Skye Moench talks about the transformation of motherhood — including how she thinks about training, racing, and what success actually means. Here's her road back to Chattanooga 70.3 in this new chapter of life.
Back to Chattanooga
You're heading back to Chattanooga 70.3 — the same course where you last raced a 70.3 in 2023. What does it mean to be returning?
I've raced in Chattanooga five times — two Ironmans and three 70.3s. I've been on the podium, put together one of my best Ironmans with a commanding win there, and I've also had my worst ever Ironman there (walked a lot of the marathon!). But overall, the memories are great. I really love racing in Chattanooga, and it's nice to go back to a place that's so familiar. The race usually draws a good field since it's such a favorite in North America, and this year is no exception. I'm excited to see so many friends after hardly racing the last couple of years.
Training as a Mom
The last four months of training have looked totally different — naptime swims, morning sessions while Matt is home, flexibility on the weekends. What has your training actually looked like day to day?
I try to do as much training when Lois can be with family — mostly her dad — or when she's asleep or napping. Here's how my week usually looks. All of the workouts are subject to how I feel; I'll adjust in the moment or beforehand depending on my energy. Training as a mom requires the ultimate flexibility because recovery does not come as easily. Also worth noting: my naptime workouts are often in my basement on the trainer or treadmill, but if my husband is working from home, I'll try to get outside.
Monday — 7:30am, 80–90 min swim with squad / optional 60–120 min easy PM ride
Tuesday — afternoon naptime bike workout, 90–120+ min
Wednesday — 7:30am, 80–90 min swim with squad / PM 75–90 min run workout
Thursday — afternoon naptime aerobic bike, 90–120 min
Friday — 7:30am, 80–90 min swim with squad / PM 60–75 min easy run
Saturday — 2.5–3.5 hour bike ride, usually a workout
Sunday — 90–120 min run, usually with some efforts; very occasionally a short swim after
Total: 14–16 hours per week, give or take.
My training schedule now is very different from how I used to train. The most obvious change is volume — I was pretty regularly at 25–28-plus hours in season before Lois. What I do now is what my schedule allows as a mom who has chosen not to have childcare. My priority is being there for Lois as much as possible, so training fits in where it makes sense.
I strategically don't train on Tuesday and Thursday mornings so I can sleep in a little. Because I use naptime for training most days of the week, I get zero rest during the day, so I need some mornings to not set an alarm. Lois tends not to wake up super early right now, so I try to take advantage of that.
Another big difference is that training is often a "now or never" situation depending on Matt's schedule. If he has a flexible day and can be around, that takes some pressure off — but I often have to take advantage of the naptime window when it comes. Pre-mom life, I could train when I felt good and ready, nap at my leisure, and train all evening if needed. That's no longer an option, and honestly, it's no longer what I want either.
The thing I have to be most flexible with as a mom is my own energy — and second, the family schedule. On days when I'm exhausted and it doesn't make sense to train, I opt to nap instead and adjust future sessions, or I'll do some stroller running later in the day.
The Mental Side
You've mentioned some days feeling like you're crushing it and others asking yourself why even bother. What keeps you going on the hard days — and what has shifted mentally in how you approach training and racing now?
What has shifted most is that training is no longer the center of my world. Lois is my top priority, and if training doesn't go as planned, I don't stress. I was always able to execute training really well before becoming a mom, so I didn't have much reason to stress then — but I would have been a head case if I'd had to constantly adapt the way I do now.
I also have the perspective of knowing what it takes to be one of the best in the world, and my life looks nothing like that right now — so I simply can't compare myself to who I was or to anyone else. That said, learning not to compare has been the hardest part. It was my biggest downfall when I was trying to get back in shape last year. I kept thinking, "I can't do things the way I used to, so why even bother?" — and that was when I still had a nanny.
This year I decided to try a completely different approach: get aligned with what felt right (being with Lois), and then figure out the training around that. I feel happier and more fit than I did last year, and I'm training less. It's been about embracing my own journey as a mother and recognizing that my path isn't going to look like anyone else's. We all have to find our own way — this is mine. Maybe I won't be as good as I used to be, but I can sleep at night knowing I made decisions based on what felt right for me and my family.
At the same time, I am excited to see what's possible — and that's what drives me on the hard days. I know that consistency is what counts. Even if I can't smash a run workout the way I wanted to because my sleep was poor, getting out for an easier run is still worth something. And usually I can muster the energy to do that.
The other tension I really feel is wanting to be the best mom I can be while also wanting to be a good athlete. I LOVE being a mom, and some days it feels like it would be a lot easier — and less exhausting — if I wasn't also trying to race. Honestly, I would be quite happy just taking care of Lois. But I also know that doing things that make me feel alive help me be a better version of myself. It's about finding the right balance of motherhood and self.
Letting Go of Expectations
You've had to let go of all expectations, be extremely flexible, and give yourself a lot of grace. What does that actually look like in practice — and has it changed how you think about success on race day?
