[LookiLoo]

I know this topic has likely been covered over and over...but humor me please <img alt="smile.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/smile.gif"> This morning after I finished up with my elliptical workout, my dh made a comment about the '2-a days workouts' - as yesterday I had a pool workout in the morning, trainer at night, this morning I hit the elliptical and tonight I'll head back to the pool. Right now I wouldn't normally do back-to-back doubles, but this week's schedule sort of forced me to. Usually I only do 2 days per week of doubles right now (maaaybe 3), and it's spread out enough that perhaps it's less noticeable.<br><br>
Of course I immediately went on the defensive with 'I do my workouts early morning, late evening so as not to affect family time, blah blah....', and his response was more along the lines of worrying about how it affects me physically. I probably do anywhere from 7-10 hours per week right now, and I'm guessing when I start training for the HIM next summer I will be closer to 12-16 during the heaviest weeks.<br><br>
So I guess I'm looking for other's experiences with family support, and how do you handle this? I think my dh is pretty supportive of the tri stuff (save for the financial drain <img alt="biggrin.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/biggrin.gif"> ), but seems constantly worried about the physical toll. I do think I listen to my body and take a rest day every week or every other week - or just when I feel like I need an extra day...but he thinks I'm pretty well insane for the amount of hours I workout. I am very careful not to complain too much after a hard workout, because I think that just adds fuel to the fire <img alt="roll_eyes.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/roll_eyes.gif"><br><br>
He does have plenty of interests on his own (primarily windsurfing), so we've become pretty good at juggling our time with everything as we have a daughter and that is number one priority for both of us.<br><br>
What are your experiences, thoughts?

 

[jroden]

My wife is very supportive, she also will note when she thinks I'm doing something stupid or overtraining. I generally don't believe her and she often turns out to be right. She is especially perceptive when a race is kind of creeping me out because I'm worried about getting hurt and will help me talk myself out of it.<br><br>
I've gotten hurt a lot over the years and have frequently tried to hide it from her, generally without much success...

 

[BethR]

Usually when I'm defensive about those kind of comments, it's because I'm tired from pushing myself too hard in training (combined with work and other aspects of my life) and probably do need a rest. And, usually when my husband makes those comments it's because he's seeing something I'm ignoring. That may not be the case 100% of the time, but that's the pattern around our house. It's a good idea to at least take a step back and think about it.

 

[LookiLoo]

Fine, y'all, take his side <img alt="mad.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/mad.gif"><img alt="biggrin.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/biggrin.gif"><br><br>
Seriously though, I don't actually feel that tired right now....I don't think...my workouts are not actually that long, they're mostly just frequent. I do try to see things a bit more from his perspective - to the average person, working out twice in one day may seem a bit silly, and that may just be where he's coming from. I dunno.

 

[TheProFromDover]

Shoot, I wish I had your problem. If you are relatively injury free, and not so over trained you are falling asleep with your face in the soup bowl, then I'd say the physical toll is being handled ok (as you pointed out). Maybe a little proactive damage control by pointing out that some triathletes do tons more work, that you think you are actually a lightweight, but at least have lots of energy.<br><br>
If there is really an alternate motive, then this won't help at all. In my case DW hates the fact that I get out and have fun at races. WOs are fine, always early morning or weekdays at lunch, so the only impact is a run or ride or brick on a weekend day when there is enough hours in the day anyway. But suggest I travel somewhere for a race? I might as well just not come back. Ask her to go along for the fun, and do something like sightseeing too. Bah, she'd rather stay home and pull her fingernails out with pliers. But I'm whining.

 

[jroden]

I have been reading this forum for a year and have seen case after case of people ignoring all sorts of advice regarding rest and the need for periodization in training. The response is generally along the lines of "my training progra on this sheet of paper says X" . Stick around long enough and you get a ringside seat for countless overuse injuries, stress fractures, illnesses, etc.<br><br>
That said, you may well not be overdoing it. Just bear in mind that working out twice a day used to be for only the most serious athletes, it's a lot of time and work and should be treated with respect, even if the workouts don't seem overly "hard".

 

[BethR]

Well said, JR!

