transFixed 4 Posted December 15, 2014 Report Share Posted December 15, 2014 Is the nine months pregnancy equivalent to training and completing an IM? All thoughts and views welcome. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to post Share on other sites
Ex-Hasbeen 8,122 Posted December 15, 2014 Report Share Posted December 15, 2014 I'd really like to hear a few opinions on this from those that have done both, because we guys "know that IM is harder". Link to post Share on other sites
transFixed 4 Posted December 15, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 15, 2014 Hahah. I agree as my wife is about to give birth. She believes that it is harder, even though she hasn't done an IM. Lol. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to post Share on other sites
trilobite 279 Posted December 15, 2014 Report Share Posted December 15, 2014 If you train with the relentlessness that a baby has, you will definitely go <13 hours... Link to post Share on other sites
Stikman 1,796 Posted December 15, 2014 Report Share Posted December 15, 2014 Hah! My ex wife's pregnancy was way harder on me than training or racing has ever been. Link to post Share on other sites
ozzybuds 220 Posted December 15, 2014 Report Share Posted December 15, 2014 Before getting pregnant, my missus would struggle to run 10km, never rode a bike faster than 20km/h and couldn't swim 100m freestyle. Since having the baby, these stats have not changed. No chance of making the 17 hour cut off. Link to post Share on other sites
transFixed 4 Posted December 15, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 15, 2014 Thanks guys. Id tried explaining to my wife that it's incredibly hard race day and the race itself as well, but all I get is "trying carrying a baby for 9 months and labouring..." Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to post Share on other sites
Turts 2,982 Posted December 15, 2014 Report Share Posted December 15, 2014 And there's the known versus unknown. IM is a known commodity. Known course, lots of prep time. Pregancy I would imagine would be a lot of unknowns, as to how your body will react for the 9 months and then how long and painful labour is. So many variations. You couldn't prepare for it! Lots more risk too. And fewer ways to mitigate those risks. I have done IM's but not been pregnant. Seen friends though, have incredibly tough times for 9 months,weeks on end in hospital for risk issues and horrific births. Yikes! Link to post Share on other sites
Turts 2,982 Posted December 15, 2014 Report Share Posted December 15, 2014 And if you get in trouble in an IM, you can pull out. No such luck having a baby! No do-overs! Link to post Share on other sites
Katz 1,654 Posted December 15, 2014 Report Share Posted December 15, 2014 I'd say they are about as difficult as each other. IM is preferable though as it ends. Parenting goes on and on and on and on............ 3 Link to post Share on other sites
toolex 78 Posted December 15, 2014 Report Share Posted December 15, 2014 Wait until you see the active.com fee for the hospital 3 Link to post Share on other sites
tortoise 859 Posted December 15, 2014 Report Share Posted December 15, 2014 I've done one and half of the other. Seeing as you can't be half pregnant, I'll leave it to you to work out which. No comparison. A good pregnancy is not within your control. Luckily mine was. Training is entirely controllable. No matter how well prepared, labour is unpredictable. Mine was OK on the scale. But, sorry, it was 14 hours, so I'm not a real mum. If you are well prepared, race day should go smoothly and mostly within the bounds of known outcomes. The product is incomparable. A real live new person. Or a feeling of self aggrandisement and a bit of tin on a ribbon. Link to post Share on other sites
Ex-Hasbeen 8,122 Posted December 15, 2014 Report Share Posted December 15, 2014 And at the end of it all, the doctor says: "You're a Mum" Link to post Share on other sites
Bored@work 4,129 Posted December 15, 2014 Report Share Posted December 15, 2014 Wish I could press a buzzer & ask for an Epidural at the 32km of the run...... Link to post Share on other sites
ozzybuds 220 Posted December 15, 2014 Report Share Posted December 15, 2014 Not sure if its allowed under forum rules....... but I'm pretty sure that heaps of people who have babies do so with the assistance of drugs. of course, not all of them are on the gear, but i've been in labour wards were doctors are blatantly offering the sutff. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
AA7 1,831 Posted December 15, 2014 Report Share Posted December 15, 2014 Not sure if its allowed under forum rules....... but I'm pretty sure that heaps of people who have babies do so with the assistance of drugs. of course, not all of them are on the gear, but i've been in labour wards were doctors are blatantly offering the sutff. Some may say some people doing an IM are also being assisted in that way. Or maybe they were on some delusional drugs when they decided to enter. Link to post Share on other sites
tortoise 859 Posted December 16, 2014 Report Share Posted December 16, 2014 Drugs are awesome! Link to post Share on other sites
Cottoneyes 1,418 Posted December 16, 2014 Report Share Posted December 16, 2014 To the OP, if having the discussion with your wife, admit pregnancy is harder, or you will find your training time and discretionary spending severely limited Link to post Share on other sites
