So this past weekend was supposed to be my main race of the year – i.e. the one that I was focusing on when I was training – the NYC triathlon. However, Mother Nature decided to time a major heat wave at the same time, and the race was cancelled.
Once word got around many people said, “I’m so sorry, you must be so upset you did all that training to not race in the end.” Of course we were disappointed. It’s one of the bigger Olympic distance triathlons events in the area – and we’d been working towards it since January. But thankfully we have several more triathlons planned for this race year, so it’s on to our next race.
My husband and I did not get into triathlons not to just compete in our few local races, but as a life style. It is a way for us to set an end goal for all the training sessions that can sometimes start to feel endless. When you know you have a race at the end of those training sessions, it’s easier to stay focused and “stay the course”. Additionally for us, we thought it would be a fun activity for us to do together, that we can hopefully continue to do for years and years to come (there are people competing in full Ironman races into their 80’s!).
As a working mother, wife and all the other “jobs” that come with those roles, it is so easy make an excuse to skip a training session or cut it short. Having a goal that I am working towards helps to keep me motivated to try to stick to my schedule (even when the unexpected happens).
Even the weather up here in New England helps us (or at least me) to come up with excuses. For example, this week’s plan called for a swim yesterday evening after work and a ride followed by a short run this morning before work. Last night I ended up having to meet the electrician (who was only available during my swimming time) and from last night through mid-day today it looked like monsoon season. So on my way home last night, instead of just giving in an saying, I’ll just “catch up” on Wednesday, I juggled the workouts around (biking on our trainer last night, running in the rain this morning and going for a swim on the way home this evening).
In the past, I might have just taken a break due to life and weather, but that’s why my past attempts to get back in shape after having my girls didn’t stick. I was too rigid in my schedule such that when something popped up, the first thing I would drop was my workout. With triathlons, you can’t just drop the training sessions – otherwise completing the events is significantly harder. If I want to do this long term, race after race, I had to learn to be flexible and have a back up workout in mind (just in case life happens), so that I am still able to reach the goals I have set for myself.
Happy racing!
- Working Mom Triathlete
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