 

[LookiLoo]

JR - that's a very good point. I have been terribly guilty of this in the past, and suffered from stress fractures because of it. Currently I have been easing up on the running as I am feeling some persistant tightness in my calves and shins, which to me is always a sign of bad things to come. But - I do have a tendency to ease up on whatever may be the culprit (running, in this case) and push harder in other areas (so I have moved to the elliptical...)<br><br>
I think I have a healthy respect for the fact that I work full time, am a mom and a wife, and I am *not* a professional althlete. But, I love to workout.

 

[hahaoya]

Mine wavers in support all the time. Mainly I think he believes it's all a silly waste of time and my focus ought to be elsewhere. In the past I actually relented and gave up running (that was 2006) and it made me angry that I did that, considering I am 110% supportive of anything and everything he wants to do and accomplish. Now, if he has a problem with it, well that's too bad. <img alt="biggrin.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/biggrin.gif">

 

[LookiLoo]

<br>
Ha! This is so funny you mention this....so there is this 5 mile open water swim race held Labor Day weekend and I am a bit intrigued by it. The only thing is that you are required to have your own crew (which makes sense) - essentially a person that canoes/kayaks alongside you for the whole way for support. I mentioned this to DH last night, and besides the usual 'you want to swim for how long?!', he was not remotely excited about the idea of being stuck in a kayak for 3 hours while I swim next to him <img alt="biggrin.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/biggrin.gif"> Can't say I blame him....but I'm still intrigued.....

 

[jkaiser20]

Didn't Chris Carmichael say most of Lance's workouts seem easy taken one at a time, but just try to string them together for an extended length of time?

 

[caffeinated]

My wife is very supportive. She is concerned about us not spending enough time together, since we are both very busy with work, school and hobbies. Last year was my first year of triathlon and I started getting really excited about going for longer than the sprints and XTERRA distances that I did last year.<br><br>
Taking into account her concerns, and my desire to do other stuff, I decided to stick with sprints and XTERRA for the forseeable future. I'd love to do an Oly and a HIM this summer, but I would miss spending time with my wife. After all, she's the one who will decide when to terminate life support one day...

 

[Thor]

1!<br><br>
The human body is an amazing thing. It can do so much more than we all know, and it'll surprise you all the time with just how far you can push it. But it is fragile, or it can be, so a slow, steady build is very, very important.<br><br>
I say this because the biggest thing I notice when it comes to injuries, especially overuse, is that the person coming down with them will say that they've done nothing new or more in their training, which may very well be legit, but when you find out their background you learn that they are doing two- or even three-a-days with only a year or two into endurance sport. It makes sense for me for the body to eventually break down. The human body and spirit is so amazing that within a short year the athlete was able to get themselves to the point where they were popping off two a days and getting very strong and very fast, but the body isn't really ready for the stresses even though to that point it was holding on and now breaking down. This is most common with running, as running tends to beat the body up more, where the person can get their body to run a half marathon, or maybe even a marathon, over a few short 15 months. But the body isn't ready. Think about when you go to the gym to start lifting weights. You don't see results -- like serious results -- until five or six months later, when the body can finally catch up. Maybe a bad example, but hopefully my point came across.<br><br>
Nothing wrong with ramping up quickly, but as Jr points out, without the proper phases, which are well known for a very good reason, the body will squawk with strange noises when taxed too hard too quickly and for too long.<br><br>
I'm just as guilty as many. I'm waiting for my body to squawk. Strangely, even my Sciatica, a close friend who seemed to be loyal by my side to a fault, has even quieted down to only a trace whisper. The minute my motivation disappears is when I'll know I've finally tipped the marbles rolling to the floor.

 

[jroden]

I think the one thing that seems to be a common chord in many of the overuse cases is extending the base building phase for an interminable period, perhaps due to a late season ironman event. At some point "something has to give" and for most people, 8 big weeks a year should be plenty, it's just a question of where those weeks fall and how the rest of the year is structured. If one is stuck in the "mile counting" mentality, it's easy to lose sight of every single other training variable in the equation and just heap more and more volume on the body until injury or illness forces a rest.<br><br>
For any of us ametuer athletes, there should not be a huge feeling of burnout at the conclusion of the season and a great need for rest--we just don't race all that much and feeling sick of racing to the extent that we want to just take a month off is really an indication that perhaps one's training preogram has degenerated into a daily grind.

