Not a dad, but what's your work schedule like?

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@floathammerholdon | @partners_in_tri

Also not a dad, but get a trainer, doesn't have to be a smart trainer. I just use a regular one and my on bike power meter. For running, get your kids some bikes to keep at your place and take them biking while you run! Not great for intervals but good for base mileage

You’ve only got the kids half the time, so focus on training like a beast when you don’t have the kids and when you have them it’s all about them. Don’t put the added pressure on yourself of trying to train when they are there, just enjoy their company and have fun!

I would 2nd the get the kids on bikes while you run, you could actually get in as long a run as you can handle that way. It will be a fun outing for all of you, and it keeps the kids (and you) off of the screens. Gives you something to talk about later too, as surely there will be adventures all along the way.

Trainer is a good option too, they can be doing something in another room, and you are right there for the disputes that always happen between 7 and 9 year olds. Just dont sweat how much you get in, just be glad to get something in on those days that doesnt take away from your family time.

I have a buddy in your situation with two girls about that same age. He comes over here and we go off while my wife watches all the kids, so find a couple like that where you can pawn them off for a bit. Having some guy time will be very important for your mind for awhile, we play poker and go swim usually...

Get a trainer, and get a treadmill -- that way you can fit in so many bike and run workouts while the kids are home or sleeping.
The only external thing would be the pool - and that would come around to ninja planning skills - to get the pool swims done during the work day when they are in school and such

Hi,
I have two kids, 7 and 9, and have do half irons.
My son does short, kids tri's and splash and dashes; he has a lot of fun, but isn't able to do the level of training that i need.
I do most of my training at night; in the winter (I live in Seattle) it's predominantly indoors on a treadmill and trainer in my basement when the kids go to bed. So you can do that relatively easily when you have the kids.
Once it's nice out and I'm increasing distances, it's outside. You can alternate weeks I would guess and workout outside when you don't have the kids and inside when you do.

I won't lie - I rely heavily on my wife to watch the kids while I'm out training.
One word of advice - Don't make your kids resent your training in the time they are with you. If they aren't into it, put it off for when they're asleep or not with you.

You can totally get the training in; I always feel like I'm undertrained, but you can still meet goals and finish.

-etip

great advice. your kids will only be kids once, and you'll only have this time with them once. it is a balance making yourself happy and being a dad.

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80/20 Endurance Ambassador

Imwa?

The good news is you only need to bike and run train. With the Shiite water safety team there, there is next to no chance of a swim ever again

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Tell me about it.

5 swim cancellations in 12 months..

I hope you are a west Australian local, I personally wouldn’t waste money traveling there given all of the canceled swims

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Yeah local.

I wouldn't travel to WA for a race after what's happened in the last year. farcical. They've put themselves under a lot of pressure in December now. Problem is, they have crystal clear water and they stick helicopters and drones up in the sky to look for sharks.... they're going to find them.

That is a bit of a rough call. I would not call the water safety team anything in that regard. They have processes and protocols to follow in the event of a shark sighting. I know for a fact that the 2017 Busso 70.3, when the team swimmers were pulled out, the shark that caused things to happen that way was being super aggressive and chomping on a buoy. The speed of their response at these events was fantastic and they did what was required of them.

They have had a horrible string of bad "luck" in WA with open water swims in events, including the Rottnest Channel Swim and the Port to Pub swim as well as a host of other local events (some weather, some shark related). I know various groups are actively looking at how they can mitigate their risks with sharks in this part of the world when events are on. How many fatal shark attacks have there been in WA in recent years?? A huge number. There are big sharks here and the risk is significant when compared to many other ocean based triathlons going on around the world.

6 fatalities in the last 7 years.

Considering the number of swimmers, divers, snorkelers, surfers, kayakers, etc and the extent of WA's coastline, I doubt that could really be considered "a huge number".

2018, no fatalities, 4 injured.
2017, 1 fatality, 2 injured.
2016, no fatalities, 4 injured.
2015, 2 fatalities, 2 injured.
2014, 0 fatalities, 2 injured.
2013, 1 fatality, 2 injured.
2012, 2 fatalities, 2 injured.

Hmm. Can he not have his 'guy time' when he doesn't have the kids? Pawning your kids off when you only see them for a limited time, seems a bit, you know... Crap.

