Can I Train With My Spouse and Still Love Them After?

People always ask us what it's like training with your spouse all the time and if it's enjoyable or not.... I mean don't you think we would get sick of each other being together all the time? There are a lot of people who use their training and exercise as "me time", they get to be by themselves and not worry about anything else. Having someone with them all the time might just cramp their style. But with us that is definitely not the case, I guess we love each other a little too much! But we're not going to lie and say it's sunshine and rainbows every day because it's not, but the good always seems to outweigh the bad!

Anyways we decided it would be fun to compile a list of pro's and con's of training together!

Pros

1. Built in motivation

Brady: Having Kassia always train with me has helped me so much. I have done several different workout plans by myself and my motivation always starts to fade away, with triathlon training when one of us doesn't feel super motivated one day the other one is always there to get our butts in gear and get to training. It has made it way easier having my adorable wife push me and motivate me! Trust me it's near impossible to get up at 4:00 am by yourself to go swim!

Kassia: Brady motivates me in different ways then I motivate him so we tend to balance each other out. I am the one who always has to drag him out of bed in the morning, and he is the one pulling me off my butt at night. It is really great because then we actually get our workouts in! Brady also motivates me by helping me keep my pace up, before Brady had surgery he would literally kick my butt in cycling (don't let him know but he still does, we are a bit competitive with each other!) but in all seriousness it is really great having a built in pacer so I can't slack and he can't either! 

2. No stranger danger at the swimming pool

Don't be jealous of Brady's socks!

Brady: With our workouts we get from our coach it is sometimes hard to share lanes with random people because we are all over the place with our times and our drills. Most of the time Kassia's workouts and mine are pretty similar so it is very easy to share with each other and nobody wants to share a lane when there are already 2 people. Plus does anyone really love sharing the lane with a stranger?

Kassia: This is so true, I have really started to notice it the last month or so because Brady hasn't been able to swim. While I don't mind sharing with strangers and I always say yes because I believe in lane sharing karma, it is really nice to not have that awkward time when you are both resting at the end of the lane just praying that the seconds will pass quickly so you don't say something dumb because the silence is too much to handle! 

3. You can't fight and train at the same time!

Brady: One thing I've noticed since we embarked on this journey together is how difficult it is to stay angry at Kassia when we are training. We may get in a little argument right before we are supposed to workout and I am the type that usually gets quiet when I'm upset and I just don't talk. Once we get in the pool, or on the bikes or on the pavement it's near impossible for me to stay upset! After a few minutes and some endorphins my mood picks right up and I quickly realize how stupid our argument was (like why did I leave the toilet seat up?) and we both get over it! Training together has really strengthened our marriage and made our relationship so much better, it's awesome doing what I love with my best friend in the whole world........ my dog... ha ha I'm just kidding I love doing all this with my sexy wife!

Kassia: Well Brady covered must of my thoughts already but the one thing he forgot to mention is that I am half Peruvian and with that I have a fiery latin temper (that could be an understatement). So when I'm mad it is nice to literally not be able to talk, like when I'm in a pool, and it gives me time to cool down and then after the workout I just feel great and most of the time I forget why I was mad in the first place, I have a bad memory too. But in all seriousness it is so fun to be able to share something I love with the person I love most, my hot sometimes stinky hubby! 

4. Bring on the spandex baby

We get to see each other in spandex A LOT...... enough said!

Cons

1. Scheduling, scheduling, scheduling!

Brady: Easily the most difficult part with training together is lining up our schedules. I go to school full time while Kassia works full time. The days that I have school early, she has work late, the days I have school later she has work early. It's definitely a challenge to be able to go together but it's worth it! Obviously we can't workout at the same time everyday so we usually bike on our own on the trainer, but with swimming and running we always make an effort to go together because it makes the workout way more enjoyable. Like I said earlier, it's way easier having a partner get you out of bed in the morning to go swimming! Yes it's a challenge but it is 100% worth it!

Kassia: What makes this even more difficult is the fact that we only have one car. So especially in the winter when there was no way in heck that I would be running outside I would have to go to the gym super early or wait until after work to get my run in or my swim. So yes I have to wake up early most days and I have to get my workouts in late sometimes but it is an easy choice for me to sacrifice a bit so that I can train with my awesome husband. 

2. Everything times 2

Brady: Triathlon is an expensive sport, there is so much gear and so many clothes! You need swimming gear, bikes, biking clothes, running shoes, running clothes and maybe even a watch! The biggest problem is we both got into triathlons at the exact same time with virtually no gear other than running shoes so all of those expenses.... yep times that by 2. Not to mention race fees, every race we want to do is double as well.... I should probably get a job to help pay for this crazy addictive sport!

Kassia: I love workout clothes; I mean I really really love them. So this does not help when we are trying to budget for our race season! I am definitely not the budget queen but Brady does keep me in check, which is really good! Hopefully one day we'll be rich and not have to worry about this! It may be expensive but health is definitely worth investing in!

Clearly the pro's outweigh the con's, our triathlon journey has just begun but we are excited for all the good times and sometimes painful times it is going to bring as we do this together! The only con that is a big deal is Brady's stinky shorts...... seriously they smell so bad! Right as we get home it's like "put those things in the washing machine ASAP!" But you know what we can deal with it because we love each other, we love triathlons and I don't see us stopping anywhere in the near future! 

Thanks for reading,

Brady and Kassia