The Trade Off Factor

If you have ever trained for an Ironman, you know that the following statement is true: Training puts a strain on family life. In another post, I’ll discuss what you need to do to take the plunge but for this one, I’d like to address the “trade off factor”. The basic premise is that if you are going to receive then you have to give back. When I started training for my first Ironman last year, I had the family’s approval. However, I don’t think anyone realized the size of the commitment that was to follow. (More on that later!) This year, I was at a disadvantage. My wife and my three daughters knew exactly what I and they were getting into. So, there was a price to be paid or better yet, a trade off. In this case, it was our basement. It was cold, dark and not a place where three girls ages 16, 12 & 10, want to hang out with friends. It had to be renovated. And it had to be renovated by me. So, in addition to my $450 entry fee or whatever it was into Lake Placid, I am paying for my desire to do Ironman in another way. Every night and every weekend, I’m spackling, hammering and painting so my girls can have a “cool” place to go. And then I can train with a guilt free mind. I was hoping to finish before training officially started but it’s not looking good. Oh, well, I guess I’ll have to set up my trainer somewhere else!