A different view on training.

The start of my first ever World Championships is only hours away so here is another installment from my wife's unique perspective on her husband, the triathlete.

Week 3: An Ironman’s REAL training schedule (as observed by Mrs Ironman Lincoln)

You all have a pretty good idea about how dedicated my husband is when it comes to training. I have to confess, I mostly zone out when he tells me about his training. I love him, but I tend to get the numbers confused in my head. There have been way too many conversations where my audience politely second-guessed the information I was providing (“Are you sure he runs 90kms?”). Since I am clearly not a reliable source of information, I kind of gave up trying.

Anyway, I offer this thoughtful guesstimate of my husband’s training schedule.

6:30am: Wake up, even though it’s my day off. Yawn; scratch stomach. Stomach is still rock hard. Awesome.

6:45am: Breakfast. Muesli.

7.00am: Get dressed. I’m feeling nostalgic today, so I’ll wear a T-Shirt from the first triathlon I ever competed in. It smells like sunscreen and deodorant. And victory.

7.15am: Admire bicycle.

7.30am: Stretch.

7.45am: Snack time (muesli).

8.00am: Go for bike ride to country town.

9.30am: Arrive at destination. Wander into a quiet country bakery for a snack. The locals are staring at my feet. They must be jealous of my bike shoes, which are currently covered in fetching waterproof socks and making a tapping noise on the tiled floor.

11.30am: Consume vanilla slice*, then head home.

12.30pm: Arrive home; ponder how I could be a better triathlete as I have an ice bath.

1.00pm: Stretch.

2.00pm: Start thinking about what I’m going to have for lunch. Just kidding. It’s muesli.

2.30pm: Stretch.

3.00pm: Speak to my wife on the phone. She is wondering what we should have for dinner tonight. I suggest lean meat and steamed vegetables. I sense that she rolls her eyes before she hangs up.

3.30pm: Stretch.

4.00pm: Shave head. Make a mental note to remind wife how much money we save by doing my own haircuts.

4.30pm: Tape picture of Mont-Tremblant finish line to wall in front of treadmill. Go on treadmill, sprinting towards finish line for 2 hours. I must remember to play the ‘crowd cheering’ track next time for greater authenticity.

6.30pm: Stretch.

7.00pm: Feed wife. I have added chips to her plate to keep her happy. Now she is smiling!

8.00pm: Dessert. Muesli. 

8.30pm: Stretch.

9.00pm: Off to bed. For some reason I dream of the swim leg of Mont-Tremblant being raced in a lake of muesli. Weird!

*OK, OK. He doesn’t actually eat vanilla slice while he is training. But I think we all agree: he should! He earns it!