seven kids, yes seven!! If you think its tough to get and stay fit with just one or two children, read on to see how Lesley has done it with in her words, “seven wonderful children ranging in age from 7 to 21.” Read on to hear about her life as a stay at home mom, to a single and super fit working mom, now in training for her second Ironman!

What are the ages and names of your children?

My first three are boys. Andrew 21, Craig 19, Benjamin 17. Then came the three girls. Shayanne 15, and twins Emily and Katie 13. Then the youngest little guy Eli who is 7.

How active were you prior to having your children?

The amount of physical activity that I did before having children was none! I was busy studying for my Social Work Degree. Shortly after graduating University I had my first baby, and they tumbled forth in rapid succession!

As a stay at home mom, my workouts were composed of running up and down stairs to change diapers, weight lifting was the laundry (which I liken to the eighth wonder of the world) and carrying car seats everywhere, running up and down the sidelines at the kid’s soccer games cheering them on and carrying them into the house when they were exhausted after their big game! I was fully immersed in raising my children. When the twins were born I had six kids aged seven and under. I also had a marriage where I was alone 80% of the year as my now “Wasband” travelled overseas most of the time. As time passed I was becoming increasingly lonely and frustrated as I knew I was losing myself, and wondered if I would ever find myself again.

How did you find the time to find physical activity (and yourself :)) again?

My fitness journey began one day when I happened upon a kickboxing studio where my oldest son was competing in soccer. I gave it a try one night, and from that day on I went everyday for 6 years (one of those years I was pregnant with my last child and actually trained intensely right up until the day I had him….EASY BIRTH/ EASY RECOVERY!!!) until I earned my black belt in Muay Thai and Kickboxing. I entered the ring and won a Canadian Championship bout in Vancouver.  I started training for my bouts at the Talisman Centre where I began another chapter, teaching the Get Ripped Program (Lesley is currently in 9 of the Get Ripped DVDs). The creator of the program had seen me at Talisman and begged me to teach it. I was incredibly reluctant to do so as I still hadn’t found myself and had NO confidence at all. Upon her insistence I started to teach the program. Right around this time my “wasband” came home from his travels one day and decided that our marriage was over. At that moment my days as a stay at home Mom were over. I hadn’t worked for 14 years. I was now single-handedly raising 7 children 99% of the year! Teaching fitness became my profession and my passion. What I didn’t know at that time was that it was something I was becoming really good at and my children and a wonderful group of highly supportive women who were participating in my classes were being so incredibly supportive that I started to find out where and who I was! I somehow gathered up a huge following who continue to encourage and support me every day. I have found that having that positive support system to be integral to anyone who is trying to juggle family and a fitness goal.

How did you get into triathlon?

Three years ago I was approached by a triathlon coach who expressed that I would be a great triathlete and would I consider trying out the sport. I have always had the philosophy that people should try things once….Well here I am three years later training for my second Ironman!

How do you balance your training with work and family?

My training schedule for this incredible undertaking is somewhat hectic and sometimes exhausting. I choose to swim early in the morning way before my kids are up, and run while they are in school. My long bike rides happen while they are with their dad on the weekends, and thankfully when they are not with him they are so supportive that they almost push me out the door!!

What do your kids think of their active mom?

My children have shown incredible support of my goal to compete in Ironman and all of the races I compete in. They understand it’s importance to me, and have joined me in my sport by competing in a few races of their own. I know they are proud and inspired by my tenacity, and my overwhelming desire to constantly get back up and keep going when times are rough.

I am blessed that they continue to allow me to fulfill my goal this year of improving my time at Ironman Canada. It is also my goal to be the very best single working parent that I can possibly be, however it is a very fine balance of  hard training, work, family and a lot of encouragement and determination.

Any advice you would give to other moms while trying to stay active while raising a family?

As a mom I think it is so important to keep yourself close to the top of the totem pole in life. Remember in addition to being a mom, a wife, an employee or employer, you are also a woman who should forever be challenging herself to personal goals and personal time to achieve those goals. My experience has allowed my children to understand the importance of goal setting, the long-term benefits of fitness and proper nutrition, the ability to create and maintain balance in their lives and the life long lesson that when life hands you a challenge, you are the only factor that can hold you back. There is ALWAYS a way, and there is no such phrase as “I can’t”. I’m proof of that.

As a side note, I now have a wonderful man in my life now who is also training for Ironman and supports me every day and allows me to do the same for him. To every challenge in life there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Think positive and surround yourself with positive people and you will accomplish everything!

What kind of work keeps you busy these days?

I am now what I call a Life Coach. I teach mostly women how to pick up the broken pieces and make themselves whole again through proper fitness and nutrition. My goal is to teach them to become whole for the rest of their lives, not just for the moment. I create individual fitness programs on line for those women who have children and just can’t get away from home, or if they can get away just for a while a program that will suit their needs at a fitness facility. I also teach Fitness classes at Talisman Centre and Heaven’s Fitness, and am a personal trainer who will come to people’s homes to train them there or if weather permitting, in the great outdoors.

