Before
a baby enters the picture, the triathlete lifestyle is quite simple. It’s as simple as routine. If I want to do a run, ride, or swim, I just go do it. The only complications may be pool
availability or weather conditions that require an adaptation to the workout to
perhaps make it an indoor one.
There does require some strategy, some planning, but in comparison to life with a baby,
it’s much more like putting together the edges of a puzzle instead of the
middle, especially if the puzzle is something insanely difficult like a black
cat. Throw a baby into the
picture, and life becomes even more complicated. Sometimes you can do all the planning and strategizing to
make a training session happen, and all of your plans still end up being thrown
out the window.
There
have been stretches of times, days on end even, where I have been able to get
in everything I set out to do.
Some days I’ve even surprised myself with all of the extra household
tasks I’ve also been able to get done.
Then there are the other days.
With the fall and onset of winter, there also arrives the flu and cold
season with it. The best-laid
plans and intentions don’t stand a chance against it, and our household has not
been able to escape its treachery either.
The
plans for a day like today? I
could capitalize on the 8-11:30am drop-in childcare at the Y in order to fit in
a swim, my lifeguard shift, and a quick run on the treadmill before picking
Baya up and heading home. Sounds
like an excellent morning to me!
Once home, I could eat a quick lunch and hop on the trainer and bike for
an hour if she stuck with her “schedule” of taking a long nap at that
time. That should even leave me
some time to do the dishes and work on some writing. Instead, however, after Andy left for work, Baya couldn’t
stop coughing and ended up throwing up.
Again. I got me and her
cleaned up and changed, called into work that I would be missing my shift,
feeling that I should not take her into childcare with her having thrown up 3
times in the last 12 hours. This
also meant that I would miss my swim.
Yesterday became quite nice out so
I was able to run outdoors with her, but we awoke this morning to snow and
cold, and I do not feel that is a good option for her today. There goes the run. I am pretty adamant about running
everyday too, so this is where it also becomes a mental battle to accept the
situation that I am in. Good thing
I can at least bike still, right?
What should have been a 2.5-3 hour nap was cut short and I missed the
entire ride! Of course.
Yes, there are days like today that
make it tough to be a mom and seriously pursue triathlons at the same
time. Days like today also test
mental toughness. I can push
through hard workouts and races.
It is actually easier to push through them than miss them
altogether. This is also a great
reminder for perspective, because in the grand scheme of things, missing
today’s workouts (or even a few more), aren’t going to make that big of a
difference. Triathlon is a
lifelong pursuit, but so is being a parent.
Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not
going to be one of those people who say to embrace and cherish all these
moments. Cleaning up vomit
and listening to seemingly endless
whining and crying is not fun, nor is it something I will cherish. She does not suddenly turn into a
little girl who just wants to cuddle.
She does not like to be cuddled much, there is just too much to see and
do (much like her mom I guess). However, being there for your kid when they really need you,
definitely surpasses the importance of any workout. There will always be another day, and another opportunity to
train (and this is only the off-season after all). Being a mom will always come first. Now it’s time to finish the laundry and
celebrate having clean clothes again, at least for a little while.
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