Stikman 1,796 Posted December 16, 2014 Report Share Posted December 16, 2014 To the OP, if having the discussion with your wife, admit pregnancy is harder, or you will find your training time and discretionary spending severely limited Hell yeah. If that's the nature of the enquiry just fold. Nothing any male ever does will ever compare with childbirth. We are the infinitely weaker sex in every regard. Note that I am not being sarcastic. You chicks rock! Link to post Share on other sites
Steno 444 Posted December 16, 2014 Report Share Posted December 16, 2014 (edited) but i've been in labour wards were doctors are blatantly offering the sutff. What else do you expect them to do? Slide it across in a brown paper bag? If I was the OP, I would simply agree that they are different and if pressed, fold! edit: Match with Stikman!! Edited December 16, 2014 by Steno Link to post Share on other sites
kal 16 Posted December 16, 2014 Report Share Posted December 16, 2014 My first labour was approximately 3.5hrs and my second 1hr. I had no morning sickness and was able to exercise the whole way through both. I reckon ironman is way harder than that. Dealing with 2 teenage daughters though.... would much rather be doing an ironman 1 Link to post Share on other sites
ironmum 72 Posted December 16, 2014 Report Share Posted December 16, 2014 Sorry to burst your bubble guys but its harder having a baby... I have had 6 babies and am coming up to my 12 th ironman.. Ironman day is like a holiday( you have people looking after you all day). Training you get tired but that can be fixed( by sleeping, resting and eating well) . You get tired in pregnancy and there is nothing that fixes it, that baby is sucking all your energy out..then when you have a baby( which is bloody hard and you can't opt out if it gets too much!) you never feel like you catch up on sleep.. It's much easier training , racing and recovering for ironman..so maybe don't start comparing with your partner about the two... It's only going to end in tears!! 2 Link to post Share on other sites
Catcam 121 Posted December 16, 2014 Report Share Posted December 16, 2014 Transfixed, it sounds as though your wife needs to be a lot more understanding of what you go through. After all, there are plenty of similarities between the two ........ back ache, tired legs, breathlessness, swelling, nausea, throwing up, the feeling that at any time you may lose control of bodily functions, etc. Time spent feeling this way? Training & IM: 40 weeks x 15 hours per week + IM event @ 10 hours = 610 hours Pregnancy: 40 weeks x 20 hours per day (excludes the 4 hours of any actual sleep she may be lucky to get each day) = 5,600 hours Link to post Share on other sites
ironmum 72 Posted December 16, 2014 Report Share Posted December 16, 2014 Catcam, you have explained it nicely? 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Youngy2 156 Posted December 16, 2014 Report Share Posted December 16, 2014 Agree with ironmum . One thing is similar though -- you say you never doing that again -- and yet you line up for another 2 Link to post Share on other sites
Steno 444 Posted December 16, 2014 Report Share Posted December 16, 2014 So if it is harder to have a baby, why don't more females do an IM? It must be a walk in the park? (this is said in jest!) Link to post Share on other sites
Stikman 1,796 Posted December 16, 2014 Report Share Posted December 16, 2014 You can't sign up for an Ironman by accident. Link to post Share on other sites
Bored@work 4,129 Posted December 16, 2014 Report Share Posted December 16, 2014 You can't sign up for an Ironman by accident. It's happened to me after a drunken night. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
KTJ 99 Posted December 16, 2014 Report Share Posted December 16, 2014 I agree with Kal! Birth and Ironman walk in the park compared to dealing with two teenage daughters!!! 2 Link to post Share on other sites
Bored@work 4,129 Posted December 16, 2014 Report Share Posted December 16, 2014 I agree with Kal! Birth and Ironman walk in the park compared to dealing with two teenage daughters!!! My daughter is 10.5 I don't want to hear this!!!! Link to post Share on other sites
Ex-Hasbeen 8,122 Posted December 16, 2014 Report Share Posted December 16, 2014 My daughter is 10.5 I don't want to hear this!!!! You poor, poor bastard. Link to post Share on other sites
Cottoneyes 1,418 Posted December 16, 2014 Report Share Posted December 16, 2014 My daughter is 10.5 I don't want to hear this!!!! You'll only go through it once, spare a thought for those of us with multiple daughters 1 Link to post Share on other sites
lawman 501 Posted December 16, 2014 Report Share Posted December 16, 2014 My wife has a sub 11 IM and a 30+ labour - only one of them was fun. I was cheering her on both times - only one was acknowledged 1 Link to post Share on other sites
transFixed 4 Posted December 19, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 19, 2014 Thank you all for your views. Love both sides of the arguments. I actually showed my wife and she also found some humour in it as well as a greater appreciation for the hours put into Im. She loved catcam's comparison. At the time of my original post we were actually in hospital and she was in active labour at 11am. Gave birth to our fist child at 8.53pm. She's definitely my IM. I know have a greater appreciation for what pregnancy, labour and post labour. 2 Link to post Share on other sites
ironmum 72 Posted December 19, 2014 Report Share Posted December 19, 2014 Congrats transFixed, now the fun begins:-) 2 Link to post Share on other sites
duffs 89 Posted December 21, 2014 Report Share Posted December 21, 2014 Having kids definitely opens your eyes up to a lot of things. Congratulations. Best things ever! Link to post Share on other sites
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