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So I babysat my niece/goddaughter last night....(triathlon related)
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And, as an expectant father in about a month and a half or so, I have two serious questions to all the tri-parents on this board:

1) How in the world are you able to train, care for one of these lifeforms, AND sleep?

Also,

2) Assuming you can't train, how in the world are you able to care for one of these lifeforms, AND sleep?

I'm sobbing right now :(

:P
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Re: So I babysat my niece/goddaughter last night....(triathlon related) [SurfingLamb] [ In reply to ]
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Re: So I babysat my niece/goddaughter last night....(triathlon related) [SurfingLamb] [ In reply to ]
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Not as much sleep. For a while anyway.
Right now I typically get up at 5-5:30 am to train before the kids get up. We all go to bed early too. Kids down by 8, mom & dad are out at 9-9:30. It's tough though. You have to have a supportive spouse, but also be very supportive and helpful to her.

.

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Re: So I babysat my niece/goddaughter last night....(triathlon related) [SurfingLamb] [ In reply to ]
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First, congrats!

You won't sleep for a while. It's hard, but it gets better. You will get into a routine, more like the baby will put you into a routine :) Once you start to get a routine going, you can start to work in the training piece.

I think it's best to adjust expectations, and it's a great time to focus on less time-intensive training. Also It's funny how your perspective changes. Once you meet the little ones, it's not hard to skip a little training. You may miss the training, but you will enjoy the time with the baby too and it's not a hard decision to make which comes first :)

I did an ironman less than a year after having each of my daughters. They weren't my fastest race times, but I prioritized family over training and was still able to train plenty to finish.
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Re: So I babysat my niece/goddaughter last night....(triathlon related) [SurfingLamb] [ In reply to ]
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SurfingLamb wrote:
And, as an expectant father in about a month and a half or so, I have two serious questions to all the tri-parents on this board:

1) How in the world are you able to train, care for one of these lifeforms, AND sleep?

Also,

2) Assuming you can't train, how in the world are you able to care for one of these lifeforms, AND sleep?

I'm sobbing right now :(

:P

Training, sleeping, having a kid. Pick two. :p

John



Top notch coaching: Francois and Accelerate3 | Follow on Twitter: LifetimeAthlete |
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Re: So I babysat my niece/goddaughter last night....(triathlon related) [SurfingLamb] [ In reply to ]
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Get that kid on a schedule. And make sure your wife breast feeds so you don't have to do anything in the middle of the night. :)

Am 100% serious on the schedule. The first few months will obviously be rough. But our daughter was waking up only once in the middle of the night by 2 or 3 months. Was sleeping through the night by 8, and it should have been earlier than that.

Get used to early morning workouts. I'm almost always done with my first workout by 6:30 or 7, as my wife leaves for work by 7:10.

That being said, always be prepared for things to change. Teething, sickness, growth spurts can throw a wrench in things for a week. You just have to be able to adjust.

speedySTATES
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Re: So I babysat my niece/goddaughter last night....(triathlon related) [SurfingLamb] [ In reply to ]
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Congratulations. I think being a dad is the greatest thing ever. It is actually a big part of what got me back to the sport. I wanted to be a good example for my son and show him the benefits of an active lifestyle and physical fitness. My dad is the furthest thing from fit, so being an 'athlete' has always been important to me.

Next, sleep is the biggest variable. Some babies sleep almost right away. Some babies take years to become regular sleepers. Either way, plan on at least a couple months of bollocks in the sleep department.

Next, babies are pretty incredible. They will tell you what they need if you pay attention, and they are incredibly resilient. Keeping them alive is very important and requires diligence, but is easier than you might fear. Put up baby gates at stairs and do the other typical american baby-proofing thing, feed 'em regularly and change the diapers - there's not much more that they need for the first year or so.

Finally, cut yourself some slack with the training. Maybe look at 10Ks and open-water swims to do rather than picking an Ironman. Training can be either a stress in your life or a stress-reliever. The question is how you approach it. If you over-committ yourself, that's when it all goes bad. If you keep it light and fun and use it as part of a lifestyle - take the kid in the baby jogger, or out for a burley-bike ride; train for shorter races or single-discipline events - then you can make the most of it without unnecessary pressure.

