Looking back on this whole training process, there's a lot that I couldn't have done without SJ. First and foremost, since she has raced New York before, she knew the workload and the time that I was going to be in for. Obviously I come from a background where I know what hard work is, but the sheer volume of time and miles that I was going to be putting myself through was something that I had to do. While I've trained for various triathlons, half marathons and Half-Ironmans, training for a marathon was a beast that I had no knowledge of. However, having someone in my corner that knew what needed to be done made it that much easier.
SJ has never complained - not once during this whole 18 week ordeal. And trust me, there were plenty of times when she had every right. I basically dropped everything on the weekends to get my long runs in, and while we tried to work it out that I was running while she was working or going out or otherwise engaged, there were plenty of times when Sunday might be the only day we had together and I was out spending it with my running shoes and spandex instead of with her. There were plenty of nights when I went to the track to do speed work and would come home to an awesome dinner because she knew I would be absolutely starving - and then she didn't even make me clean up! There were the weekends that I skipped important events or even just hanging out with friends because I had to train - there were nights that I did the same. Rather than hanging out, I ran. Rather than happy hour, I ran. Rather than going into the city, or going out to dinner, or meeting up with whoever, I ran.
And she never made me feel bad for it.
She supported everything that I did. She never made excuses as to why I didn't come to things, she just simply told the truth - I was running. But she never made me feel guilty. I'm sure there were times when she wished I had come to some event, or gone to some party, or just simply spent the day with her, but she never made me choose. And I'm sure there are some things that she never even told me we were invited to just so I didn't have to make the choice.
She's surprised me with little presents that have made training better. She's made my life easier so that I could focus, all the while probably making her life a little bit crazier. She's been there for the good workouts and the not-so-great ones.
Besides just training for the marathon, I could never be the triathlete that I am without SJ. She's been at (nearly) every race, cheering me on. She jokes that she is a triathlon widow - and as much as we joke, it's only a half-joke because there is a lot of truth in that. There is a funny t-shirt that says:
The Spouse's Triathlon -
I wait for her to finish swimming
I wait for her to finish biking
I wait for her to finish running
And that is pretty much what she probably feels like sometimes. She's up at 4:00am on Sundays to schlep to the transition area, where she waits around while I set up, then she walks over to where the swim start is, then she waits, then she waits some more while I'm out on the bike, then she'll wait for me again while I'm out running. She might see me for all of 2:00 during an entire race - but I always know that she's gonna be the loudest person and that she's going to push me to the finish. Knowing that she's at the end makes me want to finish faster.
And she never complains. Anyone that can give up entire weekends to watch sweaty people in spandex - and spend them someplace with a shared bathroom, nonetheless - is a keeper.
Yes, sometimes SJ is there doing the same triathlon or 5k or road race, so we get to set up together and see each other before we start, but rarely am I there for her like she is there for me. It's something that I am conscious of, mostly because I know how amazing it is to hear her words of encouragement on the course or in transition. And I know that she doesn't always get that.
Triathlons and marathons are very much me-first sports. They require hours of training and hours of sacrifice and hours of work - and it's the girlfriend/boyfriend/wife/husband left to pick up the slack. And SJ has picked up everything - and then some.
At any given moment, SJ has been my training partner, my sounding board, my cheerleader, my coach. She is pretty much the only reason that I can do what I do - and do it as well as I can. The sacrifices that I make for training hardly compare to the sacrifices that she makes so that I can do what I love.
And that's why she is my best friend and my favorite person.
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