The challenge of preparing for a triathlon six months after being a mother

BarcelonaBarcelona hosts the Challenge Barcelona Triathlon this weekend, an event that combines popular sport and high-level competition. The current edition, which features 30% female participation, a record for the competition, has sold out registrations three months in advance. Regarding the age range, the largest group of participants is the one aged between 25 and 40.

Beyond the event, the trajectories of Judith Corachán and Albert Parreño allow for reflection on two issues linked to this sport: the difficulty of managing motherhood with a professional career and the importance of enjoying the process without prioritizing results. Both have spoken to ARA during the presentation of the triathlon at the Olympic and Sports Museum in Montjuïc.

The difficulties of being a mother and an elite athlete

"The body recovers quickly, but the mind is very hard to manage". This is how Judith Corachán summarizes one of the main lessons learned from her return to competition after becoming a mother in 2023. The triathlete, Spanish long-distance champion, resumed training six months after the birth of her daughter. Despite regaining the national title, the experience made her see that returning to her previous physical level was not the only challenge: she also had to manage the emotional difficulties of balancing motherhood with professional sports.

Corachán explains that one of the hardest parts is stopping spending time with her daughter to go train or compete for hours, while trying to maintain her athletic performance and fulfill her family responsibilities: "What is not seen is the tiredness, all the doubts you have as a woman, that you want to live up to your daughter".

Motherhood has also made her rethink her priorities. Before becoming a mother, one of the main goals of her career was to participate in the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii. In 2019, she qualified after five attempts, but the pandemic thwarted that opportunity. "I had the desire to be a mother for a few years. I don't want anything to hold me back in how I should continue with my life because of not having achieved a dream, in this case, a sporting one." The athlete remembers that it was hard for her to accept it, but that there came a moment when she did not want to continue postponing the dream of being a mother to try to achieve a sporting dream.

Corachán also focuses on female participation in triathlon: "I think that we women are more insecure than men." As she explains, many need to gain confidence before daring to compete, and that is why she highlights the importance of safe spaces where they can prepare with other women. The triathlete participates in initiatives to promote women's sports and argues that offering different distances and accompanying participants in their first steps can help increase their presence: "It is not like a goal that cannot be reached, but an objective that they see is within their reach," she concludes.

Enjoying the journey before reaching the finish line

Albert Parreño, a former high-level triathlete, coach, and founder of the Club Esportiu Fasttriatlon, argues that triathlon should not revolve solely around major challenges like the Ironman, but that one must learn to enjoy training and progress gradually: "It is better to spend four years preparing for an event and enjoy the process than to want to achieve everything in just six months".

Although triathlon is often perceived as an expensive sport that requires a lot of free time, he believes that getting started does not have to involve a large expense: "With an investment of 500 or 600 euros we can get a second-hand bike, some sneakers, a tri-suit... and you don't need much else". He also points out that in Barcelona there are clubs and organizations where you can try this discipline at no cost.

Parreño, who founded Fasttriatlon in 2010 with the desire to bring this sport closer to people of all ages and levels, especially values that Barcelona hosts an event of these characteristics. "It is magical, because our city is wonderful," he assures. The coach celebrates that participation has grown again and considers that the triathlon is becoming better known in the city.

With the increase in participants, the triathlon continues to gain presence in Barcelona, but making a place for oneself in this sport implies challenges that go beyond the competition. From reconciling motherhood with high-level competition to the importance of respecting learning times, the experiences of Corachán and Parreño show some of the difficulties faced by those who practice it.