Buh-bye, dropping the kids at school and hitting the pool before work, hello, tackling Wyatt an instant before he jumps off the deck with piece of dental floss around his waist.
We're on year-round school here on Oahu, so summer is only 7 weeks long. All of the sitter time must be time spent at the office, and training will suffer. And that freaks me out, to quote my 4 year old. All workouts must occur in the Ramsey Window of 6:30 pm to 5:30 am. Ocean swimming and road riding can only happen on weekends. Today is the first day of absolutely no way to get my swim/run in. No sitter on Friday, and no one wants to watch the dear kidlets. My sister, the one with the mortgage to pay, could not be bribed. Couldn't find crazy homeless lady, although I did see what we think may be Hawaii Kai's lone suburban hooker. But she also might be a realtor looking for her signs or something, it's hard to tell from her slutty business suit and her penchant for corners. R left at 4 am and is not due to return until midnight.
In a state of near panic it occurred to me: If I don't train today, I will be hurting my training for.. ummm.. nothing. I am not training for anything. There is a sprint Sunday, but I'm still not healthy enough to do it. There is an olympic mid-July, but I will be on a large boat in the Mediterranean with a cocktail in my hand. My Kona build typically starts in late July, and the plan remains the same for this year.
I did my first triathlon 3.5 years ago when Sky was 8 months old. I trained for it to get back in shape after the baby. R disappeared just before the start, so I waited in knee deep water with a boy on each leg and Sky attached at the chest while everyone else lined up. The 500 meter swim looked like an eternity, and I figured my biggest competitive advantage was that I was riding in my running shoes so T2 would be fast. That and my boobs were empty. Back then I wasn't training to race, I was training for health. So I guess I have come full circle. June is about training for health, this time not to lose baby fat, but to return from this injury 100%.
And I'm probably not going to be any less healthy for taking today off and going to the Kung Fu Panda matinee to eat popcorn for lunch. It's practically a vegetable anyway.
We're going to see "Panda" for family game and movie night. That means popcorn for dinner! Year round school, what a concept. Wish that would catch on back east....enjoy the break from hard core training. Your time will come!
ReplyDeleteLots of time 'til KONA...You'll be in RockStar race mode by then!
ReplyDeleteHere's to "empty boobs"
Cheers!
Oh I can so relate to this!!! Sometimes our hands are tied and there is nothing we can do about it. No sitter? NO TRAINING! I bet there are some non-parent triathletes out there what would LOVE to have an "excuse" to take the day off. You know what I say? Eat more popcorn and don't think twice about it!
ReplyDeleteYour kiddos are SO cute! Enjoy the time with them (since you have no other choice).
ReplyDeleteLet them frollick in the sand as you drink a frozen margarita and eat popcorn :)
RACH!
ReplyDeleteStory of our lives right?! If we lived on the same island we could totally make it work to train/and kid swap (but I don't know how to handle that many at once! WAIT, I used to teach 3rd grade, I can do it!)
I have the SAME problem on Fridays, no help during swim... SO I bribed one of the dads on the masters team to bring his 11 year old daughter to come hang at the pool and watch Kainoa... I give her $5 and she LOVES it & I get to swim. I bet you can find some adult that as a kid on your team and will watch the youngsters while you swim...
ALSO, school out means the high schoolers are out... FIND one! Claim a high schooler! They might be on the phone ALL day or French kissing on the couch, but hey, they are reliable right!?
Okay, my training is way more limited since being a mom BUT we can do it, you have always found ways... hit the 24hr gym and run on the tready and use the trainer (I have to do that a lot)... DON'T you dare get down on you or bummed about the situation... FIND WAYS because you are way too fast and talented to let 3 kids get you bumming for training time.
As for Tinman... bummers you won't be there, that means I won't fall off my bike trying to hide/ride away from you!
Enjoy the movie and the popcorn... totally a vegetable and full of fiber :)
Have a good weekend!!
Hey RR....I think i know that Hawaii Kai lady....seen her at the shack a few times!!
ReplyDeleteAhhh...I'm for hire!$$$$... You and Bree lived on same Island I would make a proposal to help watch the keiki. Actually, Bree's never asked me once to watch Kai just to feed her her bottles!!
Have fun with the smaller races on Oahu and hope your recovery comes fast.
Did you 3 little ones take swim lessons from Kelly B?
