AUTO-GENERATED TRANSCRIPT

Brianna Battles  00:01

Welcome to the practice Brave Podcast. I am the host Brianna Battles, founder of pregnancy and postpartum athleticism, and CEO of Everyday Battles. I’m a career strength and conditioning coach, entrepreneur, mom of two wild little boys and a lifelong athlete. I believe that athleticism does not end when motherhood begins, and this podcast is dedicated to coaching you by providing meaningful conversations, insights and interview topics related to fitness, mindset, parenting and of course, all the nuances of pregnancy and postpartum, from expert interviews to engaging conversations and reflections. This podcast is your trustworthy, relatable resource for learning how to practice brave through every season in your life. Hey everyone, welcome back to the practice of brave Podcast. Today I’m back with Shanna Burchette, and I’m really excited to talk with her this time. I think we talked probably a little over a year ago, and she is a mom of almost seven who is pregnant right now. And she’s a great runner. She competes and runs at a very high level, and recently, she’s made some more headlines on social media sharing her process of pregnancy and still running and wanting to, you know, perform at a pretty high level postpartum. So we thought we would have this conversation to share a little bit of behind the scenes on you again, for those of you who are not familiar with her, and just share where you’re at right now and what the long term goals are. So Shina, thanks for being here.

Shanna Birchett  01:38

Thank you. Thanks for having me. Yeah, absolutely. So

Brianna Battles  01:41

give people a little bit of your background so they have an idea of who you are, what you’re about,

Shanna Birchett  01:46

yeah, yeah. So I ran quite a bit throughout my life. I started at a pretty young age, around the age of five, and then I ran a lot of club races all over the US at like, a pretty competitive level, and then high school is your typical competitive scene. I was mainly more of like a miler at that time, so like, sub five minute mile as a freshman, and then beyond state and all that, and then kind of pivoted, did not go the collegiate route, like most competitive runners do, and that was a little bit of a spin on my life, but I love it. I have six kids because of that decision. And yeah, I picked back up running in like 2022 as an adult. So I was about six months postpartum with my sixth kid when I picked up running again. Did not run through her pregnancy. Van ran very sporadically through all my past pregnancies. And so, you know, I thought I was done being pregnant for a good amount of years. It’s gonna wait till my youngest got into kindergarten, and then maybe think about that last child. But that’s not what ended up happening. I got three and a half years in though of good training, and so I dabbled into like, the marathon distance, where I was able to run like a 244 best, and then was tackling Chicago when I decided, hey, I think I need to have my less kids. So pulled back in 2025 got pregnant pretty quick, and now I am 22 weeks pregnant.

Brianna Battles  03:18

So amazing, and you have some pretty big postpartum goals. And you mentioned that you know you didn’t run through your previous pregnancies, and this is a pretty new pregnancy experience for you. So while you’ve been pregnant quite a few times, while you’ve been postpartum quite a few times, and while you have been a runner for many, many years, doing both the same time as a new experience for you, not to mention on your seventh pregnancy.

Shanna Birchett  03:47

Yeah, yeah. This is, this is feels like foreign territory, for sure. It’s It feels very funny, because I feel so experienced in pregnancy, but I also feel so unexperienced in pregnancy running like this. Yeah? So this is the first time I’ve ever, like really, truly trained at this level during my pregnancy, and has have ran consistently through with, like, a goal plan or goal in mind. But yeah, you know, post this pregnancy, I really do want to shoot for that Olympic trial qualifier time for the marathon, which is a 237 just shy of a 237 so like 236, 50 something, and it’s gonna be aggressive, but I have a year and a half postpartum, and as long as I’m smart and stay on top of things, of where I need to be, strength wise and keeping my body healthy, it should be possible.

Brianna Battles  04:37

So yeah, absolutely. And then for those of you who don’t know, Shanna and I are working together through her pregnancy and in her rebuild postpartum as a way to just be really strategic with her training. What’s been really refreshing, I think, despite a lot of some opinions that we see on social media sometimes, is that while Shanna is still. Michael has been still racing and is still a very high level athlete and runner. She’s also willing and is making adaptations to her training and listening to her body. Because with runner brain, which is very similar to athlete brain, it is quite easy to dismiss all pain. It is quite easy to dismiss any change to your body, and just like push through it is very hard to actually listen to your body. When you are a runner, especially when you’re a runner at a high level, you ignore all discomfort and all pain. That’s just how you’re wired. So I really appreciate that, first of all, that you reached out, that you wanted to work together, and something that she’s doing during her pregnancy is incorporating a lot more strength training than what she had previously done, or maybe consistently done. And one thing that I tell a lot of the runners I work with is one of the best hacks for postpartum for runners is strength training during pregnancy like that makes such a big difference in their running performance and in their pelvic floor health. So I’m excited that we’re working together, and that you’ve been so willing to be like, just have like, a really open mind instead of like, this is what I’m doing, this is how I’m doing it. And I know that that’s hard to