You can always ramp back up to doing 3 Ironmans a year when the kid is a teen and you need the space...
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Re: So I babysat my niece/goddaughter last night....(triathlon related) [Devlin] [ In reply to ]
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As mentioned before, best chance of getting it done is before the anklebiters wake up.

I have a 5 and a 2 year-old, usually up around 6:30-7:00. By that time I'm back from my run, done stretches, had my breakfast and have made mrs G a nespresso to wake her with, and two cups of chocolate milk to greet the waking kiddies.

Sort out breakfast etc for them, and off to the office by 7:30.

Most evenings I'm back home in time for the bed routine, after which I either join the local tri club for one of their sessions, or crack on with studying, or time with mrs G.

Early to bed, early to rise.

As soon as they're old enough, get them involved. I'm already dragging the 5yo along to the local races, and he's done a few small runs himself. He has two medals already! No pressure, if they like it, they're welcome to join in.
Last edited by: gahddenbooi: Jan 25, 13 13:16
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Re: So I babysat my niece/goddaughter last night....(triathlon related) [SurfingLamb] [ In reply to ]
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I agree with Devlin, to an extent.

I just did sprints the year our daughter was born. Still had fun, but I need my sleep.
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Re: So I babysat my niece/goddaughter last night....(triathlon related) [SurfingLamb] [ In reply to ]
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Congratulations. I have a 6 month old and a 2 year old so I have some experience. The main thing will be Time management.

Be prepared to reassess your Tri related goals for this season. HIM and IM distance will obviously be much harder to train for since you will simply have to allocate more free time to child care instead of training.

Sleep for the first 3-6 months will be interrupted frequently throughout the night. I recommend you and your wife really work as a team, take shifts, alternate nights getting up with the baby, etc. That way all of the sleep deprivation does not fall onto just one of you.

And even when they get older. They start sleeping through the night which is nice. But they also start to become more fun to play with and interact with so no more dumping the baby in the swing and hitting the bike trainer or treadmill.

Good luck!
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Re: So I babysat my niece/goddaughter last night....(triathlon related) [SurfingLamb] [ In reply to ]
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Once mine was old enough to ride in a jogging stroller (I forget the exact recommended age) he became my best running partner. He would usually fall asleep after a mile or so, and rarely woke up before I stopped. We went on many 10-12 mile runs. I also found the whir of a trainer would often put them to sleep. You'll find the time. Those first few weeks THEY train YOU on how to function while deprived of sleep. Also, it works best if your spouse is NOT a triathlete. As the kids get older, the best time to work out is before they wake up or after they go to bed.

Good luck. .and congrats!
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Re: So I babysat my niece/goddaughter last night....(triathlon related) [SurfingLamb] [ In reply to ]
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Actually you are so wired and worried about all the shit the can and will go wrong you can't sleep. It only gets worse as they get older. Like they say bigger kids bigger problems. Consider yourself lucky if you keep your hair. So in your state of insomnia do a little training

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Re: So I babysat my niece/goddaughter last night....(triathlon related) [Devlin] [ In reply to ]
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Devlin wrote:
SurfingLamb wrote:
And, as an expectant father in about a month and a half or so, I have two serious questions to all the tri-parents on this board:

1) How in the world are you able to train, care for one of these lifeforms, AND sleep?

Also,

2) Assuming you can't train, how in the world are you able to care for one of these lifeforms, AND sleep?

I'm sobbing right now :(

:P


Training, sleeping, having a kid. Pick two. :p

John

x2.
I just stuck with the running for a while. That worked out really, really well. Had the running stroller and convinced my wife to let me take my son out in it when he was not even 6 months. Had to wrap blankets around his head so he wouldn't flop to the side. He would fall asleep on nearly every run, bumps and all. Also pretty easy for you and your wife to take the baby to the track and get in a good workout.
Here's a tip on the sleep situation that we used for both kids: My wife would go to bed around 8 pm after a feeding. I'd stay up and give a bottle at around 11ish. Next feeding would come around 3 - 5 am which my wife would cover, which isn't too bad since she went to bed at 8. In addition to giving her a good stretch of sleep, it also gets the baby used to feeding from a bottle, which helps so you can have a babysitter/grand-parent and you can go out to dinner/movie once a week. Hear me now, and remember me later.
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