Vacations take on a whole new meaning when you live with a triathlete, especially when it’s in the middle of race season. UGH, the stress. Granted, this is something we try to avoid, but it doesn’t always work out that way. Plus, sometimes I JUST NEED A VACATION! So, in those cases when you need to take a vacation in the middle of race season, we have found several ways to work it out.
Here’s 2 ways to handle that in-season vacation:
THE VACATION PLANNED AROUND THE TRIATHLETE
This is actually the more stressful one of the two as it takes more thought and planning. Once we determine if the location is training-friendly, we then move on to source all of my husband’s needs, including nutritional needs. What you have to consider:
SWIM – It is always a bonus when we travel somewhere and can arrange open water swims. On a lake is great, because as the twins got older they were able to start being the spotter on stand-up boards or in a kayak. When we are near a sea or ocean, I still become a bit of a control freak and either spot myself or many times when at a resort, we will hire one of the water team members to be his spotter to give me a break. If I need to find a pool for him, I will often search local YMCAs, master swim classes, and tri-clubs to find the best match.
BIKE – We rarely pack and take the tribike with us on vacations, unless they are extended or we’re going someplace he is considering racing at in the future. The bike training is the hardest for me to plan, as sourcing a spin bike or finding a bike rental place can be a bit more difficult. I am fortunate that my trihubby has accepted that this is the one area in which he needs to be a bit more flexible.
RUN – We love this part, because it can be done anywhere and a treadmill is always easy to find. But, if their training mandates hills or flat surfaces, get a map of the local terrain or check with the hotel for trails that will meet your needs. There are also websites that provide bike routes/trails such as TrailLink and MapMyRide.
A great idea would be to find some cross-training activity that would satisfy your triathlete’s needs and that the whole family could participate in, such as tennis, water sports, hiking, or climbing.
THE VACATION WHERE THE TRIATHLETE COMES LATE/LEAVES EARLY
Since very early on, I have traveled solo with the twins for different reasons, so adding training to the mix is not that big of a deal. With my triathlete’s work and training schedule, this type of vacation is perfect for us. The twins and I or just me will arrive a few days early and get some great vacation time in. It’s not all about my triathlete, so we get to pick a spot based more on where we want to go and not based around his ability to train.
My hubby works it out with his coach so that on the days he joins us, he has more limited training and it’s geared towards run, swim, and strength training days. The rest of the time is focused on us and relaxing. Then, off he goes back to work and his regular training schedule. It works for us and everyone is happy to have had a bonus in-season vacation.
I totally understand that not everyone is comfortable traveling solo or traveling solo with kids, but for us triathlete families, we are used to hours and hours of alone time during training season and long days at the races, so it seems quite normal for us.
I hate to see you miss a vacation because of training, so see if you can make it work and have a great time!
– DANA
DO YOU TAKE IN-SEASON VACATIONS WITH YOUR TRIATHLETE?
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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.
I got a vacation where my husband had to work his training around the vacation. He got up early to swim or run so we would have all day for sight seeing and activities. It worked out just fine. We are home now and he is back to his regular training schedule. We had a great vacation.
That’s what we’re talking about. You can have the balance and the vacation be about both of you or the family! Thanks Ann.