Shanna Birchett  06:15

actually do. Yeah, honestly, like, I just appreciate your guidance. I think a lot of women out there are not, don’t have that guidance. And the more and more I talk about my pregnancy online, on social media, I’m realizing there are so many women out there that are just trial, trial and erroring everything, or they’re just completely pulling back altogether because they feel like they can’t have that permission to keep going. And so it’s just, it’s just a blessing, like, to have your content out there to do, to do what you’re doing, and I know you’ve been doing it for several years, but unfortunately, we’re finally starting to, like, pick up on that, and we’re leaning into that. And women are really, truly realizing, like, pregnancy, I mean, they’re like, You said it’s like, that fine line right where you’re like, Okay, this is a lot of change going on. You have to be self aware of that. But you if your body’s giving you the Okay, you can continue to still have movement in your pregnancy, and it’s good, absolutely.

Brianna Battles  07:10

And I think, like something I say all the time, is we are not fragile at all. And it is. The conversation is not about baby safety or physical ability, because, like, moms can perform, the baby is safe, especially like athletes. Like, it almost like, doesn’t matter what your body’s experiencing. You know how to override that and perform as an athlete. So it’s not that we are fragile, it’s also that we are not invincible. Like, yeah, you know, there are so many variables that influence the pregnancy, fatigue, nausea, mental health, core and pelvic health, symptoms, performance and even just like, interest, like, it just really kind of depends on the person at individual level. And then being able to say, it’s not just about what I’m able to do during pregnancy. It’s about making decisions through the lens of that long term. What do you want to be doing a year from now? What do you like? What are we actually training for beyond pregnancy, beyond delivery, like we’re training for long term outcomes. So how do we reverse engineer that process so not fragile, not invincible, finding that middle ground of being really adaptable as an athlete, and I think you’re doing a really great job

Shanna Birchett  08:26

with that. I appreciate that. Yeah. I mean, there’s been quite a bit of shift in my training. You know, in my marathon block, especially my first trimester, I was able to outside of fatigue and nausea. I was able to ride still similar mileage and six days a week. But I mean, now it’s crazy how much six weeks, even post marathon, can make a difference on just how you feel overall. But I’m down to five days a week strength training more than I did in my first trimester and end of my first trimester, but also too, like my mileage has decreased by like half honestly at this point, and it’s probably going to continue to decline, and I’m going to shift towards more strength and more indoor biking, to kind of supplement that hunger that my body is like, wanting to do more. But I think at the end of the day, like you said, it’s longevity, and it’s beyond this year and a half goal postpartum, like I want to be running into my 40s, like a lot of these other Elite Pro runners are, and hitting my fastest times, you know. And so I think reminding yourself that, not to get selfish in the moment, but to remind yourself that, like long term, it’s so worth it, if you just keep that goal in mind, where you want to be 510, years from now, and not just next year Exactly.

Brianna Battles  09:40

And I think, like runners certainly like, not just during pregnancy, like it’s really easy to be really hyper focused on running or on these four in general, whether it’s running or another, like sport specific athlete when really pregnancy can be a great opportunity to become a more well rounded athlete, which will then make you better at your. Or given sport. So instead of thinking like, Well, I’m just going to keep doing what I’ve always done, I’m going to try to maintain I’m just going to try to push boundaries, like it’s also a good time to introduce ways to become a more well rounded athlete, whether that’s maybe you’re focusing on more strength, or you’re focusing on capacity on the bike, like there’s just a different stimulus that can be trained during pregnancy. And I think it’s really hard to step outside of what you know, or maybe what you prefer, and introduce different variables, but that tends to be a significant benefit on the postpartum recovery and postpartum performance side of things.

Shanna Birchett  10:38

I love that. Yeah, I don’t know what it is about us runners where we shy away from strength training? I don’t, I don’t know why. I don’t know if it’s just because, like, we carry the load of running, and then we’re like, oh, we have to do one more thing. But it I noticed the effects. Like, even if I’m not hitting my normal amount of strength training through the week, my power and my speed, it’s like, more force. I have to put more force out to get that same speed that I normally would get if I had strength training, consistent absolutely

Brianna Battles  11:07

and so now where you’re at in your pregnancy, you’ve done a couple races so far. What has that been like for you?

Shanna Birchett  11:16

It’s been pretty positive for the most part. I mean, my marathon went really, really well. I think I raced it at a good point in my pregnancy. I think I was 16 weeks pregnant, and I didn’t feel anything, any discomfort, none of that. Like it was actually a huge blessing. No bathroom stops. Like, I kind of have asked for a better day. And so, yeah, I was pretty impressed with that. I was happy about that outcome. And then I just recently ran a half marathon this past weekend, and there was some discomfort after, like, mile six ish into mile seven, and I, you know, I just kind of kept my heart rate, my marathon effort. I was like, there’s no point in trying to show anything out here. I’m not going to get anywhere near my PR anyways. But yeah, I definitely think after that half, it was kind of like a trial and error. Like, how, how was I going to feel in this with this would determine if I do more halves beyond this? And I think I just made the call, like, 10 K’s, 5k will be the rest of my pregnancy if it’ll allow it to do that.

