It's getting a little crazy around here; and maybe I am the only one, but I'm starting to stress about my training and trying to see my family and it's not really working. Triathletes talk about it being a lifestyle, I think it's more of a circus that has only jugglers and the odd the clown ( that's me!)
Childcare is in full swing for Z-Girl, and like clockwork so came the 'sickness' not sure what it is, a cold, the flu, avian virus but she got it, I got we all got it! The whole house is sniffling, using any source of soft paper to remove boogers from faces and noses. I hate being sick, I make a point of avoiding it all year by eating well and staying fit, but you can't avoid the now aptly named Princess Booger, as she is too cute not to hang out with.
1 week in, 3 weeks later it's still here. It really smashed up my training leading into the final Duathlon of season and in the end I pulled myself from the race. I hate quitting anything, but mentally and physically I was drained and just not in the right head space. Lesson learned, slow down with illness - I kept pushing to find training hours when they just weren't there to be had for an event like this I should have just slowed down things around me, and not taken up extra invites and just rested.
The schedule in the house isn't clear cut, childcare have Princess Booger for 2 days and the occasional casual day (till next year) while Awesome Nan (Mother In-law) takes control the other days, I was worried about Awesome Nan getting burned out as Z-Girl becomes a handful, but I think she loves it more than Z-Girl! With this sort of routine the monthly training plans are out the window, it's down to weekly sit downs with Super Wife and pre-planning my week.
Planning in this way is actually more fun; it means Super Wife and I chat more, which can fade when you're running out the door in different directions and outfits; her's being more corporate, mine being of the Lycra variety. I set up a pretty simple template* of Morning, Noon & Night blocks during the week and just scribble in when works. I stick this up in the garage turn pain cave near my bike trainer so I can read it every time I leave the house.
As the weather heats up I'm keen to get out more, and the early morning rides I suffered in Winter now feel like a gift in the morning sun. Awesome Nan has not only been Awesome, but also pretty supportive of the whole bike, run, swim thing. Which didn't surprise me, but then kind of did. I've said it before I find Triathlon to be the most selfish team sport in the world, it's only you (unless you're in a club) carving out the kilometers, the sprints, the laps but in the end you need the support of your team at home, the wife, the kid and when you need back up support sometimes an Awesome Nan to be on sickness call if Z-Girl can't make childcare, as we head closer and closer to Geelong IM70 I know I will need it more than ever to keep me sane.
Melbourne Half Marathon is the next stop; under 2 hours is the goal. The training has been good to fair; I have lacked any runs over 15km opting for short multiple 5/10km instead. I'm positive I can crack the mark, but feel pressure internally - all the top age groupers in IM70 break 2 hours for the run, and that's after the ride & swim; and I know I will need to add 10 maybe 15 minutes to my time to factor in fatigue potentially.
They say pressure makes diamonds, well with the our schedule of Childcare, Grand-parents, the odd social and busy weeks/ weekends ahead I started to feel like I wanted to slow down; and then I remembered how bored I get when I have nothing on. So the new Reid House Slogan is "Get Busy, or Get Boring" and at least repeating that when I really want to sleep instead of going to a flower farm on a Sunday tends to do the trick to get me out of bed.
* Happy to share my template with anyone who interested, it's nothing whizz bang but does the job
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