This is a great topic of discussion for us.
When does working out and training for an event take too much time away from family?
Is it different if your spouse isn't a swimmer or athletic?
How does your spouse feel about how much you train each week?
What comprimises have you made?
2011 WSJ Article:
A Workout Ate My Marriage
Exercise Can Set Off Conflict About Family, Free Time; Errands vs. English Channel
What's funny is I trained with Jordan (featured in the article) on Thursday July 5th, 2007 at Asphalt Green in NYC, he gave me a ride back by my hotel which was pretty close to his office. Very nice guy.
14-20 hours per week training, 5-12K for a bike, 600 dollar racing fees, all on top of a full-time job...the only context in which that wouldn't be selfish, is if your family didn't like you (or if you were independently wealthy).
Here are some others:
-- no kids (or unmarried, for that matter), or kids are grown up and moved on
-- your wife trains with you, or trains mostly the same times as you do
-- you do the bulk of your training in the morning hours or during lunch breaks or on weekends, or in some other manner that doesn't take too much time away from family
-- you make money at it
-- you don't, in fact, have a full-time job
I have no interest in IMs and I do think that many practitioners are too obsessive about it. I have seen my share of broken marriages due to the "triathlete widow" (or even the "triathlete affair") syndrome. But some people also manage it just fine with a full-time job and while being good parents/spouses.
And I certainly do not think the article was IM-specific, either. In fact, the sub-title mentions the English Channel, not Kona.
14-20 hours per week training, 5-12K for a bike, 600 dollar racing fees, all on top of a full-time job...the only context in which that wouldn't be selfish, is if your family didn't like you (or if you were independently wealthy).
Here are some others:
-- no kids (or unmarried, for that matter), or kids are grown up and moved on
-- your wife trains with you, or trains mostly the same times as you do
-- you do the bulk of your training in the morning hours or during lunch breaks or on weekends, or in some other manner that doesn't take too much time away from family
-- you make money at it
-- you don't, in fact, have a full-time job
I have no interest in IMs and I do think that many practitioners are too obsessive about it. I have seen my share of broken marriages due to the "triathlete widow" (or even the "triathlete affair") syndrome. But some people also manage it just fine with a full-time job and while being good parents/spouses.
And I certainly do not think the article was IM-specific, either. In fact, the sub-title mentions the English Channel, not Kona.
