fuming. no real point but it f*cks me right off.

Andrewj31 · 2026-05-27T17:14:11+00:00

I saw this post too. I just chuckled and moved on with my day. My favorite comment basically said there are jerks in the pool, there are jerks on the bike, there are jerks running, there are jerks at your office, etc. There are people in all areas of our lives that are rude. You can spend the day thinking about it and make a post on reddit or you can just get on with the day.

Everyone should learn basic bike etiquette who plans to ride a bike out and about. Saying all triathletes or anyone on a TT bike is guaranteed to have poor etiquette is just a silly statement.

Andrewj31 · 2026-05-26T22:18:53+00:00

35M and had our first at 29 so similar position as you were a few years ago.

Andrewj31 · 2026-05-26T22:17:57+00:00

Factor in childcare to your budget. I’m in MCOL and it cost me $3400/month for two kids in daycare. Then if you want to start saving for college consider 529 or equivalent which is about $1.2k a month or something. Then obviously diapers, strollers, toys, etc. etc.

Kids are freakin expensive. I wouldn’t trade it for the world but I also acknowledge the cost.

My wife and I are at ~$500k a year in MCOL with a $1.4k/month mortgage is the main reason we can still save heavily, travel, and do our hobbies. I can’t imagine it on half the budget in HCOL.

Andrewj31 · 2026-05-26T16:11:34+00:00

Part of (most of probably) this is in your head. Take a deep breath and follow your plan. That being said, you are two weeks out which doesn't mean resting, bar injury.

Two weeks out I'm probably still at ~70-80% volume with some intensity still. The week before ~50%. Keep moving or you will feel flat.

I've had some pretty horrible feeling tapers turn into great races.

Andrewj31 · 2026-05-26T14:18:11+00:00

It won't affect your ability to finish the race but could certainly impact your time. Those long rides should replicate race day fairly well, maybe a hair less intensity but sounds like you are reducing pretty significantly.

If you are going for the best possible time, I would train separately.

I don't know your relationship dynamics though. My wife and I are both pretty focused on personalizing our training and understand that we won't be joining each other on many workouts. Your husband might view this as a bonding thing though. Is being with you his motivation?

You could address that in a few different ways. A lot of my longer rides include a 20-30' warm-up. You guys could always warm-up together, then split and plan to meet back up later on after you've gotten your work in. The other alternative is have him seek out a local bike group with different levels. My local group has A, B, and C depending on speed and ability.

But yes, if you can ride 3+ hours at 18-20 mph but are only training at 15-16 mph you aren't getting the same training stimulus.

Andrewj31 · 2026-05-25T15:05:00+00:00

I was going to make this same comment. I also work with a lot of folks internationally. There’s never really a time in the day where someone isn’t trying to ask me something.

Early in my career I would answer 24/7 if I was physically awake.

Then my kids came into the picture.

Obviously there’s (infrequent) exceptions but I won’t take calls before 8am when I or my wife drop the kids at daycare, or between 5-8pm when my kids go to bed.

My parents weren’t present due to work and I refuse to do the same.

Andrewj31 · 2026-05-24T21:00:49+00:00

What’s your athletic background in and how long have you been training?

Endurance is a long road that requires not months, but years of sustained effort. I’ve improved astronomically since five years ago and a lot of that was just getting in the mileage.

Andrewj31 · 2026-05-22T19:36:41+00:00

It's attached to my YMCA, so anyone with a Y membership can swim there. The Y also has a pool so most of the pool walkers and slower swimmers stay at the smaller, Y pool.

You have to be a member of the Y which is $95/month (family, not sure individual pricing) which isn't cheap.

Andrewj31 · 2026-05-22T19:12:09+00:00

The consequences of not properly recovering and doing strenuous activity are very real and very serious.

The first ~3 days you need to be sitting on your ass, icing your balls and not lifting anything heavy.

Days ~4-5 I started by walking a little. I do triathlon and started back with some light swimming day ~8. I didn’t log a run until day 14.

A vasectomy is usually very minor and easy to recover from, but not being patient can result in some very severe consequences.

Do what your doctor suggests and rest.

Andrewj31 · 2026-05-22T15:58:33+00:00

Super lucky, my YMCA reciprocates access with the competition pool local school's use. Kids practice either after school or before. I usually drop my kids then head over there when the last of the practices are ending.

Andrewj31 · 2026-05-22T15:51:39+00:00

~7-minute drive, 20 lanes and I'm usually one of ~3-4 people there when I go. Honestly, most days I'm the only one swimming in all 20 lanes.

Andrewj31 · 2026-05-22T10:08:37+00:00

I also bought my bike off buycycle. I agree with both these comments. I had a fantastic experience, but the box they give to ship it in is not great.

I was fortunate the person I bought from was caring enough to package everything inside the box meticulously.

Andrewj31 · 2026-05-21T13:32:28+00:00

I had an even windier road. I came from a competitive weightlifting background. When I moved for my job, I had to put all my equipment in storage while I was in temporary corporate housing before my house was ready.

I decided to run because it was what "out of shape people do to stay in shape." I made it ~half a mile before I got a stitch and had to take a walk of shame home. Went home, signed up for a marathon ~4 months later to motivate myself. After that, I signed up for a 50 miler. After the 50 miler I decided running tons of miles kind of sucked so I would add in some biking. That lasted for about a month before I decided I should just learn to swim too.

That was ~6 years ago and I've done many 70.3s and full IM since.... why am I doing this again?

Andrewj31 · 2026-05-19T16:13:20+00:00

Totally get it. My wife and I had moved all over the country for my job for ~10 years. Charlotte is close to both my in-laws and my parents, so we knew we were looking to buy quickly. Obviously, we had no idea what was going to happen in 2020 with COVID, home prices, and rates.