To all you ladies who are striving to reach a goal and have children in your lives… I am well-known for this saying….YOU CAN DO THIS!!!

Rosario and I met through triathlon training with Critical Speed Racing in Calgary and she always has a smile on her face! She is also my very favorite person to go see the odd time I can fit in a massage. She goes deep and knows what an athlete’s muscles need! If you are in Calgary, you can find her at Therapeutic Hands. After having her first son, Sebastien in June of 2009, Rosario competed in the Honolulu marathon six months later and continued on to compete in Ironman Canada when her son was 14 months old. Her second son, Jonathon was born in June, 2011 and Rosario is back on track for her next Ironman. Her husband, Andrew has also managed to fit in some half and full Ironman races in the past few years as well. Rosario was one of those amazing pregnant moms who was able to run almost to the end of each pregnancy! Below she talks about how she has been managing to balance it all!

1. Can you tell me a little about your athletic/competitive background before becoming a mom?
I was born in Mexico and I started swimming at the age of four. I got into competitions when I was 8 years old and competed at our National Championships. I stopped swimming competitively when I was 15 years old. In 1998 I got into triathlons looking for a more dynamic way to exercise. I raced professionally in 2001 for a few months, then I started an internship at university and had to stop. I did my first marathon in 2003 and after that I just loved the long distance races, so I did a few half-marathons and half Ironmans. I did my first Ironman in 2005 and I just fell in love with it. After my second Ironman I had my first son, then I got pregnant the following year and had my second son. Presently, my sons are 8 months old and 2 years and 8 months old.

 2. What has motivated you to keep setting athletic and/or competitive goals since becoming a mother? Is it different from pre-children?
I think I just don’t want to forget about taking care of myself, plus is an amazing feeling to see your kids when you are finishing a race. It just takes you to a different level. I also think it’s very important to show to your kids this athletic world, and I am hoping in the  future that they will find a sport that they like as much as I do mine.

3. How do you balance training and/or racing with your family and work?
It’s hard to do everything. But I think you really have to organize your life if you really want it…and I keep my agenda close by. I usually do my workouts in the mornings, sometimes I have to wake up at 5am when everybody is asleep at home. Then I take my boys to the gym where I drop them off at the babysitting centre at the gym.
I am a Registered Massage Therapist and I work part-time one or two times a week during the day, some late afternoons and evenings when my husband gets home as well as full days on Saturdays. Usually my longest workouts are Saturday and Sunday mornings when my husband is home and he can help me out. Sometimes I miss having dinner with my family, but I don’t want to give up the ability to spend time and take care of my kids during the day. I will probably change my schedule once my kids are in school, that way I will be able to work more during the day and work less evenings. I do not want to stop working either because it’s a break from the busy life at home with kids, is good to talk to adults for a change. For now, I have to think that what I am doing is for everybody’s well-being. I try to keep housework up to date, so I do small amounts cleaning here and there all the time. I also cook every two days, that way the day that I don’t cook I clean or vice versa.

4. Did you train during your pregnancies? What was your approach?
I trained up until two weeks before I had my boys. I was running, doing stairs, yoga and swimming most of the time. I would alternate these activities so I was doing something at least three times per week. I always listened to my body, and if I felt like sleeping in I would do it. During my first pregnancy, I did only one activity three times a week. With my second pregnancy, I was more at ease and some days I did two activities in one day. Of course, it got harder as time went by, but I felt very good during both pregnancies.

5. What were the biggest challenges getting back into shape after your first child? And now, again after having two? Has the challenge of getting fit again been the same, different, or even easier the second time?
The first time wasn’t too bad, I just felt that I needed to strengthen my core a lot more than the rest of my body since I was able to train up until the end of my pregnancies. I gave myself 6 weeks before I did anything else after childbirth. Unfortunately after my second pregnancy my hip was out of alignment since all the ligaments where loose, after running again for a week and in combination with my work (standing for long periods of time), I developed plantar fascitis. I am still recovering from it, but getting back on track. I didn’t give up of course during this time of injury. I’ve done a lot of non weight-bearing activities like water running, crosstrainer and stairmaster. I found that after both pregnancies pilates has been very effective at getting my core stronger again. It’s amazing how sore your abdominal area can feel after long runs!! I didn’t I was due to breastfeeding, the hardest part for me was getting used to the lack of sleep. Which happens a lot with my kids. I think it’s easy to get fit again as long as you want it.

6. Any advice you would give to other moms trying to stay active and/or competitive while balancing life with children?
Organize your life, everything is possible. Remember if mommy is happy everybody is happy.

