Husband in Traithlon Training

[SusanT]

My husband is training for a 1/2 Ironman in August and will be doing Ironman Madison in September 2002.

Do any of you (or you yourself) have a spouse or partner in a similar training program? How have you dealt with the demanding training schedule?

[clairea]

SusanT,

My husband also does triathalons, and also some marathons. You are right -- the training schedule is very demanding, and affects the whole family. We have 2 kids under 4, and DH typically works 65-75 hours a week (I am a SAHM), so adding this kind of training onto that already busy schedule definitely takes some thought. DH does most of his training very early in the morning (starting about 4:30-5 am) on weekdays and then goes straight into work. Then all we usually have to deal with is one long training session on a weekend day (although this can sometimes take up most of the day between preparation, workout, recovery, etc.). Sometimes I still get frustrated by the time involved (especially if I have had a long week with the kids), but try to just keep in mind all the benefits -- physical and mental (DH suffers from depression and OCD, and exercise makes a tremendous difference in how he feels) -- that he gets from the exercise and that affect our whole family. Also, it helps keep me from feeling guilty when I take time away on the weekends http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif

This is sort of a long winded answer, but what I am really trying to say is that this certainly is manageable. What we do may not work for you (and it took some trial and error to come up with something we are both fairly happy with), but I'm sure that there is a system that will make this more manageable for your family.

Claire

[SusanT]

Clairea,

Thanks for the input. My husband also finds that exercise boosts his mood. It seems the more strenuous the activity - the better he feels.

His family also has a horrible history of heart disease - grandfather died at 34, his father had a bypass before he was 40 and his uncle had his first heart attack at 30. I'm so glad he's active!

Do you find time to exercise yourself? Also, does your husband follow any particular training diet? My husband will eat whatever I fix (which is CL of course) but if I can help his performance with diet, I'd certainly like to help him.

[clairea]

Susan,

I do manage to exercise too. I either go to the gym near me which has free childcare in the morning, or I go in the evening after DH gets home from work. Also, I have a pilates tape that I do while the kids are napping a few times a week. I think I actually exercise more when my husband is "in training" for a couple of reasons -- it's pretty hard to justify not doing something when your spouse is working out that much (I am much more aware of feeling like a slug compared to him http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/wink.gif ), and also, that fact that he is devoting so much time to exercise helps me keep the "mommy guilt" away when I want to take some time to do the same.

He does not follow any sort of special diet, but, like your husband, will pretty much eat whatever I make. The biggest problem I have is getting enough calories in him (he really doesn't have room to lose any weight) while still keeping fat to around 20% of daily calories. Generally, I cook for 3 or 4 even though it is only the 2 of us eating, and give him 2 or 3 times as much as I eat. I also try to plan for leftovers for him to take for lunch, and keep some CL baked goods on hand for snacks. It might be worthwhile trying to figure out roughly how many calories a day your husband needs to keep his weight where he wants it while training -- I was shocked to see that my husband needed about 3500 calories a day at the peak of his recent marathon training (that is more than twice what I eat in a day), and it can take some effort to get that many calories a day without filling up on junk food.

Good luck working everything out. Is this your husband's first triathalon?

[SusanT]

He's done several tris, a few marathonsa dn one ultramarathon but this is the first time he's been very serious about training.

He so sweet - he always thinks we should be eating the same amounts but I keep telling him that he needs more food than I do!

He's also trying to lose some weight he gained due to an injury back in the winter so I'm trying to help him lose weight and keep him fueled. The training alone may take care of that.

Can you recommend some favorite baked goods for snacking?

[clairea]

I usually try to make baked goods that DH likes and I don't, so that I won't have to deal with temptation! Some of his favorites are the fig bars that were posted on a recent thread about bar cookies, and the Power Cookies from CL Complete (this is kind of like an oatmeal cookie, but made with whole wheat flour, wheat bran, sunflower seeds, dried fruit, etc.), and the Butterscotch Bars that are from sometime in early 2000( maybe Jan.?). I make a lot of muffins and keep them in the freezer, then he can just defrost in the microwave. Sometimes I mix up trail mix (pretzels, nuts, dried fruit, etc.) that he keeps in a big tupperware container in his office. Let me know if you need any recipes posted.

[This message has been edited by clairea (edited 06-26-2001).]

[SusanT]

Unfortunately, I haven't met a baked good yet that I don't like http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif I'll give the power cookies a try - that sounds right up his alley. I make a low-fat granola that he eats as fast as I can make it. Good idea on the muffins as well.

Thanks for your suggestions!

[Natasha]

Hi Susan,

As an endurance athlete with a boyfriend who is an ultra endurance athlete, I know about training commitments for sure! :) Yes, the training is rigorous and there are times when it takes priority over almost all else. Especially before races, it's so important to keep in focus, get enough sleep, eat properly, get massage therapy or athletic therapy occasionally, etc. - all in additional to training per se! It can be a bit frustrating at times when training has to take priority while there are other things you'd rather do, but such is life...Most of the time, I wouldn't dream of complaining! :) But then, it's such a way of life that I don't think to question it much anymore.

To me, the rewards more than outweigh the inconveniences. The nice thing with serious athletes (or anyone who has a serious goal) is that you know that they are energetic and capable of commitment, determination, time-management, (sometimes) teamwork, and so on and so forth - all qualities that you would want in a partner (or in a friend, for that matter).

I also find that I am happiest when I am in a rigorous training regimen, and know many other athletes who feel the same way. In my view, it keeps people young at heart, relaxed yet energetic, and so on. It's a very good thing, IMHO, and certainly worth its while.

Hope your husband trains and races hard but safe! Best wishes and let us know what happens.

Natasha