Athlete performance once they have children?

Ask Brian Sell.

I didn't have much help from my wife, so I lost about 1:30 in the 5k after my daughter was born. Now she's getting older and rides her bike with me on runs sometimes. My training partner.

Not sure about stats, but it is not uncommon now that there is more money in track and field (compared to the 60s or even the 70s). Many females have babies and come back just fine. Culpepper is a dad and was a dad when he qualified and made the Olympic team.

I think it can go both ways and depends alot on the child, if both parents are athletes, etc.

I mean Lagat had a child and it didn't affect him one bit.

Ritz has a new baby girl and since her birth has finished second at the marathon trials and won the XC Champs. He actually just spoke about his life as a dad in his blog "Keeping Things in Perspective":

http://www.thefinalsprint.com/2008/03/dathan-ritzenehin-putting-things-into-perspectiveelite-athlete-blog-entry-2/

Khadevis Robinson, Paula Radcliffe, and Meb have also all obviously performed extremely well after having children.

Great article by NY Times about Radcliffe winning NYC Marathon after giving birth:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/03/sports/othersports/03runner.html?ref=health

To be fair, extra kudos definitely go out to the female elite runners who come back strong after pregnancy (not to mention how they perform well even while caring for a new child, just as the men I mentioned above did).

If running is your career then I can see training resuming as it did before if your spouse is the one willing to get up in the middle of the night (every night, three times a night) instead of the athlete.

But if it is some joe shmoe like you and I then if it not messing your training schedule up then your nothing but a scum bag.