Brianna Battles  12:12

So yeah. And I think, like, for again, when working with different runners, it’s, it’s interesting, because could you mentally grind through it, yeah, yes, but it’s really, like, special that you’re able to acknowledge, like, Okay, I’m having some pelvic floor pain, and frankly, I don’t want it to get worse. And I think sometimes we forget that as pregnancy continues, our center of gravity changes, our gait changes, there’s more force and pressure on the pelvic floor, and sometimes that can create symptoms. And we’re trying to, like, ride that line of like, all right, I’m still running, but at what point do I start to not feel that great in my running? At what point am I, like, potentially creating injury, when really, I don’t need to, like, I can train in a different way or a different stimulus and just sort of, like, make small adjustments while still having the overall athletic benefit to it.

Shanna Birchett  13:03

I totally agree. And I’m just like, man, consistency is so much better than trying to grind something out right? Like, I’d rather be able to do 20 miles a week than no miles a week, you know? And so at what cost? Is that worth it? When I hit week 28 and I’m like, Oh, I can’t run at all now, because I grind through the last few weeks prior to do what a half marathon, not even near PR for what like, to prove what you know. And so I think that’s just like, what keeps going through my mind is that, like, any sort of consistency I can maintain is going to be beneficial long term, even if it’s a fraction of what I normally do. And I think that helps a lot, just to be able to pull back where there’s areas where I’m like, Oh, well, I can guide through that. I can go do another half. There’s women that are running in 32 weeks pregnant running a half. But I think one thing we have to remember too is every pregnancy is so different, so different. And and even the load and the intensity and all that stuff that goes into training will look so different. And so just you can’t compare, like, I can’t compare to what other people are doing at 32 weeks, I’m, this is my seventh kid. My body’s functioning. It’s going to function how it wants to function. And all I got to do is support it in that process Absolutely.

Brianna Battles  14:16

And it’s like, we and we also don’t even like, know what they’re actually feeling and experiencing like, that’s what I’ve noticed from working with so many different women, is like, what we see, even like, what’s reported, is always indicative of, like, the reality, right? And it’s so hard because we wanted, like, maintain and push so being able to, like, reassess, and it doesn’t have to be an all or nothing. Like you said, like, it’s not like, well, I have to stop everything look, no, like, there’s still so much that can be done, including running. It’s just maybe, like, we change up the stimulus, whether that’s speed or volume or, you know, whatever, like, even inclined or downhill, whatever. There’s so many different ways that we can keep women in the game without just trying to do it in the same. Zack manner, like, that’s where that adaptability really comes into play in terms of prioritizing that long term performance, not just ability, because ability any athlete can grind on any given day, on any given day. It’s not about ability. It is really about like, what is like going into the longevity and almost like the basic periodization, like you work with a running coach, and you know that when you’re training for a marathon, especially a specific time of the marathon, you have different training blocks, different training priorities and goals that you do week to week, month to month, and as time goes on, it looks very different when you start to contrast what you’re currently doing versus what you were doing. You know what I mean like? Because there’s a plan to follow on behalf of you peaking at the right time. Yeah, and I think oftentimes we forget that when working with pregnant and postpartum athletes, is there is a similar game plan of different themes that we can incorporate when we’re looking at it like, I tend to look at things on behalf of, what does this woman want to be doing at a year postpartum? Okay, now we’re going to reverse engineer what that process can look like, and, of course, make adjustments at that individual level. But really the big picture is, what do we want that year postpartum to look like?

Shanna Birchett  16:17

Yeah, I love that, that mindset of like, seeing the big goal and then breaking down the small goals to get there. Yeah, because I agree, like, I feel like so many athletes, they finish their pregnancy, and especially the ones that grind through a lot of times, these injuries start to pop up at month eight, month nine, year postpartum, and all of a sudden they’re injury, injury, Injury. And it’s like, I think that’s like, my biggest worry is, like, I’d rather not have that victory lap right now. I’d rather have the victory lap on the other side where it counts more, and to what cost do I want that to look like? You know, I don’t want to be in that injury cycle year year and a half out, because I’m trying to fast track something.

Brianna Battles  17:01

Yeah, and that’s such an important perspective, like, whether you’re a runner or any other kind of athlete, even just like our recreational athlete moms, it is, I tell you, like it is hard, because you want to feel like yourself, so you want to do the activities and have the kind of output that feels normal, and honestly, that kind of feels like validating where you’re like, ooh, like, like, it’s like the the self assured, like high fives. It’s like the high fives you get yourself, but then also like the cultural high fives that you get in the gym or that you get on social media. But really, there’s so much to be praised for making the adjustments you need to make now, knowing you’re doing it from a place of, like, maturity and perspective and process and grace, versus sometimes, like the ego or the insecurity and the fear that comes from, like not wanting to let go or not wanting to make adjustments. And that’s, it’s a hard like self, I don’t know, like, there’s like, a self actualization that happens.

