I love being fit and active, mostly doing triathlons, but really anything that gets me outside and in a community.  I found that after my first son was born it was so important to get out at least walking, clear my head, have some fresh air, and get my body moving again.  When I found out I was pregnant last year I started to wonder how I would manage to keep up the exercise with both a baby and a toddler.  This is when my husband suggested Zwift, a platform he has been on for the last 4 or 5 years.  I was skeptical at first, I love being outside and I love the social element of training.  But I invested in a treadmill and got myself sorted on a smart trainer. 

I started Zwift Run first off in December, at this point I was 5 months pregnant and found I couldn't run the trails anymore due to discomfort.  It was amazing!  I joined up to the Run Festival and managed to run the half marathon with a crew of people that were doing it as a walk/run.  The group was so supportive and friendly and we now have a FB messenger group and meet up once a week for social walk/run get togethers.  I do these while my son is still sleeping so it works perfectly.

Since the running was going so well on Zwift I decided to sign up for the cycling too and was immediately hooked.  I absolutely love the social element and joined up to some group rides.  Now being 8 months pregnant I'm not able to ride on the road but have found such inspiration and motivation from groups like Kirsten's social ladies ride and now the Specialised Mixtape Challenge.  I have the goal to finish the mixtape challenge before the baby is due in a month and even though my bike has had to have some serious adjustments to keep it comfortable, I do see this as being a possibility.  Am I doing this to push my body and see how far it can go... definitely not!  I am doing this because I am able to connect with people in a healthy way at a time where a lot of women can start to feel isolated, overwhelmed, and even depressed.  I am able to find inspiration every day from some amazing women who have reached out, offered advice, and just given some 'ride-ons'.

Who knows how the birth will go, or when I'll be able to get on the bike or treadmill again.  But just knowing that this amazing group of people is right there ready to offer encouragement and support when I do start my journey back to fitness is just so motivating.

Anna.