Patrick
Rach, you are the so awesome in so many ways. First and foremost I love the way you write, love your pictures (your kidlets are beautiful) and you send the sweetest emails ;-) I can't wait to see you in 2 months!! Eat some of that vegetable for me too ;-)
ReplyDeleteXO,
E
Your kids are adorable. How you manage three, stay sane and are as fast as you are is amazing. I'm freaking out about just one.
ReplyDeleteRach,
ReplyDeleteI'm with Bree and a creative genius about getting sitters and/or working out at all hours to get it in... mandatory skill with both parents training.
Other athletes that have older kids is a great place to start. Often times their parents don't want them hanging around home either and this way they're earning some extra moola to boot.
The trade off is also a genius idea because there are always moms and dads in the same situation whether they need time for working out, going to the store, whatever. Put the word out there to your peeps, I'm certain you could do some trading and save yourself the moola for other important habits like soy lattes at Starbucks and Kung Fu Panda matinees.
I've also been known to bring Emma to the local track and let her ride her bike around the track while I do my workout. :)
As for popcorn, Orville Redenbacher himself would agree that it's the perfect snack to share with the whole family! :)
When I first read this, I couldn't figure out why it was a bad thing for Wyatt to be jumping into the pool with dental floss tied around his waist...and then I realized that when you wrote "off the deck", you really meant off the deck and not off the POOL deck. You have to run a zone defense with three kiddos, huh?! Train for that Mediterranean vacation for the next month! Hope you enjoyed your movie day.
ReplyDelete-Danielle
All of my Ironmans, and all of my best performances have been post baby. In 2 weeks Luc and I will be racing at the same race. Kids make it better. And help us keep perspective.
ReplyDeleteAnd you Rachel make me laugh my ass off!
well, no time to train means more time to blog, right? isn't that what its all about anyway :)
ReplyDeletei would totally watch your crew...they look like a feisty bunch!
Hi Rachel,
ReplyDeleteI admire and applaud you. You are an amazing athlete and with a family to look after it's like working two or more full time jobs on the side. Enjoy the breather and prepare for the long hall towards kona ;-)
Tracy
i can totally relate to that...summer holidays are harsh and tiring. add in the juggling of kids' activities with child care, work, life and training, and we often get left out :(. You just have to be creative, especially when your hubby is gone all day or not that reliable for childcare(i could go on and on about that one.....)
ReplyDeletei'll let you know about the saddle, i know it is a specialized one but i'm not sure what kind, lol...i have to say that it is pretty nice!!!
Fly me over...I'll babysit :)
ReplyDeleteAnd you will have some super healthy meals!!!
-marn :)
Glad things are getting better. Stay positive! sometimes complete rest is the best remedy!
Does this mean no more OCC ocean swims for a while? Bummer...
ReplyDeleteI'm challenged by just one kid; I'd be completely flummoxed by three! More importantly, how was Kung Fu Panda? :) My husband's taking Willa this weekend while I'm off to a race.
ReplyDeleteOkay - 1) Good vibes your way 2) your kids are adorable, and I love the suggestions about finding someone with OLDER kids who would be willing to baby sit 3) Dental floss and a jump off the deck? Great image... :) 4) You are hilarious! 5) You are too fast and too strong to let this get you down - creative thinking my friend. If I was in Hawaii I would do my best to help you out... but I'm not. I love Bree's ideas... 5) Totally a vegetable. Add in a glass of wine, and you've got your grapes and antioxidants.
ReplyDeleteCheers!
Great picture. Your kids are absolutely beautiful.
ReplyDeleteThe vision of you doing your first triathlon put a smile on my face (especially the part about T2 being fast being you were riding in your running shoes). It's funny on so many levels. It reminded me of a race I did (just last Summer) when I passed a girl on the bike with platform pedals and a tricked out aero-helmet. The good news was, I was passing her. The bad news was she was ahead of me out of the swim (then again, who isn't?). sigh.
I love your story, your natural ability and your drive.....this is just another situation that'll make you stronger, somehow....or just make you healthier. Either way, overcoming these obstacles is gonna pay off. Promise.
We saw Kung-Fu Panda yesterday too, I thought it was freakin' hilarious!
Keep pluggin' along.....
Phaedra.
Kung Fu Panda is hilarious! Enjoy!!
ReplyDelete