Getting into Roth ...or maybe Austria ;)

If they move Tenby to late July, I will do it…and smash it like one of those organic free-range eggs Britons are so fond of :crazy_face:

That is called the long course weekend :slight_smile:

:rofl::rofl::rofl:

First week of the school holidays :see_no_evil:
You must be kidding?

I’m guessing (some of) the reasons the race is in that slot is two-fold:
So it doesn’t clash with IMUK
So it doesn’t clash with the normal VW T5 brigade descending on the place :wink:

…and the sea is ‘warm’.

Late July is my limit of exploitation normally; August I simply blank out. That said, last year we went on holiday on 14 July and took them out of school for the last week (saved a packet).

Anyway, no Ironman for me next year; other adventures beckon.

Didn’t gloss over, i just don’t see the issue. How is training in school holidays and different to training when at work. it’s easier if anything, as your day is way more flexible.

It’s a genuine question, I really don’t get the restriction?

It really isn’t!
I can’t swan off for an hour at lunchtime in school holidays, nor head out on my bike for a couple of hours before breakfast or supper (replacing an extended commute)

Most training, bar the 5hr rides, can easily fit around work. For 70.3 it’s even easier.

You’re already commuting to work - it just happens to be by bike or foot. Then a quick dip at lunch or on the way home.

Plus I actually want to see my kids if they’re not at school. Like all day. And have days out. And not intersperse that with exercise.

I find training a lot harder when I’m off work than when I’m at work, with the exception of 2.5+ hour rides.

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Ah OK. I think we might be an ‘outlier family’ :smile:

When my daughter has had enough of surfing, she plays on the beach and I do an OWS, or I do stuff before she’s up, just the same as a regular day.

I’m a bit inventive about the training i do, maybe some mtb or integrate a family walk/hike etc but seem to make it work. You do have have to bin the rigidity though.

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Then it’s something that probably doesn’t affect you.

During term time we have ‘wrap around care’ after school until 6pm; my wife and I both work (I cycle to work, train at lunchtime). When there is no school, someone has to look after the children during the day. It’s rare to find anywhere that will do it 8-6, and with 2 kids that’s not only sh!t for them, it’s also very expensive. So time is best spent with the kids, usually on holiday of some kind. Imagine being on holiday for 2 weeks and saying you have to take your bike and do 15+ hours training :thinking::laughing: Whether or not that would be perceived as self-centred depends on those around you. But ones’ focus is (arguably) not on the holiday.

Maybe someone else with 2 children at Primary school and both parents working can help me explain better.

My priority is always the holiday but we usually agree that what’s going to roughly happen before we go. Training aside, we are always active anyway, so a lot of what we do involves moving about.

I guess the piece I’m missing is that my wife does not work (she’s a CPA and wanted to be a CFO). If she worked, holiday time would be incredibly valuable but that would also be the case in no holiday times and training opportunities would be very different.

I have two things in my ‘favour’ i suppose. My job is insanely stressful but generally, the hours at office are consistent and Mrs FP takes that strain off considerably at home.

The other thing is, I’ve been racing in form or another for over 35years now, when we met, we always knew this would be the lifestyle. When we decided to try for kids, we talked about how training/events would fit. Plus having a kid at 49yrs old when your wife really wants one, definitely buys some flexibility.

I’m not saying we have it right or wrong, I’m very aware of how lucky I am and always interested in how other families make it work.

Perhaps I’m just a shit Dad? :wink::laughing:

Such an important word when it comes to endurance training…imho! :upside_down_face::upside_down_face: I can ‘guarantee’ my daily/weekly routine term-time, which is key for me.

I’m taking my wetsuit to the Scillies though, no doubt! (plus we’re going with other families which makes it easier with the kids).

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A big factor is the age of the kids. Once they’re teens you’re much more likely to get “Ugh, you’re so embarrassing, just go out on your bike or something, Ugh!!!”

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Until they need a lift or a new phone right? :rofl:

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Haha yeh, back to your Android discussion, I’ve got a Moto G, guess what he’s got!
11pm pick-up tonight and I’ve got to be up at 5:30 for OWS

Latest iphone? 25GB of data? :sweat_smile:

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I’d find it really hard to do Wales for the same reasons as Jorgan states. I’m a teacher with a long summer holiday, so you’d think it would be a no-brainer to train easily through the break, but it never works out that way. Summer is to regroup, do the diy that I’ve neglected, and get away with the wife and kids. I get most of my sessions done on a 90 minute slot before work or a 60 minute commute home and if it doesn’t happen then, then it won’t happen at all. During the summer it’s much better for us to be spontaneous and change our minds at the drop of a hat about whether we go out, meet friends, mooch or whatever. This isn’t good for IM training.

I am reaching that stage now. Rather than me having to entertain them they just want to see their friends. Not quite at the point where I can bugger of for hours on the bike and leave them, but wont me long.

Triathlons

Like a marathon, but with two other disciplines you’ll be away from home more than an oil rig worker. Training for a triathlon is also so mentally demanding you just won’t have time to think about how sh*t your job is and how your life has gone horribly, horribly wrong.

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Haha, probably written by a bloke who’s a workaholic and spends the rest of his time at the pub :joy:

All of the daily mash stuff is like that. It’s proper satire, I love their stuff.

It’s all just soooooo true.