Living the Dream

by Sue Aquila

I always chuckle when I think of one of our EC coaches (Justin Daerr) passing me on a tough day during camp and shouting out, “Living the dream!” Some days I really feel like I am living the dream and other days (during my Kona prep) I contemplate that we all get what we deserve.

Being able to be an ironman athlete can work for almost anyone. Being able to do it well and not end up unemployed, divorced and living homeless with your multitude of bikes requires:

A supportive partner/spouse
Underemployment (owning your own business, telecommuting, etc.)
Very little commute to anything

I have watched new triathletes practically beg for divorce by being inflexible with their family time and failing to “recruit” their loved ones to the plan. My best advice when training for an ironman? Pretend you are dating your spouse or partner for the first time. Send loving notes/texts. Schedule date nights. Say “thank you” repeatedly.

The same principles apply to your work and your boss. Think of it as dating without the happy ending.

The average commute for most Americans is one hour per day. If you need to commute to your pool, bike route or run route you will find even more of your precious time is gobbled up by transportation. Choose your home base carefully. Everything I need is in a two mile radius of my home.

I find my life reflects my workouts. The hard days are hard and the easy days are easy. Some days one of my businesses requires my focus and other days my family may need my complete attention. I tend to structure effective work days on my easy training days and lighter work days on my hard training days.

I prioritize my day by the order of my values: family, health and work. I have recently entered my empty nest phase and I amazed in the change in my family commitments. I address my health by focusing on my training and nutrition. Since I am self-employed, I find the work portion of my life to be the least demanding of my time (having a great team is key!).

Living the dream requires choosing the dream. I believe if we look past the illusion of balance, you can choose your dream and live an exceptional life.

Sue started her triathlon journey with a 50lb weight loss and continues as a Kona qualifier. As a successful entrepreneur, she believes that, “You can run your business like your training and your training like your business!” As a coach (USAT Certified), she helps athletes to develop success in all areas of their lives: family, health and work. She blogs regularly at fewoman.com. You can find her on Twitter @fewoman.