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Being
a parent has to be one of the finer things in life, Right? Right!
Well that’s if you’re into kids!!!
I know I’m a funny bugger, but kids are funny too and
they come up with the strangest things, but you have to laugh. They
are also responsible for making you second guess, or change your
thinking altogether.
What about when your kids say, Daddy, I want to go to
the park, just as you’ve suited up in a ridiculous flowered bike
outfit, are you gunna go riding, or take the little ankle-biter to
the park? Yep, I thought so, off to the park you go, sucker! Me too!
I am so glad I had kids after my life as a pro triathlete.
I’m not saying that you cant do both but you need to
have a degree in Time Management to make it easier.
Case in Point. Mark Allen, Dave Scott, Scott Tinley
and Scott Molina, I may have well said the big Four but these guys
are all on the honors list, or should I say their wives!! I know
they are cursing me right now! It’s a supporting thing, a role in
the family that has its perks. I work my tail off, you mind the
kids, well for the most part anyway. All the above did very well in
their races picking up 15 Hawaii Ironman’s between them, but I
believe that Mark was the only guy to have children when he won,
Mats was born in 1992 and Mark won in 93 and 95, two of his six
titles. So there you go. Over the last decade Natascha Badman is the
only mother to have won taking four titles, not bad for a mom!
Anatasia, Natascha’s daughter was born last century, so that’s even
more impressive. You probably didn’t even know she has her drivers
license and she even swim’s faster than mom, even at 13.
Now, I know you have to train for Ironman and you
have to train hard, well long anyway, but you do need to get to the
line in the best possible shape. Try to understand this. If you have
been doing triathlons for over 3 or 4 years, then your body is
adjusted to being able to go long. Its not as though every year you
have to get out there and re-invent the wheel. Its all about getting
base miles in then choosing some distance workouts, strength
workouts and some speed workouts to get you into shape.
12 weeks is generally enough time given you have been
in the sport for a while. Now its a little different if you have
just started recently. If so its about finding the right position on
the bike, adjusting to those awful brick workouts, (back to back
workouts, ie, long bike followed by a run). Nutrition is so key that
these days with all the great products out there, they can somewhat
be confusing, but reading and experimenting in training is optimal.
Talking about athletes with Children again, Lothar
and Nicole Leder have a daughter Mia born 1998 and the super couple
have won a host of Ironmans with Nicole taking Brazil and Lothar
picking up wins all over the place, in short and long distance.
Oscar Galindez is another; An Argentine living in Brazil, Oscar won
the Brazil Ironman in 03.
Heather Gollnick is my favorite story though, this
tough woman from Hartford Wisconsin, showed us all that its
possible. Heather has 3 children, twins and another but one of them
has Cerebral Palsy. Heather and her husband juggle the kids so that
Heather can keep her career which blossomed later than most, but
picking up 3 Ironman wins in the last 3 years has shown us all that
it can be done at the top level. She travels mostly without them but
survives on family and a support team second to none. Its got to be
incredibly tough but the passion for the sport and the will to win
always shines through. If you ever see her run down the chute at an
Ironman carrying the kids, then you’ll be sure to understand what I
mean, she is incredible! Heather also has a tradition at Ironman
when winning, she cartwheels across the line, little hard with three
kids don’t you think?
Getting back to what it really means though. If you
have kids, then you’ll know what I’m talking about! You build a
feeling of responsibility right off the bat. My wife Sian was going
into labour
30 minutes after Ironman aired on NBC in 2001, yep
couldn’t have picked a better moment, Tim De Boom was winning his
first Ironman after the race nearly never took place because of 9/11
and super MOM Natascha Badman was winning another title. I was all
inspired and wanted to go hit Golf Balls (I would have gone for a
run but I don’t work out anymore, besides, running is over-rated
with Biking and swimming, JOKING) and she started to feel a little
different. I helped her up off the couch and her water broke, all
over my father in laws new suede couch!
I went straight in Lamaze class mode and asked all
the relevant questions. Sian was doing great, I called the hospital
but they told us not to worry, just stay home and relax until the
contractions got closer. I drove her home to relax and our Ironman,
well her Ironman started! A couple of hours later and a whole lot of
mopping, Sian finally gave into the contractions and we legally sped
off to Hospital.
At this time I was not sure what to believe about
life with Children, although I wanted them badly. We had names
picked out! That’s gunna get me a long way. What about changing
nappies( Diapers for you Americans) ooooooh, that’s her job! Now I
have your attention! I was just waiting for my son or daughter to
arrive, to learn life’s responsibilities.
Sian tried for over 24 hours to push the little
bugger out but to no avail, she was shipped off to have an emergency
c-section and I was shipped off to wash my hands, What’s all the
fuss, pretty easy stuff! Less than 5 minutes later our precious
little Annie was born and the relief for Sian was well over due. At
last her Ironman was over, now I know what women go through, ouch,
and I respect Sian more than ever, she is my Idol, my inspiration,
the mother of my children.
The Ironman is a funny race. I say that because, have
you ever been there and had a bad experience turn great? Yep, I can
say that every time I go there this happens. I have taken my
children the last three years and I work very hard from the moment I
step off the plane til the moment I step back onto it. If I’m
getting a little snowed under then I call the girls and we go for
Ice-cream or we go to the playground or we simply go for a swim. By
being together is the greatest thing on earth. To see your daughters
look you in the eye and smile, is even better.
If your ever having a bad race then let me try and
make your day better. Think about the time when you held your little
one for the very first time. See wasn’t that easy? Think about the
time when your baby smiled at you for the first time. You know, come
to think of it, we must be really ugly to those small innocent
things. We look down at them whilst holding them snuggly in our arms
and they helplessly look up at this towering figure and because of
their youthful unadjusted eye sight, think, oh gosh, I am ever going
to look like you? If so then tuck me back in where I came from man!
I remember the good the bad and the ugly!
The good: Baby wakes up in the morning and you feed
her or him, for me , her. She smiles at you instantly for fulfilling
the need to satisfy her hunger, she throws up on you and laughs, you
wipe it up and go on. Now come on folks, what’s different about the
Ironman and raising children?
The bad: Baby does a #2 and you need to clean it up,
you wipe her bottom but while wiping she wee’s on you, now there
could only be one thing worse? Having a boy!!! Ha ha ha , I thought
you’d like that. Now come on folks that happens in Ironman doesn’t
it?
The ugly: All the above, now I realize this is a
family show here but c’mon, its humorous and that’s the attitude you
should carry onto the lava fields. Anything can happen, anytime.
I know I have left out several of you with children,
but while I’m at it, Ken Glah and Jan Wanklyn are also two people
who share the parent thing, Rhianan is old enough to spot for us at
www.ironmanlive.com now in Kona and Simon Lessing winner of the
Walt Disney Half just weeks ago is testing himself in Lake Placid
in hope of qualifying for Kona. If he Qualifies, this 5 time world
champ could do us parents proud, he has two Girls, Amalie and Carly
and wife Lisa Laite who also did the race way back when. Simon has
changed from his short course days becoming an Ironman this year and
is being guided by Dave Scott, now do you think he’s going to get
it! I think so, the parenting, the racing, and he already knows how
to win!
To finish off, the greatest thing in the world is
when your children fall off to sleep in your arms. They are solely
dependent on you although at this time you hardly think about this
because the satisfaction of the love that is generated between us is
unexplainable, it really is. All the things they do to annoy you are
forgotten, all the cheeky little grins are accepted and a little
kiss on the forehead usually does the job.
Good parenting, see you in Kona, at the ice cream
shop, the volley ball court or the beach.
Daddy Welch |
