Meet Kait! Dog mom with a baby on the way!

Hey guys! My name is Kait, and I live in the Baton Rouge, LA area. I’m excited to be featured here on lilytrotters.com to share a little bit about myself! 

I’m a former D1 collegiate swimmer who recently got into the running world about 3 years ago. When my mom asked me to take part in a family 70.3 Ironman relay, I decided I wanted to switch it up and be the runner. Running was never anything I had been super passionate about before, but I was excited to try something new and train for my first half marathon! Long story short, an addiction kicked off, and I’ve run one 24-hr ultra, two marathons, and many halfs/10k’s/5k’s. Since the pandemic, any races or runs have been virtual, and it’s become more about running because I can—and as a form of stress relief.  This is a picture of my two run buddies, Vader the malamute, and Maya the mutt pup. Vader has accompanied me on hundreds of miles, several half marathon efforts, and he ran half of my ultra with me! Having a healthy, active lifestyle is very important to me, and I’m glad that I have four-legged friends that push me to new heights!

Fun fact—I’m pregnant with our first child! It’s a wonderful, exciting time in our lives, and I’m so blessed to be here. 

Pregnancy is definitely a time of changes mentally/emotionally, physically, and in personal lifestyle. As someone who has spent the majority of their lives as a high-level competitive athlete, I think one of the biggest challenges I had to work through was giving myself grace. As my body changes and my baby girl grows, there are things I physically cannot do anymore. But this does not mean I am failing!! In fact, the biggest gift I’ve had in this pregnancy is reframing my mindset and relationship with exercise. I’m still training for a marathon—that of childbirth and motherhood, but this training is much different than any other endurance event. 

Last summer, COVID and southern Louisiana heat had me unmotivated. When I found out I was pregnant last August, I decided I needed to get myself back into shape (safely!). Now, I exercise to stay in tune with my body, and to give my daughter a healthy place to flourish. It’s ok if I can’t run far, fast, or at all!! Pregnancy is all about adapting to change and doing what makes you feel good. I had to stop running just before my third trimester but yoga, prenatal strength training, and riding my road bike on my trainer have been huge parts of keeping myself physically and mentally healthy. One of the biggest messages I’ve strove to convey during this time is that pregnant women are not made of glass. We’re stronger than we think! What one woman can comfortably accomplish will be different than the next, but a healthy lifestyle is certainly still achievable! Listen to your body, listen to your provider, and don’t let others tell you what you can or cannot do. I’ve never felt so beautiful and in control of myself and my body on this journey, and it’s a wonderful thing!

On top of being pregnant, having a full-time job as a occupational health and safety scientist, maintaining fitness and a house of animals (husband included), I am finishing the coursework for my Doctorate of Science in Emergency Management. I think being an Unstoppable woman is about more than pushing yourself to physical or athletic achievements. It’s also about making your way through life, and kicking butt while doing it!!