Triathlon Training with a Toddler

As I write this blog my wife is driving our daughter around the neighborhood in an effort to put her to sleep. Three straight nights of sporadic sleep have caused us to resort to, “the drive.” But it’s times like this that really put everything into perspective. It’s so easy to get immersed in training and block out nearly everything and everyone around you. But life is about balance, and my wife and daughter have taught me that. Sure I still get frustrated when I miss a swim session because my daughter kept us up all night, but the fact is; it’s only one workout. Chances are my body will benefit from the rest anyway.

The other cool thing about our daughter is she doesn’t judge. As athletes we can often be pretty hard on ourselves, especially after a big race. For example, even when I have a great race, somehow I still pick out the things I did wrong. Of course, part of that is so I can improve for next time, but the fact is, I often don’t relish the positive stuff enough. My daughter helps me do that. No matter what, she’s there with my wife at the finish line to support me.  It’s a great thing to have, and it helps drive me on the long workouts and races. I won’t lie; training with a toddler around is an insanely difficult thing to work around. Especially one that seems to run on no sleep, but in the end I’m sure it will make me a more focused, balanced athlete.