Letting go of expectations means I always have a plan, but I'm 100% okay if that plan has to change. I was planning to race Dallas 70.3 in March, but a family trip came up that we wanted to take — so I pushed my race start to Chattanooga. I never would have done that before.
Day to day, it's about adjusting a workout or schedule if I'm tired or if Matt has to leave for work. It's about not stressing or reacting when the plan changes — just making the change and knowing it was the best I could do on that day. Motherhood is the most demanding thing I've ever done, so whatever I'm able to do is the best I could do. That doesn't mean I get an "easy pass" every day — I know I have to put the work in if I want to be any good. But there's no point if I'm constantly failing sessions and not absorbing any of the training. I have to respect this phase of life and what it demands of me.
As for success on race day — getting to the race is already a success. The logistics of traveling to a race now are a whole other level of coordination. But beyond that, even more than before, success means going out and giving my absolute best. It takes so much more energy and mental fortitude for me to train and get to a start line than it ever did before, so racing is not an opportunity to be wasted. That makes me more driven on race day, not less. I'm not leaving Lois for the weekend to let myself off easy.
Fueling as a Mom and Athlete
You're fueling both training and motherhood — two incredibly demanding things at once. How has your approach to nutrition and recovery changed since having a baby?
Fueling as a mom and athlete has been one of the challenges I did not foresee. When you are constantly caring for a child — in my case, a toddler who loves to be held — you don't realize how much harder it is to feed yourself. Between breastfeeding and momming, I feel like I've fallen short on fueling way more often than I'd like. I am never not hungry.
The biggest thing I've tried to implement is fueling my sessions to the max — maybe even over-fueling. It's a guaranteed window to get calories in, and it helps my recovery in the process. I pretty much always consume a PF 30 Gel during any given session. Other favorites include PF 30 Chews, AMACX Gels, The Feed High Carb Drink Mix, and Noogs.
For recovery, I try to have quick calories at home that I can easily grab even with Lois in one arm. My go-tos are STYRKR Bars and Skratch Recovery. I also have a protein shake almost every night before bed — I really like Just Ingredients Protein Powder, RAW Protein Powder, and just tried Promix Whey Isolate.
Sleep has been a wild journey the last 18 months — I need more of it, and getting and staying asleep is sometimes more difficult than I'd like to admit, even on nights when Lois sleeps through. I can literally feel the cortisol coursing through my body some days, so making sure my magnesium is topped off has been critical. Pillar Performance Triple Magnesium and The Dream Shot are both staples for me now.
Outside of products, I try to always have nutritious food on hand for easy meals — and ideally, some meals planned ahead. I love to bake and make homemade snacks, but at the end of the day, sometimes it's just about getting in the calories. Whether it's a pizza from the local shop or a homemade meal, I need the energy to do what I'm doing.
Race Day
What does your race day plan look like for Chattanooga — and what does it feel like to be lining up at a start again?
This is a funny question because I'm answering it a couple days before the race — and I'll be honest, I've hardly thought about race day at all. This week has been full-on (solo parenting all week!), with barely any room to think clearly. But I did pack plenty of fuel from The Feed with all my favorite carb sources.
Here's what I do know:
Morning — a mix of oats and rice, with a little protein and fat
Bike — aiming for around 120g/hr with a mix of Skratch Super High Carb, PF 30 Chews, and AMACX Gels (plus 200mg caffeine); water from on course
Run — aiming for 90–120g/hr with 1–2 gels of my own, then on-course gels, water, and cola
Post-race — Skratch Horchata Recovery
As for what it means to get back on the start line — it's a strange feeling. I've traveled to so many races and done this so many times, yet my world, my brain, and my heart feel completely different now. In some ways I'm still reconciling old Skye with the new Skye, and I think that's just part of the process.
I had it in my head that I'd have my baby and simply get back to doing what I do — not anticipating at all the completely mental and emotional transformation that motherhood would be. I've really tried to respect that change, because it absolutely deserves that time and space. I would be doing other new moms a disservice to pretend like it's easy for everyone to just get back to training and racing. For some it may appear to be — but I think motherhood is deeply transformative for many of us, and a lot of moms wrestle with who we are and what our priorities are now.
This start line, for me, just means that I'm finding my way as a mother and an athlete — and that I'm respecting the phase of life I'm in right now. That may not sound like much, but it means a lot to me.
For Other Mom Athletes
What would you tell another mom who is trying to figure out how to keep competing — and is struggling with the guilt, the logistics, or the identity shift?
I would tell new moms, and I would tell myself this 18 months ago, it's okay to take your time. It's okay if you want to be with your baby more than you want to train, and it's okay to change your mind. Do what feels right for you and what makes you genuinely happier and healthier. It may or may not be the season to hit PRs or big training weeks, but this is just a phase, and you will find your way.
And please — do not compare yourself to other moms on Instagram. Everyone's situation is different. We don't know the full extent of what anyone else is feeling, how much sleep they're getting, or how much support they have at home. You are amazing and doing the best you can.
