Ultra-Mom!

For Mother’s Day we decided to do a feature story about Ultra-Moms. We asked our very own Darcy Africa to help us out- so she did. Below in her own words:

Motherhood and Ultrarunning. 

As a full time Mom, I frequently get asked the question: “Are you working?”.    Initially my answer would always be “no” and that “for now, I’ve decided to stay at home and take care of my daughter”.  Like “staying at home” was somehow less important than working a paying job.  It did not take me long to realize that taking care of my daughter is in fact a FULL time job.   

Writing a “how to” about being an Ultrarunner and full time Mom is quite a bit harder than I imagined it would be.  Maybe it’s that I haven’t been using my brain in a creative way for work for the past year or the fact that every time I’ve sat down to write something, my daughter gets up from her nap.  Either way, it’s pretty much how life seems to be these days.  Running is no exception.  I get it in when there’s time.  Some days there’s not a whole lot of time to get much done at all.    Between nap schedules, feeding times, playtime, and clean up, the days go by quickly and can feel like I haven’t accomplished a thing. 

 There are many women out there running ultras while raising children.  It’s not impossible to be a competitive athlete and also a full time Mom.  However, I will say that for me it has taken more dedication and determination to train and come back into the world of competitive ultrarunning than it did before I had my daughter. 

Sophia was born on November 12th, 2008 and up until that point, my training and racing was pretty relaxed and flexible.  I could run when I wanted to (for the most part) and I had not really suffered any major injuries (thankfully).  My body and mind just sort of went for it and usually came through for me. 

Things are different now.  My energy and time are dedicated to raising another human being.  It is the most amazing experience I’ve ever known.  It also means that I’ve had to figure out a way to balance running, taking care of my daughter, spending time with my husband, racing, etc…   My schedule now revolves around my daughter’s routine and my husband’s work.  Which leaves me very little time actually. 

My runs happen early in the morning from 6 to 7:30 am before my husband goes to work.  If I’m lucky, I will also squeeze in another run during Sophia’s nap on a treadmill or take her in the jog stroller if the weather is nice.  The weekends usually entail a lot of tag-teaming by my husband and myself.  I run long in the am and then he goes out in the afternoon.  And most of the time we try to fit in time as a family as well. 

 My first race happened in February of 2009 which was 3 months after I had Sophia.  In hindsight, that was a little crazy and too soon after giving birth to run a race.  I ran a 33k in Moab, UT and came in 2nd place.  It was painful.  At that time, that was the longest I could go without having to nurse my little girl.  For the first year, this was the biggest crux for me.  Nursing and running Ultras is not a cake walk.  In May of 2009 I ran my first 50 miler since having Sophia and ended up having to pump while hiking during the race.  I remember during that race that the only songs playing through my head for 50 miles were the lullaby songs played on Sophia’s baby papasan swing.  I just laughed to myself every time another song would hit me.  That was the Jemez 50 miler in New Mexico and I ended up miraculously coming in 1st place.

I also ran the Leadville 100 in August of the same year and I had to pump and nurse twice during the race.  Somehow, even with the added “pit stops”, I ended up running a personal record.  Go figure. 

 Although I have had some decent finishes in the past year, I still don’t feel like I am back to where I was before having Sophia.  My body definitely does not cooperate the same way it used to and I have had to deal with some recent injuries.  In addition, emotionally my outlook on racing and training has changed as well.  For obvious reasons, my priorities have changed.  There’s more of an urgency when I’m running because when I’m away from Sophia, all I can think about is getting back to her.  Even on training runs, I find it difficult to do long runs on my own when I’m always wondering what she’s doing. 

During the HURT 100 this past January, the first 60 miles felt great.  Soon after, as the sun set, my heart just wasn’t in it anymore.  All I could think about was how I wanted to be sitting on the beach, making sand castles with my daughter.  Although I have struggled with my choice to stop at the 100k distance, it felt like an easy decision at the time.  And I must say that I was happy to come home that night and be able to walk into her room and see her sleeping soundly, and wake up a few hours later to take her down to the beach. 

 It’s interesting how priorities change after having a child.  I’ve never known love like this.

And although she is my world, I do feel strongly that it is essential for me to take the time to follow my passions.  It is important for me to continue my running particularly because it makes me a better Mom in many ways.  It is also important for my daughter to know that I can be there for her 100% and also take time for myself to stay happy and fulfilled.

 My words of advice for Mother’s to be or Mom’s hoping to start racing is to set some goals, sign up for a few races and set up a regular training schedule that will work for you, your child/children, and your partner – without burning yourself out:)!  Like I mentioned before, it does take some more dedication, but if you’re passionate about it, it can be done.