Being a Mum to an Athlete
For those who know me well enough, I'm neither sporty nor athletic. The most I've done is in the arts which is dancing and it's still something that I wish to give myself more time to enjoy.
So with Damien joining his second Iron Kids race this coming March 21 (Saturday), one can only imagine what the kids go through in order to prepare. But what I'd also like to showcase this time is what parents do to not only prep and support the kids but what they also do in order to make all of this possible.
It all started with him taking swimming lessons when he was around 3. It wasn't anything serious, just us, first-time parents, wanting their kid to be comfortable in water and know the basics of survival. The lessons barely lasted the hour as his attention span wasn't that long just yet and well, he was a toddler so his mood swings go from one end of the spectrum to the other. But that was also the first lesson that I learned as a parent, it was to trust the coach and trust the process. But that's not to say that Damien didn't shed tears, of course he did. He was being handed over to an adult that's a complete stranger to him and I just met the coach. But I think that's where we also got so lucky. His coach understands how to get the toddler to trust him and come to him and with that, I am equally grateful as well.
What started out as one-hour swim lessons that only happened once a week turned to 2-hour training sessions about 2-3 times a week this time around. All of that in a span of about 5 years and counting.
How is it all managed? I guess it was something that Laurence and I ensured that we would not remove from Damien's schedule. Swimming lessons, whether you are prepping for a race or not, will always be on your weekly schedule. Thankfully, there weren't that many times that he was against it. And of course, when it rained hard I knew that he was secretly thankful.
Throughout the swim journey, I had to research as much as I can with what I needed to know about swimming at this stage and based on his age. Not to mention the gear that we had to invest in as well, although thankfully, I have a group of moms who were equally willing to join the group buy which would end up as us buying in bulk and getting some discounts, or if not special access to deals not available to the public.
With Damien now on his third year of joining races (both triathlons and aquathlons), I looked back at the countless hours that he's been in training and the tears (yes countless of those as well) that he shed when he found himself tired and already at his breaking point. As a Mum, it broke my heart and as much as I wanted to protect him from that...I also knew that I needed to be strong for him because he needs to learn that in this process, he'll come out stronger, better, and definitely with more respect for any discipline he will want to be in.
I never fathomed myself to be the "athlete mom" who will be at the every training, every practice, every game, every race...and yet, here I am, being at almost every training, every practice, every race. You never really know how life works until you are in it and you have embraced it.
The race day is the easiest part, honestly. I, personally, prep the gear and the stuff the night before. Laurence would be in charge of the bike (when it's a triathlon) and would ensure that everything's in working condition. We all load it up in the car and then get a good night's rest before waking up before the sun rises the next morning. Damien would already be suited in his trisuit the night before so we can just carry him, buckle him up and he'd still be snoozing all the way to the race venue. All of that happens in just a few hours.
It's in the training leading up to the race day that's more tiring. We're usually on the countdown once 2 months before the race day arrives. That's when we double up on the vitamins, ensure they get a more balanced diet in their meals, check their schedules for anything that may cause them to miss their training days, check their gear, register for the race, and plan out the days leading up to the race (especially reminding Laurence to take a leave or to be unavailable from work). All of these are something that I need to constantly think of and follow up so that it would be smooth sailing leading up to race day.
There's still so much more in store for Damien, I know. And with him turning 8 in a few months' time, it all seems so fast. I can only hope that the discipline we've instilled in him will soon bear fruit in the person that he will become.
So with Damien joining his second Iron Kids race this coming March 21 (Saturday), one can only imagine what the kids go through in order to prepare. But what I'd also like to showcase this time is what parents do to not only prep and support the kids but what they also do in order to make all of this possible.
 |
| Damien after checking-in for the Iron Kids 2019 Race in Davao City |
It all started with him taking swimming lessons when he was around 3. It wasn't anything serious, just us, first-time parents, wanting their kid to be comfortable in water and know the basics of survival. The lessons barely lasted the hour as his attention span wasn't that long just yet and well, he was a toddler so his mood swings go from one end of the spectrum to the other. But that was also the first lesson that I learned as a parent, it was to trust the coach and trust the process. But that's not to say that Damien didn't shed tears, of course he did. He was being handed over to an adult that's a complete stranger to him and I just met the coach. But I think that's where we also got so lucky. His coach understands how to get the toddler to trust him and come to him and with that, I am equally grateful as well.
What started out as one-hour swim lessons that only happened once a week turned to 2-hour training sessions about 2-3 times a week this time around. All of that in a span of about 5 years and counting.
How is it all managed? I guess it was something that Laurence and I ensured that we would not remove from Damien's schedule. Swimming lessons, whether you are prepping for a race or not, will always be on your weekly schedule. Thankfully, there weren't that many times that he was against it. And of course, when it rained hard I knew that he was secretly thankful.
Throughout the swim journey, I had to research as much as I can with what I needed to know about swimming at this stage and based on his age. Not to mention the gear that we had to invest in as well, although thankfully, I have a group of moms who were equally willing to join the group buy which would end up as us buying in bulk and getting some discounts, or if not special access to deals not available to the public.
With Damien now on his third year of joining races (both triathlons and aquathlons), I looked back at the countless hours that he's been in training and the tears (yes countless of those as well) that he shed when he found himself tired and already at his breaking point. As a Mum, it broke my heart and as much as I wanted to protect him from that...I also knew that I needed to be strong for him because he needs to learn that in this process, he'll come out stronger, better, and definitely with more respect for any discipline he will want to be in.
I never fathomed myself to be the "athlete mom" who will be at the every training, every practice, every game, every race...and yet, here I am, being at almost every training, every practice, every race. You never really know how life works until you are in it and you have embraced it.
The race day is the easiest part, honestly. I, personally, prep the gear and the stuff the night before. Laurence would be in charge of the bike (when it's a triathlon) and would ensure that everything's in working condition. We all load it up in the car and then get a good night's rest before waking up before the sun rises the next morning. Damien would already be suited in his trisuit the night before so we can just carry him, buckle him up and he'd still be snoozing all the way to the race venue. All of that happens in just a few hours.
It's in the training leading up to the race day that's more tiring. We're usually on the countdown once 2 months before the race day arrives. That's when we double up on the vitamins, ensure they get a more balanced diet in their meals, check their schedules for anything that may cause them to miss their training days, check their gear, register for the race, and plan out the days leading up to the race (especially reminding Laurence to take a leave or to be unavailable from work). All of these are something that I need to constantly think of and follow up so that it would be smooth sailing leading up to race day.
 |
| Onto more races for you |
There's still so much more in store for Damien, I know. And with him turning 8 in a few months' time, it all seems so fast. I can only hope that the discipline we've instilled in him will soon bear fruit in the person that he will become.
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