 

[Econo]

There are two threads in this one.<br><br>
I'm an overuse injury just waiting to happen (mixing speedwork with building my base, big no-no, and on a sore foot, too).<br><br>
And on the other topic, my DH doesn't give a hoot. As long as I keep the travel costs down and I don't come home from races saying something like "I sucked!", he doesn't grumble.

 

[LookiLoo]

<br>
Yabbut, apparently my 'family support' issues are related to my potential overtraining issues, so it's all the same <img alt="biggrin.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/biggrin.gif">

 

[jroden]

This is an interesting thread. After having kids I had to scale back my aspirations a bit and look for ways to combine family time and racing in a way that wasn't lousy for my family. For the most part it has worked out nicely, but on the same token has forced me to become more efficient with my training and select races that are not too arduous. I do feel a longing sometimes for the freedom I used to have and the longer harder races, but that means spending the weekend in some crummy hotel with a bunch of men rather than doing something w/ my family. When I start to dwell, I remind myself of how lucky I am.

 

[jjketark]

JR,<br>
That's frankly just what I needed to hear. I have 3 great kids and I work hard to work out early and late to avoid losing fam time. At times I long for more time to myself for training, but when reminded what really matters (thanks again) I realize that I wouldn't want to give up any time with them either. I guess I just need a 30 hour day.

 

[valleysuper]

I too find this thread interesting, my wife is my biggest supporter...... before we had kids. Now while she supports me wholy, it takes work, we have many conversations as to what each year of training and racing will be like. I have said before that I only race sprints and there is a big reason for that. Time away from my family. I am not a full time triathlete, hell I only do it as something to do with my fitness. I enjoy being very fit and triathlon is a proving ground for me, that and I love competition.<br>
We have found that a few things make a big difference for us. WE sit down and make a race schedule, not me. WE see how many hours there are in a week to train, and it varies greatly each week. WE find ways to include my kids, trailer on the bike, stroller on the run, I run while my older one rides, anything but we include the kids. And the biggest thing I think, WE find ways for her to have time to do whatever she wants to do, albeit a little less time than I, but we have talked about it and she is ok with that.<br><br>
I do not travel to races, my wife does not come to all of my races either, she comes to the ones that she likes. I admit that I love having my family at races, I am that guy who stops and high fives my kids, and kisses my wife. They are the reason I can do the things I love. Dont get me wrong she thinks I am crazy and it does create some friction when schedules change, but that is part of a relationship. This year instead of racing short distances right through the end of Sept, we are planning my first marathon, and my first HIM which is in July, then I'm done racing. I get to try something new to me and then she gets more time when she likes it in the summer.<br><br>
Its funny in all of the books and articles we all read, you don't see too much about this, but it really is the 5th discipline of triathlon for us. It takes practice.

 

[Tri_coach06]

That's not what the original thread said.<br><br>
if your doing 2-a-days in running or biking, then your ready for an injury, but if your swimming in the morning and going for a run in the afternoon, then their is nothing wrong with what your doing.<br><br>
Lucy often leaves me small hints that it is time to get out and do more. Running shorts on my pillow. Sneakers on my chair in my office. Bike in the hallway. Helmet in the shower. She is also versed in the signs of over training and is pretyy vigilant about telling me when she thinks I'm on the verge.<br><br>
Sit down with DH and tell him eth sign of overtraining. Talk to him about WHY he feels your doing to much. is it a selfish thing as he feels your not spending enough time with him or is it that he is concerned about an injury. It's always easier to understand what they are saying when you have the true menaing behind what they are saying. In this matter Lucy is absolute. "You are being an ASS, please stay home and get some rest." OK Luc., I'm showering and we'll meet on the couch. <img alt="smile.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/smile.gif"><br><br>
Maybe a little nookie will help. <img alt="smile.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/smile.gif"><br><br>
CS