Lizzie Deignan on riding through her pregnancy, finding escapism on the bike
Lizzie Deignan is on the path back to racing after having her second child.
Throughout almost all of her pregnancy, Deignan continued to ride her bike to some degree. For the Trek-Segafredo rider, being able to get on her bike — whether it was out on the road or on the home trainer — helped to maintain some level of fitness while also being good for her mental health.
Getting on the bike was not always easy as Deignan dealt with the usual side effects of pregnancy, which were more challenging than she had experienced during her first. But it sometimes helped.
“I found it extremely difficult this time around. The first 18 weeks of the pregnancy, I was very, very sick and very tired. If I could ride my bike, actually, that would help a little bit with the nausea,” Deignan told CyclingTips.
While she was pregnant, getting back to racing was not on her mind when it came to the riding she did. She loves riding her bike and so that’s what she wanted to do.
“I didn’t do any intervals, or I didn’t push myself at all,” she said. “There are women who safely do intervals at a higher percentage, heart rate, or whatever. But I always erred on the side of caution, just because it’s my instinct. I simply rode my bike, and I didn’t really train.”
As well as keeping fit, cycling and any exercises during pregnancy can be good for mood and energy. While it is generally safe, it is advised a person doesn’t overexert themselves during pregnancy and maintain a lower active heart rate.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) advises that the heart rate is kept between 60 to 80 percent of a person’s age-predicted rate. You don’t necessarily need to strap a heart rate monitor to yourself while you’re riding, but it’s worth asking your doctor for their advice.
“You want to be able to hold a conversation whilst you’re riding. That’s kind of how I would describe it,” Deignan said. “I very much just went on feel. Probably because that’s the way I train normally. It’s probably not advisable for everyone, because I would like to think that I really understand my body and the sensations and things it’s telling me.”
Working around the bump
As the pregnancy progresses, there is one particular challenge that is only going to get more difficult which is dealing with the bump. Having a little person growing inside of you doesn’t make it easy to adopt any kind of riding position, but it’s not impossible.
Deignan made some modifications to her bike, with the aid of her team, to help make the riding position more comfortable and has some helpful hints if you don’t have a pro team behind you or the cash to be splashing out on new parts.
“I’m lucky obviously to be sponsored so it’s easier for me I was able to get another set of forks, which meant I could really lift the front end,” she said. “If you can’t do that, if that’s not financially possible, then you can rotate your handlebars or can turn your stem upside down, so then it’s tilted slightly upwards.
“If you’re really keen on still riding, but again, financially can’t do it, try and borrow a mountain bike. If you ride indoors on a trainer, you can actually fully turn your handlebars upside down so that the drops are on top. It’s not safe to ride outside, but it still means that you’re able to ride your bike indoors.”
Deignan was able to keep riding until quite close to her due date, but it would take a lot more time following the birth — for obvious reasons — before she could get back on the bike.
The length of time that it can take after birth before your body is ready to ride a bike again varies from person to person. It is usually around six to eight weeks, but your doctor will be able to tell you when you’re good to go.
Deignan was keen to get going as soon as possible and tried to start riding again before she was quite ready.
“I needed it for my mental health, I would say before I was physically ready. So that was quite difficult, because I really needed endorphins, the exercise or the freedom, at about four weeks,” she said. “I did ride actually on the turbo and I regretted it, because I don’t think, physically, I was ready.
“I felt quite sore afterward so then I stopped again, until six weeks when I had a checkup that every woman has six with their gynecologist and had an examination. I was told that my pelvic floor and everything was in good shape, and I could start to exercise.”
Deignan has been riding properly again since early November as she works toward a return to racing in May. Like many parents, she’s now trying to find the balance between returning to her career while balancing the demands of having a young family.
“It’s pretty relentless, that would be the description of it right now. But I always try to remind myself to be grateful,” Deignan said. “Being a mom is something that I’ve always wanted to be and I feel really grateful that I am and that I get to do a job I love as well.
“I know that for every parent, whatever job they have, it’s a balance. The reality of bringing up young children is relentless and I’m lucky that I’ve got my husband to help me and a job that I love that I kind of escape to. I suppose that’s my escapism as well as my job.”
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