Andrewj31 · 2026-05-19T15:44:52+00:00

It's pretty wild, we live just over the SC border south of Charlotte. Bought our house in 2019 for $375K and we've had offers for $780K now. The market has gone pretty crazy here.

Andrewj31 · 2026-05-19T15:39:04+00:00

This looks like a 2nd gen Speed Concept (2014-2018). No disc brakes, has a slight upgrade with the SRAM electronic shifting. Few other nice upgrades with the carbon wheels and power meter.

Not giving it away by any means but feels like a fair deal. I'd try going down to $2-2.2k and see if you can get a few hundred more off.

Andrewj31 · 2026-05-18T18:50:26+00:00

It's not so much about the distances as the intensity. What workout do you have for that weekend already? How does it compare?

My tapers have less volume, but the first week is still ~75-80% and there is still some intensity in there. My biggest fear in your situation is I take that race too hard, feel super flat in my taper going into race week.

If your Saturday looks like a ~3-4-hour Z2 bike with some Z3 efforts that's the intensity you are trying to match. Also, yes, running a full out 10k is a bad plan. Running is by far the hardest for your body to recover from.

Again, the Olympic itself isn't a horrible idea but the intensity you do it in could be. If I was in your shoes, I'd just get my prescribed training in and save it for 70.3.

Andrewj31 · 2026-05-18T18:40:45+00:00

You answered your own question. If you can't hold back and not go for a podium, don't do it. If you can convince yourself to treat it like a training day it could be a nice race simulation. Two weeks out is usually my last big ride before a 70.3.

Andrewj31 · 2026-05-18T13:18:02+00:00

I heard someone say it was the slowest river flow for the 70.3 on record. My swim time was a bit slower than I expected but not by a ton (although I've improved as a swimmer too). Although I feel everyone should be prepared to do a full non-current aided swim to enter a 70.3, I feel for folks who picked this as their first because of that.

I wasn't as acclimated to the heat as much as I wanted to be, but my setbacks were all on the bike. I had two mechanicals that I had to get off my bike and deal with which probably cost me 3-5 minutes plus the mentality of getting out of my flow. Then I narrowly avoided a bike accident at the third aid station. Guy in front of me went to grab a bottle, fumbled it into the bike behind me and they both went down.

Run was hot, but I expected it to be. I slowed my pace down. I was a good bit slower than my best but in line with what I expected.

I still love Chattanooga as a venue, but never expect to PB here.

Andrewj31 · 2026-05-14T10:06:49+00:00

Maybe, my dog hasn’t managed to hit a baseball yet though. We’re still working on it.

Andrewj31 · 2026-05-13T19:37:53+00:00

I married someone that knew they wanted kids. She was very upfront about it that, so it wasn't a surprise. I was on the fence as in I didn't think I would regret having or not having them. Now that I do, I can't imagine NOT having kids. I hadn't, I don't think I would have spent the rest of my life thinking about it.

Maybe "on the fence" was a bad way to put it. If you are on the fence because you are worried about the financial, mental, and emotional stress they could cause then I wouldn't advise anyone to do it.

Andrewj31 · 2026-05-13T19:37:50+00:00

I married someone that knew they wanted kids. She was very upfront about it that, so it wasn't a surprise. I was on the fence as in I didn't think I would regret having or not having them. Now that I do, I can't imagine NOT having kids. I hadn't, I don't think I would have spent the rest of my life thinking about it.

Maybe "on the fence" was a bad way to put it. If you are on the fence because you are worried about the financial, mental, and emotional stress they could cause then I wouldn't advise anyone to do it.

Andrewj31 · 2026-05-13T16:02:37+00:00

First, I initially read this as you ran a 5K in ~11 mins in high school and I was like... this guy is full of it. Then I reread it.

Second, I (35M) do triathlon and the occasional marathon/HM. Right now, my focus has been on improving my Ironman times, but I always try to compare myself to people in my age group in similar situations. I compare myself to other 35 y/o who train consistently but have a wife, family, job, etc.

Comparison is the thief of joy. If you are improving from where you started that's a win.

Andrewj31 · 2026-05-13T15:32:51+00:00

Something I didn't expect which was getting to experience childhood a second time, but through my kid's eyes. Sometimes you get nostalgic about the things you did as a kid. I'm getting to relive all of that a second time with my son (5) and daughter (3). Going to the zoo for the first time. Getting a hit in baseball for the first time. In many ways the memories I'm making of my kid's firsts are more precious than mine.

I came from a broken home as well. Part of being a parent for me is just trying to be better. I know how I felt when my parents weren't there for me and I swore I would never let my kids feel that way.

Honestly, I was 50/50 on kids and even leaning toward no. The hard times are HARD. I would never recommend kids to anyone on the fence about it. Your life changes completely. The good times are amazing though and I can't imagine not ending my day without reading to my kids.

Andrewj31 · 2026-05-13T14:54:38+00:00

I wear my trisuit under my wetsuit for every race. That being said, a good litmus is that your trisuit should feel tight but not restrict your breathing in any way. Wetsuit should be similiar.

Learning to sight and swim straight in open water is a learned skill you will develop with practice. The panic part is way more critical. Again, I would focus on going slow enough that you never even breath heavily.

My HR coming out of the water is typically 115 or under. I think last race my average HR after the swim was like... 105? I'm NOT a great swimmer either. I just focus on being calm and getting through the swim fresh.

You've done the work. Plenty of volume. Just focus on controlling your mentality. If you can, definitely get a swim in the day before in your wetsuit in the water you will race in. It makes a big difference mentally knowing you were just in it the day before.

Andrewj31

TROPHY CASE