It all started at 5:45AM last Tuesday when I got this text…
Couldn’t believe it. Enough already. Why is it that when my triathlete hubby, who has been training to get back in condition after months off from being hit by a car, has this happen the week “in-season” training starts? I know stuff happens and I am so lucky he is able to train and do triathlons, but let’s get real. But, there’s more to my aggravation. He’s the one who threw his back out, so why am I in pain? Let me explain…
Have you ever thrown your back out? When you do, you rest, take some Advil, use the heating pad, maybe see the chiropractor, and eventually get better. For many, it’s a few days flat on your back and then you ease back into your routine. But, not for my triathlete. Let’s compare how trihubby and triwife handle back issues…
First, there is the physical pain…
What I would do
- Rest
- Take Advil
- Stretch
- Rest some more
- Walk around a bit
What my triathlete does
- Calls to tell me what happened.
- Goes to work.
- Sends text message that he is in pain.
- Sends me another text message that he is going swimming tonight.
- I tell him not to go swimming. He needs to do something about this and stop complaining. And, I tell him he needs to rest and that he’s not in the 40 – 45 age group anymore!
- Calls his coach (obviously hoping for a different response), who tells him he should NOT go swimming.
- Doesn’t go swimming.
- Walks around the house moaning.
Then, there is the ego…
Me
- Oh well, I’ll just take it easy for a while.
- My triathlete literally told me, “Rest and it will get better quicker”.
My triathlete
- It’s the end of the world. The “in-season” training just started and a WHOLE WEEK is already shot.
- The ongoing, “See, I should have gone swimming the day I threw my back out”.
- A week later, the moaning continues.
I can’t stand the moaning anymore! This is one of those times being a triwife is not much fun. I am always proud of my triathlete and happy to support. But, the next time he throws his back out, I am leaving the house and turning my phone off…
– DANA
HOW DOES YOUR TRIATHLETE HANDLE ILLNESS/INJURY?
Sherry is one of the TriWivesClub and LifeDoneWell co-founders and contributes to multiple blogs. She is a former co-owner of the California Apparel News and had a career in the healthcare industry. Her passions include traveling, real food, the environment, and animal rescue/welfare. She lives a healthy lifestyle and has been a vegetarian since 1987. She and her husband are parents to two rescue pups and reside in Connecticut.
