My wife and I are expecting our first child this winter. We’re really excited.
After 2 years to inapporprite lusting, I bought a P2C and spec’d the entire build this spring. I love the bike it’s setup just the way I want it. I have been having great results on it with PR’s in every race so far this year. I am doing Louisville, which will be my 2nd IM.
My wife is a marathoner and I intend to give her every opportunity to work out after the baby is born. So here’s my question for people who have gone through this life change…
Will having an aggesibly setup tri bike (as my only bike) make any sense at all in the coming months and years? Am I going to have enough time to train next summer to the extent that having a fast bike will even matter?
I love that bike, but I am wondering if I might be better off with a Soloist or something that might be a bit more versitile. The idea of taking a massive loss after having the new rig for 6 months makes me nearly sick.
Congratulations on your first child!! As a father of two, I think you will find it pretty much changes everything in your life. If riding is a true passion, you will find time to do it, be it in the basement on a trainer at weird hours of the nite or in the mornings before everyone gets up.
Should you keep your aggressive set up? I guess that is an indivudual preference. Is it comfortable? Do you do a lot of group rides? Could you pick up an old road bike for a few hundred?
If you like the P2C, I would hang on to it ecspecially if the fit is spot on. Its a nice bike and, like you said, you’re gonna take a pretty big hit if you get rid of it now.
Life doesn’t end when you have a child, keep the bike. I have 9 year old twin girls and have raced “aggressively” every year of their life, while still being a good father (I hope). You’ll just have to get accustomed to training at times (e.g. early morning) that still allow you family time. You’re not the only triathlete with kids:)
my first child was born in mid feb, and i did IMLP in july of that year. Everyone is different with family and training, and free time.
setting up a great fit takes time and i wouldnt sell that bike at all? why not do sprints/shorter races with a wicked fast bike for a year? then race IMan the year after or when time and family permits.
also, many on this forum have one tri bike and one road bike. how about a used road bike when the mood strikes? i ride my road bike all year and use my tri bike when the late spring comes.
I love that bike, but I am wondering if I might be better off with a Soloist or something that might be a bit more versitile.
no need to sell this bike, put the seat clamp in the rear hole, go get some drop bars and STI levers, and you got a bike just as good as a soloist, if not better, and even a bit more aero.
I would definitely keep the bike. I got a used hybrid for 500$ which I used for the child carrier and which I now still use to follow my 3 year old on his ‘long’ tricycle rides.
My wife and I still do triathlons but we alternate the years for more serious training. It is very possible to keep on doing triathlons with kids (at least with one kid which is my experience) without ‘stealing’ too many hours from your kid.
Train early, during lunch at work, if possible try to cycle or run to/from work, and of course, during nap time.
Don’t sell it, but do expect that you will be riding a lot less once your baby comes. I am going through this now and it is hard. It’s not that I don’t want to ride, it’s just that it adds a lot of stress to life that I don’t need. Having a baby is a lot of work and my guess is that you will probably want to ride less. Maybe run more and buy a cheap road bike. That’s what i did and it seems to be working out. Of course I DNS’d all of my races this year (including IMWI) so I might not be the best example for you :). Expect some big changes and don’t make any long term race plans until you are comfortable being a dad. Train when you can, but don’t get to hung up in being in IM shape or anything like that. Definitely get the baby jogger with 20 inch wheels. That’s the best advice I can give you. Good luck and have fun!
I have set zero goals for next season. I am hoping to get in at least one later season local tri next summer…and do so without making an ass out of myself. Who knows, though. Maybe I will be lucky to get a single 5K.
Like I said earlier, though -I need to give some payback to my wife who has been so great for my IM training. She actually found out she was pregnant about 2 weeks before starting her taper for the Rockman -would have been her first HIM…and still came and watched me race. Ouch. Her goals come first in 2008, for sure.
In any case, I am treating IMLOU like a last hurrah of sorts. My last, best chance to just throw everything I have at this one selfish goal. I really want to walk away from it and say “that was absolutley my best effort”. I am really looking forward to the future and the changes in my life and want to end my over-indulgent DINK years with an exclamation point.
Check on the 20" stroller. That’s the only thing we have discussed registering for thus far. Priorities.
This last year, for me, has included a new baby. She is now 14 months, and have only a couple of events( mostly run events with baby jogger) under my belt. I went from IM to OLY’s to ensure I spend as much time with the love of my life and daughter. And I can race a OLY without much training. I have only put about 250 miles on my new FELT DA, but I know it will get more use in the future. Most of my exercise has turned to running more, as I can sneak out and get a hour or so in during naps or early mornings or nights. Invest in a good head lamp and hit the trails. Our public rec center has day care, so we go and play in the water for a bit, then drop Cadence off for 30-60 minutes and get some swimming in as well. But the first 6-9 months it was all about the baby.
Cadence? Damnit, I always wanted to use that name for a daughter.
I feel like that episode of Seinfeld where George wants to name his kid Seven (for Mickey Mantle’s number), but his fiance tells her friends about the name and they decide to use it.
I got two under 4 yrs. I switched my focus from long distance to oly’s and sprints. still use my bike but cant do as many 4to5 hour rides. I hoping in a couple years I can get back to long distance. keep the bike, focus on shorter events.
Definitely keep it. With my daughter (our first, now 7mos old) I get more workouts squeezed in on the bike trainer, and I prefer keeping the bike with aerobars on the trainer.
And there’s no reason you can’t get an old beater roadie. You won’t want a really nice ride anyway if you decide to pull a bike trailler in a year or so.