Shanna Birchett  17:58

It’s true. I mean, watch your body shift and how it used to look, and even your performance, like going out there running slower than my marathon piece on a downhill course. I was like, this is, this is very depressing in a lot of ways. I mean, the the fact that my body can do this is obviously so beautiful. Two can coexist at the same time, and I’m very familiar with that, but it is like, you look back at videos, you’re like, Do I really look that big? Like, wow. Like, I really stacked on or like, you know you are, you’re running this race, and you’re like, dang, that girl that won overall, like, I would have been right there with her if I wasn’t pregnant. So it definitely is, like, an identity crisis, and I feel that so deeply, but I think you’re so right. Like, just reminding yourself, like, the overall perspective, overall goal, and like, is it for the kudos on Strava or for your own personal gain long term? And like, reminding yourself that there is a physical being inside of you, like, there is a lot of movement going on. There’s a lot of changes. It’s not even just your body physically changing, but internally, there’s a lot of change happening, and that it’s okay to embrace that like it is okay to acknowledge that that’s happening

Brianna Battles  19:10

totally and there’s just, like so many variables that we don’t have control of in pregnancy and in labor and delivery and postpartum. And so I think, you know, just as an athlete, and then sharing the process, it’s just acknowledging, like, I might feel this way, but someone else might feel totally different, and because they are experiencing a different set of variables, like, you have a million kids, that’s your reality is going to be different than somebody who has no kids and they’re training, you know, Like, or your physical experience might be very different than somebody else, like, like you said, everybody’s experience is different, and we are just not in control of everything, and that’s hard because runners, especially my CrossFit moms, especially my high drive women, in whatever capacity in their life we want. And control. Yeah, you’re in pregnancy where your body is changing your how you feel day to day. Can change how you feel one month versus how you felt the previous month, no matter what it’s going to change birth is pretty unpredictable, like there’s just so much surrender that goes into these seasons, and that is not always intuitive for athletes and high drive women that that want the control.

Shanna Birchett  20:27

Yeah, I absolutely agree with that. I feel that,

Brianna Battles  20:32

especially like having, you know, six kids like you, recognize that every pregnancy or every delivery, every postpartum experience, is different, even though it’s the same.

Shanna Birchett  20:42

Yeah, you know, yeah, I and I think that’s like, the hardest part is, like, I can go back and look at pictures at 22 weeks and I’m like, I wasn’t even running. Like, how was I, like, so much smaller, showing less, or, you know, what? What did I feel like that? But then I think about the volume and the running goals and things I’ve accomplished running guys, and I’m like, But what like at what caught like? Is it worth it to look that way and look this way and have what I just was able to do, you know? And so just reminding myself, like it isn’t you can’t compare. You can’t even compare your own past pregnancies, because they are so different, and your needs, your nutritional needs are so different depending on what goals you have during your pregnancy. And yeah, it’s not, it’s not comparable, and it shouldn’t be. And I love that you you touch on that, because especially moms that have multiples, it’s so, so easy to go back and be like, What did i What was I doing in 2018 with this kid?

Brianna Battles  21:40

Right? And yet, like, but everything about our life just keeps changing. And it’s not that we’re like, suddenly, just oh, just because I’m older or I must be like a athlete now it’s like no, like, our life and our evolution as athletes will change. Like who you are as a 45 year old athlete is going to be different than who you were at 35 which is different than who you were at 25 and that’s not a problem. And it also doesn’t mean that you’re worse, like, I think you actually do get better, especially in the running world, like we see so many women that are peaking in, like, post motherhood, that are like into their 40s, that are perimenopausal, yet they’re like, killing it in these Ultras or, like, long distance. It’s not that you get worse. You actually get better because you gain so much perspective and you’re smarter with your training. Like I told you that you grind at 27 years old is going to be different than when you’ve accumulated a few kids and a lot of life experience at 37 and then again at 47 and beyond. Like it’s supposed to change, but we sometimes resist that, we fight it, and we compare to ourselves, to who we used to be, or to others that we see, especially like fellow athletes out there. I’m sure it’s really easy to be like, well, that person is doing this, and we’re the same, but except we’re actually not the same Exactly.

