Family first

Everyone training for or supporting someone who is training for an Ironman knows that "sacrifice" is *THE* most often used word in our vocabulary.

Work. Early mornings. Weekends. All of it at the mercy of long rides, extended stretching/icing sessions and multi-hour runs.

We ask a lot of our families during this time. I'm sure for my wife, it's like being a single parent on the weekends. Getting up earlier than she'd like, making breakfast for the kids and then cleaning up a house that I am probably the most guilty of making a mess of. I will publicly acknowledge that she is the Iron-wife who takes care of us all.

That's why this weekend, I won't be riding. A prior commitment means that I will be taking care of things Sunday morning (Can't you ride later in the day, you might ask. Not really - it's 105 outside). Clearly not a hardship for me to be there when my kids get up to make their favorite waffles and eggs for breakfast but nonetheless, a gap in my training. Will it make a difference? I doubt it.

I'm happy to take an extended weekend actually. The rigors of this last week have taken a bit more recovery than usual and I'm happy to get a little extra recovery time. Despite everything I do each week for training, nothing comes close to the responsibilities of taking care of our home and family. It's actually harder than training for an Ironman - but it's a challenge I'm happy to take on.