The first thing most people ask me when I mention I am a triathlete training for Ironman is… yup you guessed it… where do you find the time? My usual response is that I really enjoy it, therefore, I make time. I am sure they are expecting to hear me say, “Yeah, I am crazy and totally Type A like most triathletes”… kidding! Finding the time to train and have a social life can be challenging, but I make it work. It is important to make time for family and friends. To me, it is worth scrambling around in order to fit everyone/everything in, however, some days it just isn’t happening. Those days are few and far between. Having to juggle three disciplines (swim, bike, run) and be on my game in the office is a bit challenging, but I manage. I definitely live for the weekends. I am not sure if that is good or bad

My 2009 season consists of a sprint tri, two half IMs, two IMs, and a few random road races and indoor TT’s. I started training the last week in December and will get a break after Kona in October. Yup, I am a busy bee. Lake Placid is 8 weeks away, which brings 24 hour workout weeks. During the week, like most people, work and training consume me. My weekends are pretty consistent training wise- a long bike (6hrs) and t-run (max 60 mins) on Saturday, and Sunday the recovery bike (2hrs) and long run (2+hrs), which can be split at times. Sounds fund doesn’t it?

As usual, this past weekend I was running around like a crazy woman. I found myself waking up at 5 AM Saturday morning to get on my bike for 5:30 AM ride. My friend Linda was hosting a first birthday party for her son at 1 PM. I knew I wasn’t going to make it by 1 PM, but if I was there before 3 PM I would be happy. I finished the bike at about noon, changed into my sneaks and headed out on my t-run. Getting back a little past 1 PM I jumped in the shower, grabbed my stuff and headed out to Dover, NH. My friend Tory was so kind to drive so I could get ready and eat in transit. I arrived at the party before 3 PM, which was great. The reward of rushing around… seeing my friends and their little kiddies, and finally SITTING and relaxing (too a point when the kids weren’t screaming).

Party over… off to Tory’s for dinner with her parents. They are great people and just really fun to be around. Sunday morning I headed out for an awesome 1:15 run loop through the hills of Dover, had a quick breakfast and then it was back to Boston to do my 2 hour recovery bike and second run (1:10) of the day before my family arrived. Oh yeah, on the way home I made a quick stop at Market Basket to pick up some groceries for the week.

It never fails, as I was starting to lose time and the workouts were going to run into dinner reservations. Simple… called the restaurant and changed reservations, called Dad and all was good! Yeah, my Dad seemed frustrated just a bit for making him wait around while I finished my run. Sorry Dad! I did get ready in 10 minutes once I finished though, so I was forgiven. It was nice to spend time with my dad, sister and my new niece Nina. At 4 months, Nina had her first trip to the North End, and only cried once! Dad and Cheri had Mike’s Pastry for the first time. Me, I wanted to cry because I was so tired from running 20 miles earlie and could not have Mike’s Pastry. I was eyeing Nina’s stroller wondering if I could sit in it without breaking it… ha! Now that would have been a funny sight.

Anyway, enough with the babbling about my jam packed weekend. I took the long way to say that we make time to do what we enjoy and be with the important people in our lives…and we all know there are days we just get backed up.

Filed under: Training