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Stuff About Being the Only Triathlete in the Family...

Friday, 10 April 2015 00:10

By Nicole Ekesten (nicolekesten.blogspot.com)

This post was shared on the Challenge Family America's Blog 3 weeks ago but wanted to re-share on my actual blog and add a few things that I couldn't share in my 850 limit :)

Many of us had similar starts to triathlon. We were drawn to the sport because it sounded intriguing, challenging and like something we wanted to accomplish for ourselves. I quickly learned, however, that my involvement in triathlon doesn’t just affect me–it affects my entire family. Endurance sports include more than just a few hours on random weekends; they can be consuming, expensive and sometimes cause a wedge in our relationships. As I enter my seventh year of triathlon, I want to share with you a few mantras I have found to keep myself and my family priorities balanced.

Racing isn’t just about me.

When I first started racing, my family would come with me to every race. We would drive all together, they would watch me set up transition, wait for me at the swim start and cheer throughout the day. It was great to have the support but I really didn’t think about them much and, after a while, they grew tired of supporting. I never considered that waking up at the butt-crack of dawn just to sit around on some camping chairs in a field (or better yet, a parking lot) to see me for a few glimpses over the course of a few hours wasn’t fun! ...

So after a year in the sport and realizing that I love to race, I started making their race weekend experience a priority. Sometimes for your A-race this isn’t as easy, but it’s definitely something to consider if your family is traveling with you for multiple races a year. Here are some questions I regularly ask during planning a race (especially ones away from home):