hi, madisongrrl. i have NOT done an ironman distance tri, but its been my goal for a very long time. i am doing my first 1/2 here in arizona in october, and i think how i get through that will be the deciding factor.
personally, i love the training, but it definitely takes time. i am in awe of anyone with little/little kids who is able to put the time required into training. i have two children (aged 9 and 10) so its a little easier since they're more self-sufficient at that age. i would think once you get pregnant/have a baby you'd probably take a little time off, but if you have the bug - you'll be back... :-)