Today is the first part of SBM’s “Fix Your Life Friday” series with our resident life coach, Carrie of Tempo Life Coaching.
Today’s Question:
“I am a 40 year old working mom. My daughter is 8, and my twins are 4. I started doing tris this summer and I am hooked! I plan on doing an Olympic tri next summer. My big question: how do you find time to train? I do most of my training at 5:30am before work. Then I do my long bike and runs early on the weekends. How do you do it all…kids…work ..and wife…especially without your husband being resentful?”
Carrie’s response:
“First of all, congratulations on your new-found triathlon addiction and your dedication to continue your training and racing. Being a mom, wife and working full-time is a tough job all on its own. Add triathlon training to the mix, and wow! I think you’ve asked a great question, one that many people struggle with.
Finding the time? That answer is going to be different for everyone. I think the key in this instance is about balancing triathlon training with “life” and doing so without resentment from your spouse. Triathlon training takes up a tremendous amount of time, even for sprints, and just a little bit of money *gasp*. It’s not just the actual time on the bike, on your feet, or in the pool. It’s also travel time, shower time, recovery time, and obsessive time reading blogs, articles, race results. It’s money spent on clothes, gels, bars, entry fees (and more entry fees)…you get the point.
- For happy training AND happy family, training is best done at times when it takes the least away from your family…early in the morning and lunch time seem to be common for family triathletes. Who needs sleep and food anyway?
- Is your husband interested in doing a triathlon? Training together would be wonderful. You could get a babysitter for weekend workouts, work out together (what a fun date), trade workout time and kid watching time so you both have time with the children and support one another with your training. Maybe he’d just be interested in riding or running with you just for fun.
- If your husband isn’t interested in training, how supportive has he been thus far? Communication is the key here. Let him know your desire to train for a longer distance and also acknowledge the sacrifice this means for him. Is he willing to do that? If so, praise, praise, praise that man!! Seriously, always remember to thank your spouse for allowing you workout time (or any time away from the family for that matter). If he has a hobby that he loves, trade time with him. He plays golf Saturday morning, you get your long ride in Saturday afternoon. You could also do your respective “thing” at the same time while having a babysitter for the kids, and then have the rest of the day for family time.
- If taking time away from normal family time isn’t going to work well for you and your husband, you might have to put in some crazy training hours. Get a spin bike for home and get up at 4am, treadmill at midight, so you can be home to get the kids up and ready for the day…fun stuff like that.
- If none of the above options seem viable, it might be important to re-evaluate if now is the time to train for a longer race. If not now, the time will come. And, if not now, it’s fine to continue to focus on the sprint. Work on your time for each event, work on perfecting your technique in the pool to shave minutes off your swim. And how about that transition? There’s always room for improvement there. The point is that there is so much to focus on that if you can’t reach your goal of an Olympic right now because of “life” obligations, refine your sprint and get yourself where you want to be.
Whatever you decide to do, please keep us posted. All of us here at SBM love to read those race reports and cheer one another on. Happy Tri-ing!”
SBM Life Coach, Carrie Hanson, is a mom of 3 kids (ages 20, 16, and 11), a newbie triathlete, owner and life coach at Tempo Life Coaching. She has a Masters degree in Marriage, Family, Child Counseling as well as a school counseling certificate. Give her some love, and submit your questions for next week! Remember, if you wish to remain anonymous, you shall be!