Pre-kids i used to run a flat 16 min 5k - albeit in high school. My cross country/nordic skiing times were a bit more impressive, but that's irrelevant.

Fast forward 25 years - my 5k PR post kids is 18:45. Given the right course/day/wind conditions I can probably run close 18 mins flat.

I am planning to attempt a 15k skiing TT this winter just for shits and giggles after not clipping in even once for almost 27 years.

tldr - it's not the kids, it's the age....

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Next races on the schedule: none at the moment

I had a baby a year and a half ago. I've struggled trying to train and race at a regional elite level in cycling. I'm stopping for a year or three at the end of this year.

I was a single father.
I raised two boys all by myself.

Oddly, I think the kids helped my triathlon.

Most women were not interested In a guy with two kids.

This left me with a lot of time to train.
(During kids soccer practice for instance).

The early years they definitely made me a slower athlete. They disrupt your sleep, they take up a huge amount of time, and when they started going to nursery it seemed like the whole family was perpetually getting ill.

Nowadays (they're 5 and 7) I think it's about break even. I have less flexibility in when I can train, but having kids has probably made me more efficient in using my time. I drink less as my social life now revolves a lot more around doing family things. And my sleep and diet is better as we have a more established routine. I think over the next few years they will make me faster (or rather delay how quickly I slow down as I age) as they're starting to get into cycling and swimming in particular and we're doing more sport as a family.

They changed my training patterns. Used to do some training after work. On weekends would get up at 5-5:30, head out for a long ride about 6:30.
Once we had the kids, there was no time after work to work out so everything transitioned to the early morning. Have to leave the house for 6:30 for work so I'm up most days at 3 or 4. Not sure they improved my tri results but they certainly made me better with time management.

Happy Father's Day. For those of you who raced pre-kids and continued or returned to training/racing while raising kids (of any age), how did the changed situation improve your training habits and race results? Or not? Trying to figure out if this is a day of reflection or projection. Your stories would help.


I've shared this before so apologies for those who have heard this before. Also, this is the counter approach, and perhaps NOT what people are looking for but none the less IS an option - we all have choices.

When my son was born in 1997, that was my cue to step away from the sport of triathlon. I figured I could not so it at the level I was doing it, and for me by '97 it had been close to a 15 - year run with the sport. I had achieved a great deal. Had a great time. Met many great people. I had also received earlier that same year, a significant promotion with a small fast growing company, and the work and work travel were taking up big chunks of time - and I really enjoyed that.

So that was it for me. When I crossed the finish line at IMC (Penticton) that year, that was my last race - it helped that that race went REALLY well for me! I went back to my roots of running, only, and with 3 - 4 concentrated hours of running a week, was able to still stay competitive locally for top places in running races.

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

Here's how having children improved my tri results:

I cared a whole lot less about how I did in races.

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Some are born to move the world to live their fantasies...

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+1. My daughter is 2.5 and I have a MUCH healthier perspective around triathlon now. I still train hard, love to race, and love the sport but my self worth is no longer tied to tri results. It has become much more of a hobby than an obsession and this is a good thing. Will be doing my first IM at Louisville in October. You don’t have to give up triathlon in fatherhood. I’ve found just the opposite.

My "kids" are 32 and 29. They got me an ice-cream cake from Cold Stone Creamery. Nothing for my performance, but there is more to life than going fast and looking good :)

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"...the street finds its own uses for things"

Bingo!!

Yep

Just don't end up in the Med Tent or otherwise embarrass yourself, and it's a successful day

ETA: A few years ago, as I was coming into the last 1/4 mile of the Philly Distance Run [before it became part of the Evil Rock & Roll Backwards Hosewater Slave Labor Empire], I clearly heard my daughter say "Go DAD!!!" from the barricade*

I'm sure I passed a couple dozen or so runners in that last 400 yards






* She later confirmed, "Yeah, that was me!!!"

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"What's your claim?" - Ben Gravy
"Your best work is the work you're excited about" - Rick Rubin