But yeah, get a Trainer & PM :)

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29 years and counting

My boys were 2, 4 and 6 when I went through that. 50/50 too. 2/2/5/5 schedule worked best for us and the kids at that age. Treadmill and trainer was the only thing that worked for me. Train after you put them to bed. Swim when you don't have them. Long runs with the older one on a bike and the two little ones in a jogging stroller on weekends. It made for tough weekdays. Your whole days will feel like a training schedule when you have them.

Haha yeah. Our youngest is a 4 yr old boy - he is going through that 'Incredible Hulk' meltdown phase! Still married, despite me being me =)

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29 years and counting

I did this a few years ago. It can be done. For me, I knew it would be hard and I wouldn't get in exactly the training that I wanted but I was able to get in enough training to get through the race. It was my first and I just wanted to have a solid race, and I did that (12 hours). I am capable of something closer to 11 but that is for another time.

On my kid weekends I would get out of work early and run for 2 hours before I picked them up. Then Saturday was a 2.5-3 hour hard trainer ride - laying on the bars at the end hard.
During the week with the kids, I would get in a workout before I picked them up after work if possible or did a trainer ride in the morning before they got up. I had a treadmill that I used sparingly (I hate that thing).

The weekend that I didn't have them was when I went long. Typically 80+ mile bikes on Fri or Sat followed by a 15+mile run the following day.

I made it a point not to sacrifice their time with me to train. I had a lot of friends offering to watch them so I could go train but I rarely took them up on it.

Sounds tough, hope you are getting the support you need through all of this, fathers can often suffer the most with the isolation from their children and other support networks.
I can't comment as someone who has gone through that, more as a father of 3 with a wife that works hours that can sometimes be the complete opposite of mine. Main advice would be forward planning to find the time where you can get in key sessions that won't interfere with things with the kids. I have to plan any long days 2-3 weeks in advance often, so we can juggle who is going to go where with the kids etc. Also, always worth considering what is best right now for you. Does the pressure of an IM training program at this stage in your life what you want, with everything else going on? Can a focus on the 70.3 instead relieve some pressure in terms of the need for long weekend sessions and overall training load? Is the focus on something like this event an outlet for other bulls$%t you are going through with the separation etc?
I foresee the purchase of an indoor trainer in your future......

This. x 100000

If you can’t train on your work lunch hour or when the kids are sleeping when they’re with you, then don’t train. If you want to run while they ride their bikes, be ok with heading home when the first one gets tired. Not “we’ll turn around as soon as daddy’s at the halfway point in his scheduled run. “

The separation is likely way harder on them than it is on you - they need your full attention now.

I have mine pretty much full time, he's 10.
I am simply not doing long distance. I loathe indoor training, don't know how you feel about it but for me it sucks the fun out.
I get my time from a flexible work schedule, him having sleepovers, after school activities.
And then what was said before do easy runs with them on the bike. Make them coach you, time you, check your technique etc. They'll love checking what you do wrong. If you have a suitable pool, same thing have them film your swim, race them (double or more distance for you).

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NO

That seems like a shit bag thing to do. How about spending some guy time when he doesn't have the kid instead of "pawning" them off on the days he's suppose to actually be a dad?

 
That seems like a shit bag thing to do. How about spending some guy time when he doesn't have the kid instead of "pawning" them off on the days he's suppose to actually be a dad? //

Ha ha, your the 2nd guy to call me a shit bag!! I think perhaps I did not explain it fully. I also have 3 kids and when his kids come over they entertain themselves. In fact his eldest who is 11 loves to take the two twins and entertain them. Even though it is more kids for my wife, it is actually easier and of course the kids love the sleepovers and company.


Believe me if my wife was put out with all this I would know about it. And it also becomes a chit in her column to collect on later..(-; You married guys know what I mean...

Wait until the new woman is added in. That is what was the end for my friends triathlon training.

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They constantly try to escape from the darkness outside and within
Dreaming of systems so perfect that no one will need to be good T.S. Eliot

Single dad here and I have a week on/week off schedule with my 7 year old daughter. The week that I have her, I do most of my training indoors either before she wakes up or after she goes to sleep. I do have a smart trainer and a treadmill. On the weekends, I can do a run while she rides her bike. The week I do not have her, I do a lot of my endurance stuff. It has definitely been an adjustment, but I am getting better at it.