Of love and triathletes

09 February 2010

The lovingly fitted cycling computer

They say there’s a high divorce rate amongst triathletes. So I guess it’s a good thing my husband’s a marathon runner, because that group apparently comes a close second in divorce statistics. Trying to fit in nine workouts this week, together with working a full-time job and trying to keep a handle on the household chores, was tough.

Training for any kind of event, especially a triathlon, is time and energy consuming; so I guess I’m pretty lucky to be with someone who understands when my alarm goes off at 4.30am for a race, even if it’s only because his goes off at 5.30am on alternate days!

This week I learned supreme time management. I managed to lead a semblance of a normal life by fitting in workouts early in the morning – actually a great way to start the day – and getting back home in time for breakfast with the family. Some evenings I went swimming in the evening after reading my son a bedtime story. And at other times, I went to a spinning class while he played in the Club V-Max kids’ centre. I’m no longer allowed to go to the gym without him. “Mom, I need to go to the play centre there”, has become the usual refrain. So it was a good week. I managed 2 spin sessions, three runs and three swim sessions (just one short of the required nine sessions). The swim sessions are just 20-30 minutes of slow, easy laps and I haven’t started any drills yet. And the biking has just comprised the spinning classes.

Marathon running hubby kindly drove all the way to the store last weekend to buy me a cycling computer, then spent a good hour fitting it onto our old mountain bike, followed by riding around the neighbourhood to test it. I’m clearly not your traditional kinda’ girl because I think that’s rather romantic. But I’m still scared of going out riding on the road on my own – I’ll muster up the courage for that in the next few weeks! And I must confess that I still find the running to be the most fun part of my training, and though I am enjoying the swimming and spin classes much more than I expected, I almost wish I could run more than just the three sessions.

This week I went out for a long run on Sunday (13 kilometres), did another trail series race in the Silvermine Nature Reserve on Wednesday (5 kilometres), and ran the tough and rather hilly Lion of Africa half-marathon (21.1 kilometres) on Saturday.

But I wouldn’t have been able to do it without all the support I’m surrounded by. Mostly my partner, who provides emotional and practical support, sharing household chores and babysitting, shopping for gels, pinning on race numbers, and fitting cycling computers; but also friends, who are also getting into their own training regimes and working out alongside me. Not too long ago, we used to get a babysitter primarily so we could go out partying. I chuckled when we got a babysitter last weekend so we could go for a long run with our friends.

So whether you want to train for a triathlon or start running, swimming or biking – or maybe just get to the gym once in a while – support is critical. You need to surround yourself by people – family, friends and a partner – who support you, or you must teach them how best to do it. After all, you need the right kind of training shoes to support your feet, and the right kind of supportive sports bra for the sport you play. So don’t underestimate the importance of the moral support you need to stay motivated. Get a super-sized dose of it, you’re gonna need it. This week I was grateful for it. Thanks guys. You rock.

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