Shanna Birchett  22:58

Yeah, it is. It’s true. It’s easy to put yourself in that box and think, like, oh, 20 year old version of me was doing this. Should I just repeat it? Right? And I’ve even had messages like that, like, oh, well, you used to just only strength train through your last pregnancies. Like, just, why don’t you just lean into that? And I’m like, Well, my goals are so different now, and like, my perspective is so different, like, I could have both this time and do it smart. And, yeah, it’s, it’s very, very easy to go back and look, especially the older you get. Like, okay, what did I do in the past season, and should I just replicate it? But you’re right. You’re you do change your life, change your circumstances change, and your goals change, and it’s okay to, like, lean into that, and, you know, adjust with that. So yeah, and that’s

Brianna Battles  23:46

not always intuitive, and it’s certainly not easy. And again, again, especially for women and runners who are wired to, like, I am used to running at this speed, I’m used to this running route, I’m used to this distance, and you have like, kind of rigid expectations around your metrics, and so then to feel like, God, what’s wrong with me? Even though you’re like, I’m growing a human or, like, why I didn’t sleep at all last night? Because I have a, like, a four month old or whatever. Like, it’s so easy to look at metrics and let it ruin your day. Instead of being like, this is a season like, this is a this season is not reflective or indicative of everything to come. It’s just like, it’s today.

Shanna Birchett  24:33

I absolutely agree, yeah, that that postpartum with the newborn is going to be on another whole process all over again.

Brianna Battles  24:39

So absolutely And so you mentioned the being able to make to the Olympic qualifiers. So how long postpartum will that be?

Shanna Birchett  24:49

I have about a year and a half window, so as long as she delivers. I mean, even in June, that’ll give me about a year and a half. So December 2027 is the last. Off date to try to qualify, so it’s a decent amount of time to still, especially with how much I’ve been able to maintain even up to this point. Yeah, but it’s, yeah, it’s definitely a big goal.

Brianna Battles  25:14

So I mean, it’s a big goal, but I also feel like, so, like there’s different leaps that happen postpartum, and I feel like 18 months is actually one of the biggest leaps we see in terms of, like performance and healing and energy and just like truly starting to feel like yourself again. And I don’t know, I know it’s like hard to compare, but like when you look back on your other pregnancies, you know, like you sort of start to come back to life at different points postpartum. And I just feel like 18 months is usually like when people, women really come back to life, just within themselves, but also as athletes. I don’t know if you experience

Shanna Birchett  25:46

that, but no, I totally agree. I think, I think once, if that year mark is like a magical moment, I feel like and, and this is different for every woman, right? Like, I know that some people don’t feel that way till two years, but yeah, for me, it’s like, once I hit that year mark, it’s like, you have a routine with this baby. The baby’s a little bit older, it’s sleeping a little bit better. You kind of molded them into your schedule, and it’s no longer like a shock to your body, and everything else kind of started to regulate at that point. And so, yeah, I definitely, I definitely think a year is, like, a good solid time to Okay, last six months. Like, let’s really try to figure out what we can do exactly.

Brianna Battles  26:23

And that’s when it becomes really fun, from like, the performance standpoint, of, like, you know, you’ve laid this foundation through pregnancy. You’ve laid the foundation of, like, rebuilding postpartum, and not just rebuilding with exercise, but acclimating to this baby, to your body, like you said new routine, everything, and then you have, like, this great like, once you do that rebuilding and the healing, turning that corner into then prioritizing performance, that foundation, just it shows, it shines. It shows through, and it makes, I feel like it makes that peak so much easier, because you’re not trying, you’re not necessarily battling the setbacks that that happened when that foundation wasn’t as established.

Shanna Birchett  27:08

Yeah, totally. And I think that’s like a lot of things that people don’t think about, especially competitive runners, they think, Oh, the grind, grind, grind, grind, grind is going to pay out, but really it’s the fact of keeping yourself healthy enough to grind when you need to grind. And it is that window sometimes is small, but if you’re smart and you’re building the foundations from below, making it strong enough so that when it is time to grind and put the work in, and like really put your body to the test, you’re able to hold, withhold that volume, that intensity, all that stuff. So it’s it’s so true. I’ve just grown such a like testimony of strength training, because all my past pregnancies were so strength specific, because I couldn’t run and or I didn’t have the guidance to run pregnant. And, you know, I just see how much it it truly did help me, even in my postpartum come back in 2022 and how much I’ve been able to do the last three and a half years before I got pregnant again and even into pregnancy, like having a better foundation pregnant wise, to build off of first and second trimester, because I had that foundation prior. So it’s just like, yeah, no, I 100% like, agree with that. And I think the more and more a woman can see that and hear that like I feel like, the less they’ll feel all this pressure to do it now, now, now, now, and it’s like, okay, let’s take a step back. Take a breath. Where do I want? What do I want this next year to look like? Okay, now. What do I want the next five years to look like? Now, let’s break it up into small pieces that are obtainable goals for where my season’s at right now to get me slower, one step at a time to that next goal, because it is like my PR didn’t come six months postpartum. It came from season, season, season stacking, and it will continue to be that way as I continue to stack seasons healthily so.

