Making adjustments when life happens

My absence from writing is keeping in context with the tag line of this blog, the real life of a triathlete. I have had no time over the past month to even contemplate writing.  This season has been jammed packed with more racing than I have ever done in a single year.  Following the NYC Triathlon, I had no solid plans for racing outside of Ragnar Washington D.C. in October.  And good thing.  A week after returning home from NYC, my wife and I were blessed with two new arrivals in our home.  Yes, two new, beautiful, and unexpected children.   A little over a year ago, my wife and I were approved and certified as foster/adoptive parents.  Since then, our life has been a never ending stream of life changing events.  In a matter of 4 months we went from having on 8 year old to 4 children ages 8, 3, 4 months and 4 days.  Despite the concerns of caution from family and friends and the constant “you are bat crap crazy” looks, we have never been more happy.  But with this happiness comes a period of transition.  We practically have twins and had no time to prepare ourselves emotionally or mentally.  Much less not having the typical 10 months to prepare for the arrival of a newborn.  So yes, a transition period of sorts was necessary.  For me, that meant very limited to no training.  Since I didn’t have any races in the very near future, some time off was necessary, especially when only getting a couple hours of sleep a night.

Triathletes tend to be type A personalities with attention to detail and a little obsessive.  (Eh, “a little obsessive” may be a gross understatement.)  With that said, many of us struggle with listening to our bodies rather than following a strict training plan. And I am certainly guilty of continuing to train when life piles on the crap, which only impedes progress and increases burnout in the end.  I’d like to think I have learned my lesson, for I have certainly changed my view the relationships between my life and training.

Now, instead of getting up at 4 am and heading to the gym or jumping on the trainer, I sleep until 7 am after being up multiple times during the course of the night.  After work training sessions are completely out of the question with dinner, baths, homework, and quality time with the kids.  So recently, my only option has been training after the kids are down for the night. It has certainly been a shift.  And it also involves being a little creative at times.

        

Trainer Ride/Pacifier Duty                                      Jogging with the boys

It is a constant struggle to find the time and without a supportive wife and beautiful children to be a role model for, it would not be possible!