{"id":1262,"date":"2025-06-26T02:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-06-25T20:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.iceman.com\/?p=1262"},"modified":"2025-06-20T18:57:19","modified_gmt":"2025-06-20T12:57:19","slug":"training-for-iceman-after-becoming-a-dad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.iceman.com\/index.php\/2025\/06\/26\/training-for-iceman-after-becoming-a-dad\/","title":{"rendered":"Training for Iceman After Becoming a Dad"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This blog post is probably the most personal one I\u2019ve written. Last year was life-changing for my wife and me. And I want to speak to something that many of us can relate to: how to keep up with training or stay active while navigating the wild, beautiful ride of becoming a new parent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

My wife, Christine, and I welcomed our first child last year. Becoming a Girl Dad has been one of the greatest joys of my life. There\u2019s a kind of happiness that only comes from holding your child in your arms for the first time and knowing that your life has forever changed\u2014and changed for the better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

A Few Thank-Yous First<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

I wouldn\u2019t have made it to Iceman last year without a few key people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

My first thank you goes to my wife. When I learned Christine\u2019s due date was November 15th, I immediately asked, \u201cWait\u2026 what\u2019s the date of Iceman again?\u201d Iceman was on November 2nd 2024, my daughter was born on November 9th, that\u2019s how close we were. Thankfully, she is nothing short of amazing. She looked me dead in the eye and said, \u201cAs long as I\u2019m not in labor, you\u2019re going to race.\u201d When our doctor gave the final all-clear, I knew I was good to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

I also need to give a massive shout-out to Kat Paye. If delivery started early, she said that she would send a search and rescue team to pull me off the course mid-race so I could get back to Grand Rapids. That\u2019s real support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Thank you also to Lance and Kayla Gallagher, close friends who were ready to drop everything immediately to help me get home in time if needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Now, with my daughter taking up much of my time and heart, the question becomes: How do I train while being a husband, a father, and a friend and still maintain a love of racing? Here are a few thoughts that might help other new parents trying to find that balance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Redefining \u201cTraining\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before my daughter arrived, my schedule was pretty dialed in. I\u2019d hit the gym in the early morning, lift, run, and then head out to the trails after work. That\u2019s not realistic anymore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

I had to redefine what \u201ctraining\u201d looks like.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

The first big step I took was hiring a coach \u2014 Justin Marzean (IG: @just_tri_n) \u2014 who builds workouts tailored to my race schedule and the time I actually have available. He\u2019s helped me stay in shape, stay sharp, and keep a healthy mindset during this new season of life. If you\u2019re considering getting a coach, I highly recommend contacting Justin. He\u2019s been a huge asset (and he\u2019s pretty solid on the bike, too!).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

The second big step was incorporating my daughter into my training schedule. My favorite new \u201ctraining sessions\u201d are long stroller walks with my daughter. It\u2019s active recovery, it gets the heart rate up, and it\u2019s quality daddy-daughter time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

She\u2019s also not the world\u2019s best napper unless she\u2019s being held. So, I started using those 30-minute napping windows to stretch. It might not seem like much, but 30 minutes of focused mobility work keeps the muscles loose and helps me feel refreshed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Embracing the Trainer<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

The trainer used to be a winter-only thing, a necessary evil. Now, it\u2019s a lifeline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

My coach builds workouts based on FTP and race terrain, but he also trims two-hour rides into efficient 75-minute sessions. That way I\u2019m not losing time commuting to the trailhead, and I\u2019m still home if Christine needs a hand with our daughter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Is it ideal? No. But my legs stay sharp, and I\u2019m still race-ready.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

One of the trainer’s underrated perks is being able to target exactly what you need: VO2 max, hill repeats, and endurance spins. A 40-minute VO2 max session on the trainer can be just as productive as a longer outdoor ride and sometimes more so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Sleep Is Training Now<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

One of the most complex adjustments has been dealing with disrupted sleep. Recovery is critical for performance, and the best recovery tool is quality sleep, which can be hard to come by in those early months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

I had to shift my mindset completely: sleep isn\u2019t just something that supports my training \u2014 it is my training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

My daughter was unpredictable with her sleep at first. There were many nights of holding her for hours, knowing I was losing rest, missing workouts. At first, I thought skipping a ride for a nap meant I was getting weaker. But Justin told me something that stuck: \u201cYou\u2019re not being weak. You\u2019re being smart.\u201d You don\u2019t lose fitness overnight. Missing a ride to take care of your body and your family is part of being a real athlete.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Partner Buy-In: The Real Key<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

None of this works without my wife Christine. Period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Going from a relatively open schedule to navigating the chaos of new parenthood means the most important piece of any training plan isn\u2019t long rides or watts \u2014 it\u2019s communication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Christine supports this part of my life because she knows it\u2019s not just a hobby. She\u2019s seen what happens when I don\u2019t move my body for a few days \u2014 I\u2019m not myself. I\u2019m very quiet, I\u2019m restless, and emotionally off. One day, early on, she looked at me and said, \u201cGo for a run. Go ride. I\u2019ve got her.\u201d I came back an hour later, and she said something I\u2019ll never forget:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTaking care of yourself is part of taking care of your family.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s how deeply she gets it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Before our daughter was born, we had honest conversations about what racing and training would look like after her arrival, and we continue to have those talks today. It\u2019s not about asking for \u201cpermission.\u201d It\u2019s about being open, building a routine, and knowing when to adjust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

We use a shared calendar now. If a long ride is planned, it goes on there. If Christine needs a Saturday morning to herself, that goes on there, too. And if a conflict comes up, we talk it through and make it work. That mutual respect that give and take is everything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

And here\u2019s the truth: if Christine ever needed me to stop riding or racing, I would drop it all in a heartbeat. But the thing is, she won\u2019t let me. Because she knows how important this is to me, and she wants me to keep being the best version of myself for our family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

That kind of support? It means everything. There is no Team CCM without the first “C.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

—<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Final Thoughts<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

My little sugarplum is now seven months old. She\u2019s sleeping better, and I\u2019m slowly finding pieces of my old routine again\u2014early runs, quick gym sessions, and the occasional<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

outdoor ride. But everything I do now is more intentional. Every ride matters. Every hour has a purpose. And every moment with my family is treasured more than ever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

To Christine: thank you for being the heart and soul of this household. You are the reason I get to keep chasing this passion\u2014and the reason I want to be better every day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Her first birthday is the day after Iceman, so we will be celebrating her first birthday while at Iceman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

To any new parent reading this: you\u2019re not alone. If you ever need someone to talk to about balancing racing with parenting, feel free to reach out. We\u2019re all figuring it out one ride, one nap, one bottle at a time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

See you in the woods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Thank you to Chris Mutnansky @the_racing_ref for being our 2025 Iceman Cometh Challenge Trailblazer.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This blog post is probably the most personal one I\u2019ve written. Last year was life-changing for my wife and me. And I want to speak to something that many of us can relate to: how to keep up with training or stay active while navigating the wild, beautiful ride of becoming a new parent. My … Continue reading “Training for Iceman After Becoming a Dad”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[205],"tags":[69,165,72,139,179,141],"class_list":["post-1262","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-trailblazer","tag-iceman","tag-iceman-cometh-challenge","tag-kalkaska","tag-training","tag-training-tips","tag-traverse-city"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.iceman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1262","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.iceman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.iceman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.iceman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.iceman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1262"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/blog.iceman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1262\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1270,"href":"https:\/\/blog.iceman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1262\/revisions\/1270"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.iceman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1262"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.iceman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1262"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.iceman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1262"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}