Challenges like
- planning your daily nutrition to keep on track or meet a certain fitness goal??
- skipping those weekend drinks with friends?
- non-endurance-freak friends who question your sanity or just "don't get it"??
- finding the money to pay for all things triathlon (ie gear, race fees, travel expenses etc.)??
- or a spouse or significant other feeling a bit jealous if you are training with someone of the opposite sex??
- your spouse or S.O. even feeling left out?
I know hubby and I had a conversation this weekend about how he is feeling a bit insecure and left out of my life at times
I mean, yeah - I get it.
Last Saturday was spent racing (race report is coming soon! I promise!) and then I hung out post race with my tri club and others and had a ball!
THEN
I was out for hours on end Saturday riding 60+ miles while some members of the tri club did The Budgetman 70.3 training race and then we hung out after. I did leave early (2pm) and the party continued on without me (till 7pm).
I have asked him to come to social events and races or what have you but really, he has no interest.
What?? No interest in watching a bunch of triathlon geeks hanging out in spandex, covered in sweat and caked in salt, swapping war stories about THIS Ironman race or THAT training session gone bad.
ME?? Yeah, I live for that stuff!!
I also get it that I have gone from being very overweight to where I am now -- I am sure that this can bring some sort of insecurity as well. I don't think the snarky comments from his friends help much in that department either...But he also sees these things from a MALE perspective and well, we all know where that male mind tends to wander whenever it comes to male/female relations.
I see it as me wanting to ride "with the boys" is only going to make me a stronger cyclist.
But then on the flip side, he is very supportive of my training & racing time - I could not do what I do without his help. I have heard him talk to his friends about how proud he is of me and all I have accomplished over the last 2 years.
One time while discussing me pulling the trigger on 140.6 someday, he even said it would be cool to have an IronWife. That made me happy...He also knows how much joy triathlon has brought into my life and he is really glad that I have friends that share the same passions I do.
We talked it out and all is fine. I can see his point of view on some topics. Some of his points were valid while some bordered on ridiculous (but in a funny way).
Have you ever had to deal with insecurities with a spouse or significant other?
How did you help reassure that person?
What "other" challenges have you faced during training?