Brianna Battles  29:03

And it’s funny because, you know, like, again, for any strength athlete and any runner, that is basic progressive overload, right? Like you’re working with a coach who’s like, this is what you’re doing this week. Do not do more. But also, like, where they are, like, on your ass about you following the plan, because doing more or like, doing less or miss like, of course, there’s like, some some adjustments that can be made, but overall, like, there is a precise progression and a deload factored in for a reason, and yet we Typically overlook that and dismiss it completely from the conversation. When talking about pregnant and postpartum athletes who have performance goals on the other side, we’re like, No, you can just keep doing it all you feel good. Like, just follow the vibes and then postpartum, yeah, just get back to it. Like, no, that’s like, dismissing the whole side of like, progressive overload. It in periodization that goes into helping athletes perform and feel their best sustainably. Yeah, the key word right is like not getting injured, not like having all of these symptoms that they’re trying to, like, troubleshoot on top of their training. It’s like, what are we doing to, like, to navigate both where, again, you’re not trying to you’re still training, you’re still getting that stimulus, but you’re doing it in a way that is really like, through the lens of longevity,

Shanna Birchett  30:28

I think, and I think the D load, like you talked about, or like for in the runner running term, like, you have a down week, right? I don’t know why us as athletes think that that’s like, that’s like, an option like it that’s where the most adaptation happens, is in that moment. It’s like, almost like, giving your body this reset of like, okay, let’s now you’ve accumulated all this build up. Let’s give this opportunity to soak it all in and get hungry again and then get back out there and put another three hard weeks in, right? I don’t know why us as athletes, we do that. We think a rest is an option. It’s optional. It’s or down weeks or deload weeks are optional. Like, and I’ve been guilty of it. I’m preaching to myself, like, but I’ve learned the hard way every time I’ve done that. But those next three weeks after that are brutal. They’re brutal because your body is just like, hungering for that recovery. Yeah. And so I’m so glad that you mentioned that, because, I mean, we are seeing you, and I have talked about this, the studies that are going out that, like, look, this woman, she was postpartum, and she did all this, and then we’re seeing the injury risk, right? And it’s like, 50% or something. And I’m like, that’s a high injury risk. Like, why are we applauding that women can do this so early on postpartum, but at what cost they’re getting injured? Like, half of them are getting injured, and that’s not being discussed. And I just wish that, like, like you said, Yes, we can go and do it, but at what cost and just making sure that those are both equal to what we’re wanting, versus just like that grind mentality of like, well, she did it three months postpartum, and she put out this PR and blah, blah, blah, and now look at her. Now, she’s hurting for it. Now she’s got hip flare ups and weak pelvic and

Brianna Battles  32:18

and that’s like exactly what we have seen for over a decade, right is like, not about just the ability, because ability, yes, any given athlete on any given day under any given circumstance, will push they know how to do that. They’ll perform on the timeline that is asked of them, like, and then you, then you get into that culture of, like, almost like, one upping, well, so and so came back at like, X amount of weeks or months. I can do it here, so, and it’s like, this constant stacking, right? And that’s like, across the athletic community. That’s across the athletic community. So I think it is, it’s like saying, like, it’s great that there’s more research that’s encouraging, like, getting out of that fragility mindset. And also we have to consider, like you said, the long term effects of not acknowledging training approach, periodization, progression, regression, and really just kind of like considering all of the different variables that affect long term outcome, not just physical ability, not just baby safety, but long term outcome, because that is the metric that pregnant and postpartum athletes actually care about. They just don’t always know it. They so, like, zoomed in on like, what can I do? What should I not do? Like they want to, kind of be told what they want to hear. We can do that. We already see that that is so heavily filtered into our current fitness culture, but what they really need to understand, or what they really should be thinking about, and I think ultimately, what the real goal is, again, whether they know it or not, is that lifetime of athleticism. How do you want your body to feel and perform a year from now, five years from now, or 20 years from now, and these seasons are such great opportunities to really train well, to understand your body, to learn about your body, and to train and progress and regress as needed.

Shanna Birchett  34:16

Yeah. And I think, I think it gives the okay and the permission for other women to do it too, if you’re allowing yourself to do it right. Like, I think that was the most humbling thing is listening I talked to you about this, about alaphine, she got pregnant with her second baby, and she she had her baby on the day of New York Marathon, right? And she was like, it’s crazy, because today, a year out from now, I want to be out there running my first postpartum marathon. I was like, that was a that’s a year, yeah, she’s looking at a year, and she’s a sponsored athlete. And I think, I think a lot of the pressure can come from a lot of these elite runners, or these elite cross trainers that are brand connected, where they’re like, they’re getting pushed to go out there sooner than they probably should. But I love that these women are speaking up at a higher level and show. Knowing the way and being transparent about that, that like, Hey, I did do that. I did grind early. And elipine talks about that, she’s like, I did grind and it ended up with injury, and I don’t want to be there again. And so I know this second comeback. I want to be smart, I want to be healthy, I want to be fast into my 40s, and I want to continue that with these other elite woman, and I love that. I love I feel like the more we discuss that as mom athletes as well, and like, embrace that and show it by our actions, other people will feel like it’s okay to follow that too.

