Crowdsourced: Balancing Triathlon Training With Family
Triathlete readers share the clever tricks they’ve picked up along the way.
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How do you balance triathlon training with family? There’s no easy answer to this question, so we reached out to you, our Triathlete readers, to find out what clever tricks you’ve picked up along the way.
– “I try to include my family when I can. Run with the boys on their bikes. Bring them to the pool. I am fortunate to have an amazing Sherpa. She will bring the boys to set up aid stations for long runs or long rides. They love coming to the beach for the open-water swims. The more you can include them the better.” —Christopher Roberts via Facebook
– “You can try to incorporate family into training—encourage them to join you in a local 10K, add a group hike before the cookout, plan a trip to a local pool together, etc.” —Sara Colangelo via Facebook
– “If both parents like to tri, alternate training years. That doesn’t mean the other doesn’t get to do anything, but the focus is on one parent at a time so there is never any argument about whose turn it is to do what.” —Debbie Feldner Claggett via Facebook
– “I get my sessions in before they wake up and have breakfast so I don’t waste ‘family time.’ 3 a.m. to 8 a.m. gets me solid training time and a full family day!” —Stephen Hayes via Facebook
– “I always find a way to fit a workout in during my kids’ sports activities. Whether it’s running on a nearby trail during soccer, or setting up the bike on my trainer on the side of the baseball field, I use that time to pack in as much as possible.” —Jennifer Connor Niederhausen via Facebook
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– “We will do a family bike path outing. Our three kids will bike while we run and try to keep up. It’s speedwork at its best!” —@Juliependergrast via Instagram
– “My kids help me on my shorter runs. My two older kids love to ride while I run, and the baby loves getting pushed in the BOB [stroller] chasing his brother and sister.” —@3meg13 via Instagram
– “We set up an art studio in the garage next to the treadmill and the bike trainer so we can train and the kids can do art and spend hours with us happily cheering us on and vice versa.” —@ironman_nick via Instagram
– “My kids are older so they join me in swims, some runs and some rides. I have to adjust my training, but I grab these opportunities of quality time.” —Kylie Hohn via Facebook
– “Split your training into two workouts per day: one before they wake up and one after they fall asleep.” —@Kabalainen via Twitter
– “My wife is a runner and we have an 8-month-old baby. I combine my endurance training [with strength training] pushing our running stroller with the baby, while she does her speed training. This way we are both pushing each other and training together.” —@cheoherrera via Instagram
– “I try to train early in the mornings on weekdays so I don’t disrupt family time after work. I’ve also taken my daughter out on runs with me or she will ride her bike while I run. She does her first triathlon in a few months … looking forward to training with her for that!” —@808kce via Instagram
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