7. What is your favourite part about racing Ironmans?
I love the mental challenge more than the physical, but of course for these types of races you must have both. So you have to be ready for it, with all the hours of training.  But is your body going to give up when you start feeling all the miles on race day? It’s a lot of hours of commitment to train, but when you cross the finish line you just realize how much it means to you and the people who love you.

8. How does someone from Mexico adjust to Canadian winters? 🙂
There is not even a comparison with weather!! Ha ha ha…I think that is the hard part. But you just have to adapt and it’s the same with having a family, you need to adapt to the changes and challenges that you will face. And of course you have to do a lot of indoor training, you have to learn to love a treadmill and windtrainer, but in the end just means you will do anything for your favorite sport. I just want to say, if a Mexican girl can run on a -20 C temperature with cross winds that means any Canadian person can do it!! Good luck training and see you out there!!

Many thanks to Sara Gross for being my first athlete-mom interview of 2012! I caught up with her for the first time this past year at the Calgary 70.3 in July where she finished 2nd just 7 months after giving birth to her daughter, Rosalee. After competing in Ironman Canada at the end of August and finishing 4th in a time of 9:46, Sara took the racing challenge up another notch a few months later when she went on to do two back to back Ironmans (yes that’s one week apart)!! In November Sara competed in Ironman Arizona and finished 8th in the Pro Division while running to a marathon PB (3:07) in a total time of 9:18. A week later, she competed in Ironman Cozumel and did not slow down much at all, while finishing 6th place in an impressive overall time of 9:56!

Sara also has a PhD in Ancient History and Religion from the University of Edinburgh. She works as a coach while living in Victoria, B.C. with her daughter, Rosalee and husband and personal coach, Clint. For more info on her coaching click here. You can also follow her on her personal website: www.saragross.ca. In the meantime read on about Sara’s transition into motherhood racing….

Top of the podium post-partum at Subaru Victoria Half-Ironman!

1. Can you tell me a little about your athletic/competitive background before becoming a mom?

Before my daughter was born, I had been a professional triathlete for 6 years. In that time I had collected 13 top 5 Ironman finishes and was ITU European Long Course Champion in 2005

2. What has motivated you to keep setting athletic and/or competitive goals since becoming a mother? Is it different than pre-children?

The thing that motivates me most is that I have not reached my potential in the sport. Finishing in the top 5 all those times and not winning an Ironman is frustrating and keeps me pushing forward. Though many things have changed since Rosalee was born, this central motivation has remained the same.

3. How do you balance training and/or racing with your family (and work?)?

The main thing that keeps me balanced is the amount of support I have. My husband (and coach) Clint understands that if I am going to compete against the best in the world we have to prioritize my training. My mental coach Bob (from Sportexcel) taught me how important it is to move easily from one role to another on a daily basis. So when I get home from training I quickly shift from athlete-mode to mom-mode, likewise when I am coaching I shift to coach-mode. Its amazing how much easier my life is if I don’t carry the baggage of a bad training session into the rest of my day. I also don’t have much time to stop and think about how I am feeling. If I am tired, I often don’t notice until I hit the pillow at night.

4. Did you train during your pregnancy? What was your approach?

I would not consider what I did during my pregnancy “training”, but I did exercise. I averaged about 1-1.5h/ day for most of the pregnancy, just easy swimming, biking and running. I ran up to an hour until week 32 and stopped because I could feel my baby’s head pushing down on my pelvis and it was just weird. I biked (mostly on the trainer) until week 37 and swam up until the day before she was born. I was anaemic during the middle part of my pregnancy, so I felt too fatigued to do any more than this. My main goal was just to keep myself sane. I had no illusions about maintaining my fitness. When I started training again after birth, I really was starting from scratch.

5. What were the biggest challenges getting back into shape after your daughter was born?

One of the biggest challenges for me was not being able to plan my days, weeks and months the way I had previously. My time was no longer my own. I had to get used to training on a whim. For example, if Rosalee fell asleep, I would get changed and jump on the trainer. Or if she had a bad night, I might need a nap instead. I found that if I kept my priorities straight in those first few months I could get in a decent amount of training, even if I couldn’t plan out the details like I used to.

Running to second place in the Calgary 70.3

6. Any advice you would give to other moms trying to stay active (or even competitive) while balancing life as a mom?

My best advice for new moms is to let go of any guilt associated with spending time away from your child. Finding people to take care of Rosalee who love her as much as I do was good for me and for her. I think that all women should get in the habit of taking care of themselves for at least an hour or two a day. Its good for our sense of well-being and is also a good example for our kids as they get older.

7. What are some of your race goals for 2012?

I have always wanted to have a great race in Hawaii (Ironman World Championships). In 2008 I finished 20th there having cramped up on the bike. The new qualifying system for pros means I have to race to earn points to get on the startlist, so that’s what I am doing this year. And of course, I am always looking for that elusive Ironman win!