Brianna Battles  35:34

Yeah, you’re right. And it’s like, really about having that message at a high level. Because the easy message to show is, look how much I did during my pregnancy past I got back, and look what I was able to do once I got back. What is not being shared is the sack, first of all, the sacrifice that goes into that. Like, it’s huge. It’s a lot on a family and it’s a lot on the overall motherhood experience. And like, we have to acknowledge that as being a variable like that can be really challenging for mothers to feel like they’re having a balance like, well, when am I breastfeeding and doing this and doing that? And, like you said, the sponsorship variables in there, and like, feeling like you do have to perform, and are under a lot of self pressure and contract pressure, performance pressure, there’s just a lot of different variables. But so it’s almost like it’s easy to show the like what people want to hear and like what we want to put out there, it’s a lot more common to experience like you just said, like, where, okay, I probably did a lot, and I did a lot too soon. Now I’m dealing with some issues. I want to do it differently, and that really has been my own experience a couple times, and just what like patterns, right? Like you start to see patterns when you work with program, because part of athletes long enough you see like, I know where this is going. I know where this narrative is taking us. We have our like, we have like, what we see, and then we have the reality of what is actually experienced, and it trying to find the nuances of that, and being, like, really smart about our training, feeling informed, and I think most importantly, these athlete moms having practical support, not just telling you what you want to hear, but also, like what you need to hear, because I know your actual goal is to be making the Olympic calls, right. Like I know that. And so coaching you and coaching the other athletes I work with, I will do whatever I can to guide you, and then ultimately, you get to make your own autonomous choices. Like what I say doesn’t really matter. It factors into what you know, what choices you make with your training. But ultimately, like my lens is going to come from, I think this is what’s going to serve you best long term, because I want to protect you. I want you and I want you to reach

Shanna Birchett  37:45

your goals when I think that’s that’s why it pays to have a coach specific to those goals, right? Like I know, like, when I was self guided, I wouldn’t have had the knowledge of even modifying some of the workouts that I see in your at home plan, like, where it’s like, hey, on your knees, you’re gonna do this. And I’m like, on my knees, like, or you’re gonna, you’re gonna use this with body weight. And I’m like, I can do this with weights, you know? It’s just like, it’s that competitive drive inside your brain that you’re like, Well, I did this in the past, or I did this before I was pregnant. Like, I could do this at 22 you know, but having the guidance of somebody pulling you back or educating you, like, Why? Why am I having you modify this is why? Because this looks different. Your abdominal a domino looks different, like all these things are shifting and giving that feedback or that perspective is so helpful as an athlete who has that mentality of just pushing past the pain, or pushing back the past the hurt and realizing, like, there is a specific purpose of why your coach is guiding you in the direction that they are because they have the knowledge and the expertise of why they’re why they’re giving what you’re giving you. Yeah, especially like working with athletes, and

Brianna Battles  38:59

I always try to, like, throw this out as a disclaimer, like, the advice I give athletes is going to be very different than the advice I’m going to give my gen pop mom. Like, yeah, Gen pop and, like, someone who’s like, newer to exercise, sometimes they need a little bit more encouragement to push and to do more and to stay more active, right? But with athletes, sometimes you have to help them, like, pull back and keep the bigger picture. So it’s like, the advice and the messaging we give one subgroup of people is going to be different than the advice we give others. I tend to work with athlete moms, high drive, athlete brain, performance driven people. And because of that, how I speak and the suggestions I give are, like, gonna be very specific, whereas, if you pull out of that bubble, and I’m talking to the average fit mom, then it’s gonna be different, like, it’s gonna be more, like, encouraging and, like, yes, like you need to be exercising. You should be lifting heavier, like, you need to be moving more, a lot of times. So, you know, it’s just, I think that’s another thing too, that gets. Lost in the nuance on especially on social media, when we share about women performing at higher levels, and we see different examples out there, what applies to one does not apply to all. That’s for sure. Like what we highlighted is truly like the 1% of pregnant athletes, and that cannot be the bar in which we compare ourselves and our realities and experiences to,

Shanna Birchett  40:24

and that’s what you get when you pay for a one to one coach, right? Like, that’s the beauty of of the factor of that is that you get that more specific training tailored to you, yeah, and not a overall plan that everyone and whatever, right? Like, that’s what I did in the past. I followed a program that I found, and it was, there was no adjustment pregnancy wise. Like there was, you know, there was your girls that have the eight packs, and then there was the girls are a little bit bigger in the back that did the modifications. And that was it. Like there was no adjustment for you specifically. And I think, yeah, I’m just a huge believer like you, and what you invest in yourself is what you get out in return. And if you’re a mom who has guilt over financially investing in yourself, I just encourage like, if it’s something that’s been on your heart and mind that you want like it is so worth it. Like I would not be where I’m at right now. I would not be running as much as I even am right now. I would not be hitting the workouts that I’m still hitting in 22 weeks without my coaches, you and my run coach, like, it has helped to have that one to one specific training.

