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Kids and Short / Middle / Long Distance Tri Training
Just wondering if any of you were doing Triathlon before the kiddies came along, did you have to take a break and take it up again when they were older (how old). If you did juggle both, how did you manage?
We're adopting a couple of siblings at the end of the year and obviously it's going to have a huge impact to our life but I'm not quite sure how much in terms of being able to train, Ideally I'd like to have a crack at a full IM in 2015 but I have a feeling this isn't going to be practical
Obviously a lot will be based on how understanding the missus is......
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Congratulations on the family!
You dont menion how old they are - I think this does have an effect. But it'll be very much up to you, since, like you say, you dont know how much of an impact they're going to have on your day to day life. People do take on IM very successfully with young kids; other people put it aside for a little while until they are older and things get easier. You might feel that you dont want to do the long hours away from them when they are very little. I think its good for kids to see their parents taking part in sport and to grow up with all the positive benefits that sport brings, but that doesnt necessarily mean IM. At the complete other end of the spectrum, if you were rarely around at the weekend cos you were always training, and tired and grumpy when you were there, and your wife resents you constantly being gone, then that's not a great role model for them.
Obviously there is a middle ground, but you probably need to see what life will be like with them first. IM isnt going anywhere and will still be there if you decide to leave it for a few years.
^^^^^^^^
Also depends on work - if you can get 10 hours of bike / run commute in per week then golden but if you're driving in then having to squeeze in 12 hours + on top of work, travel and a new family then it's a big ask.
Also what support have you got from other family members, can you dump them with gran for 2 hours?
With one kid it can be reasonably straightforward...depending on the age gap two can be 5 times more tricky.
I'd errr on the safe side and park any big plans, otherwise you might start resenting you're new situation when it takes up all your training time.
I think you both speak sense, I'm trying to have my cake and eat it and that probably isn't going to go smoothly. They'll be around 1 year old and 4 years old.
We have got a good support network luckily, but with them being adopted they could potentially need more time with us than is usual, I wouldn't like to spoil the bonding period.
Work wise, I leave my house at 8am and am back indoors at 6pm Monday to Friday
Perhaps I should try and get a few sprints and maybe one Olympic to keep my toe in and then in a couple of years I can use it to my advantage against the missus when I want to go to Austria and compete.
Did any of you successfully juggle everything or did you try and it was a disaster?
If you read the first couple of pages of the sub 10 thread...you'll see a post about prepare to be shit.
It can be done but things suffer - with a 1 and 4 year old you'll have not time before work to train it's a major effort getting them out the door, very soon to two different locations assuming both of you work.
If you can't train as part of your commute you're stuffed. Keep in simple and keep it short. Getting home at 6 means your straight into the dinner / bath and crazy time routine - that's you busy until 8. You can train at Rosey O'Clock but you need the motivation and the OH support - she might just want to sit down and chill with you before the breakfast battle commences. Doesn't leave much time outside the weekend to be daddy and buggering off for a 4 hour bike ride will go down like a shit sandwich with a pint of sick chaser.
Enjoy being dad
Commuting would be dicing with death on the roads I'd have to use from Essex into London, although I have considered it.
Now you put it like that Fegan, that's put a new light on it........I have had my eyes well and truly opened
Bloody hell it's gonna be mental
I would put it on the back burner and go for shorter things.........with adopting kids its going to have a major impact as you need to all get to know each other.......the children could also have other issues that will need time and attention.........
Im will be there in a few years time..........take this time to learn how to fit together as a family
have fun
I know that when my kids were young that I wouldn't have managed to fit in even a few runs a week and I would have resented it if my hubby did........our kids did need extra work though than normal.......
now we can both train almost as much as we want.......its the right time for us
Congrats on the new family indeed. As Fegan hints, the Rosey O'clock is my time to train, normally starting around 9pm at night even when its a 2 hour set to get through, I am getting better but I still want to spend time with my young family (even though I am not
) and my wife.
I have to do the nursery and school drop/pick up so commuting isn't viable in case I have mechanicals and the other 2 days of the week I work away.
Weekends I get up at 6 to get the 2-3 hours in on a Sat and then the 5 hours on the Sunday so I am back without wasting the family time, its always handy to add a few spoonfuls of coffee to your recovery drinks so that when you do get back early you don't just flake out on the sofa !
Optimizing the time you have is essential but prioritizing the family is more important especially the circumstances I would imagine.
Good luck
I would say it's possible, but you have to be VERY time disciplined, and, more importantly, have a VERY encouraging and understanding wife. She will be taking up a lot of slack that could otherwise be shared. And realise that you're at the completing rather than the competing end of the field for a bit.
You'd need to be creative in what you do. You could do Parkrun with a buggy, or stick a seat on your bike and go and find a hill to do some strength work!?
There SHOULD be plenty of time to get an hour in before work most mornings, just get used to getting up at 6am. Long rides are a 6am weekend thing as well!
Clearly the adoption thing is tricky, the last thing they need in their life is a new dad who isn't there a lot. You've made a massive commitment to be a dad, so be one. But don't lose who you are, and time to yourself isn't selfish, I'd say it's essential. It's making sure the balance is right!
As for thinking it gets easier when they are a little older, I'm not so sure. I spend my weekends less playing with them, but waiting to take them somewhere or collect them!
Enjoy
There's some wise and thoughtful posts already.... only thing i'd add is that you can also include the kids to a certain extent with things like towed buggies.... instead of trying to fit around them, look at ways to involve them... for sure, it's different from a time trial, but time in the saddle is time in the saddle!
Over the years my kids have got involved in loads of my sporting activities, and now, as young adults, when I talk to them about it, they have lots of very fond memories from it, and indeed think they were lucky.. (plus have both developed a really healthy attitude to getting out there and not sitting on their arses!)
Cheers guys, great advice there. We're in the middle of our first workshop and to be honest it's really opened my eyes to how much time i should be spending with the kids when we get them. I think the best thing to do is play it by ear but it has become apparent that shorter distances will be the order of the day.
I love the idea of involving the kids where you can and towed buggies are an inspired idea.
I got home with brain overload and went for a nice long run and i feel lots better for it so as mentioned i think those times by yourself are important and will need to be kept up.
I'm sure myself and the other half can take turns looking after the kids while the other one pops out for a couple of hours
I think Seren says it all. I have been IM training for the past 4 years with children of 6 and 8 when I started. It was very hard and on reflection my family time has suffered.
You have to be pretty selfish to train for IM and many on this forum have waited till children older etc but it is an individual choice. It is a great example for the children and if you combine it with travel then they become involved and see some great sights!
I have just decided to pull out from IM Wales for many reasons but one of the main ones is to spend more time with the kids. I will continue with triathlon ( doing Bala) but I cant be doing with 6-7 hour bike rides anymore. I would rather be kicking a football in the park with the children.
Just my thoughts