Brianna Battles  41:30

So absolutely, and you know, there’s a lot of different ways that women can like, I think, just follow up on that point. Like, we have different certified pregnancy and postpartum athleticism coaches. So if you’re like, I don’t know where to find a coach to work one to one with, who gets running or gets my goals or whatever, and I have 1000s and 1000s of coaches around the world that have gone through my coaching certification. So that is something you can do, and if this should be coming out pretty soon. But if you are an athlete or a coach, or you’re a practitioner who works with different athletes and you want to learn how to work with them. Or, if you’re an athlete and you’re like, I want someone telling me, like what I need to be doing, or like, how to adjust my training. I’m doing an in person certification in San Diego, January, 21 and 22nd so if like, just to kind of piggyback on that sentiment, there’s a lot of different ways that you can have that support and guidance, have online programs, and that’s what China is following, is the pregnant athlete training program, both the on or both the the gym version or the at home version, but it’s all on, all an online program. So So you are a little over halfway through your pregnancy, what is what do you anticipate the next half of your pregnancy looking like,

Shanna Birchett  42:43

oh, I have no idea. Like, I’m trying to stay very open minded, because I feel like when I have a goal set in stone, I don’t like to pivot from it. Otherwise, I feel like I failed myself. So I’m really just trying to, like, be open minded, take it day by day, take it week by week. Right now I’m running about like 35 to 40 miles. It could look very different by the time I hit 28 weeks and above, but we’ll see. But yeah, just a couple of 5k 10k just here locally. That’s my goal right now, very loose and tentative based on how I feel, and just kind of have a little bit of fun with, like, the shorter stuff, that’s like, less time on feet, on my body. Long runs are being decreased at this point and, yeah, just kind of just continuing to move my body at this point,

Brianna Battles  43:33

sounds great. I’m proud of you. I think you’re such a like, positive voice in the running world, in the pregnant athlete. World of showing like what is still possible, and the approach in which you’re being really adaptable, and you’re not rigid with what you’re doing or how you’re doing it. You’re kind of moving through your pregnancy with your long term performance in mind. And I think it’s a refreshing perspective. I’m very grateful for your voice and your example. And I know so many other runners and athlete moms alike like need that. They need that example, and you’re a great example of that. Well, I

Shanna Birchett  44:08

appreciate it. Thank you, and I appreciate your guidance.

Brianna Battles  44:11

So I’m absolutely here and in it with you, if it’s really fun for me to see too, and just kind of see where we’re at, and take every week and every kind of block at a time, and make those adjustments accordingly. So it’s fun to be like in it, in it with, yeah, yeah.

Shanna Birchett  44:29

Well, I’m grateful for it, so I’m excited to see what the last trimester has in store for me.

Brianna Battles  44:34

So I am excited for that too, and even more excited for postpartum. So I Anna, where can, where can people follow along with your pregnancy? Where can they find you?

Shanna Birchett  44:42

At, yeah, just on Instagram. Motherhood. Underscore, running. So, Yep, perfect.

Brianna Battles  44:49

All right. Well, thank you so much for sharing. I know we’ll have you back on the podcast, probably when you are early postpartum, and share then. So thank you so much for coming on and sharing. Again, and we’ll talk soon. Bye. Thank you. Thank you so much for listening to this episode of the practice brave podcast. If you enjoyed the show, please leave a review and help us spread the work we are doing to improve the overall information and messaging in the fitness industry and beyond. Now, if you are pregnant and you are looking for a trustworthy exercise program to follow, I have you covered. The pregnant athlete training program is a well rounded program for pregnancy with workouts for each week that are appropriate for your changing body. That’s 36 weeks of workouts, three to four workouts each week, and tons of guidance on exercise strategy. We also have an at home version of that program. If you are postpartum and you’re looking for an exercise program to follow. The eight week postpartum athlete training program would be a really great way to help bridge the gap between rehab and the fitness you actually want to do. From there, we have the practice brave fitness program, which is an ongoing strength conditioning program where you get new workouts each week and have a lot of guidance for myself and my co coach, Heather Osby, this is the only way that I’m really offering ongoing coaching at this point in time. If you have ever considered becoming a certified pregnancy and postpartum athleticism coach, I would love to have you join us. Pregnancy and postpartum athleticism is a self paced online certification course that will up level your coaching skills and help connect the dots between pelvic health and long term athletic performance, especially during pregnancy and postpartum, become who you needed and become who your online and local community needs by becoming a certified pregnancy and postpartum athleticism Coach, thank you again for listening to the practice brave podcast. I appreciate you, and please help me continue spreading this messaging, this information and this work.