Redoubling Efforts: Training, Family, and the Fight Against Drift
Two weeks. That’s how long it’s been since I last trained properly for the triathlon.
Not because I quit.
Not because I lost interest.
But because life—real life—rolled in like a storm and demanded everything else from me.
Week One: The Body Breaks Down
It started with a comment—my wife, offhandedly mentioning my legs. That tiny nudge pushed me into German Volume Training. Normally, that’s fine. But that same week, I was supposed to be testing my heart rate ceiling.
Then I stacked it with:
- Two Brazilian jiu-jitsu classes
- One kickboxing class
- Sprint intervals
All high intensity. All hard on the nervous system. And beneath it all? A right hip problem I’ve been trying to rehab for months. I ignored it. I tried to power through.
That was a mistake.
Week Two: Life Breaks In
As I was recovering from overreaching physically, the logistical chaos began. My wife left for a business trip. The refrigerator broke down. I had both kids—alone—and they’re not just any kids. They’re autistic twins with complex needs and strict routines.
Training didn’t just take a backseat—it got shoved in the trunk and duct-taped shut.
The Cost of Letting Things Slip
I still hit my macros.
Technically.
But when your meals come from vacuum-sealed, “shelf-stable” options—what my wife calls “space food”—you pay a different price:
- My gut was wrecked
- My blood sugars were brittle—swinging high and low
- My energy was shot
The same thing happens with our daughters. If their probiotics or supplements run out, even for a couple days, we get regression. Gut dysfunction. Behavioral setbacks. It’s not a theory. It’s predictable.
And what do we do?
We redouble our efforts.
Discipline Isn’t a One-Time Thing
It’s easy to assume discipline is something you achieve once and then coast on. That’s fiction.
Real life is friction. Chaos. Disruption.
The real skill is not in avoiding that—it’s in recovering from it quickly.
When I reach this point, I dictate a new schedule. I print it. I implement it at the very next meal. The very next training session.
No hesitation.
Commandment #7
I have a personal list of 13 commandments I try to live by.
Number 7 is my anchor:
“Reduce the time between thought and action to the most realistic minimum possible.”
That’s how I rebuild. That’s how I redouble.
Not by waiting for motivation, but by acting immediately—realistically, and repeatedly.
The Equalizer Board of Life
I’m a 50-year-old Type 1 diabetic training for a triathlon while raising autistic twins. My days are packed with invisible labor—blood sugar monitoring, supplement timing, communication challenges, and the logistical gymnastics of keeping everyone on track.
That’s my equalizer board. It has more sliders than most.
But here’s the question I’d ask you:
What extra frequencies are on your board?
Is it chronic pain? Financial instability? A mentally exhausting job? Caregiving? Neurodivergence? Trauma?
Whatever you’re balancing, I see you. And I promise, the answer is not perfection—it’s adjustment. It’s return. It’s redoubling.
Know Yourself
I’ve learned to know myself intimately—because I have to. Diabetes demands it. Training demands it. Parenting demands it.
And if you haven’t been active in years, if you’ve avoided discomfort, you may not really know your own body. That’s not a judgment. That’s a call.
If you’re sedentary, you may have forgotten what you’re capable of. Your internal signals are muffled. But they’re not gone.
And to be clear, I’m not speaking from a pedestal. I haven’t done ultra-marathons. I haven’t trekked across a desert or scaled Everest. There are athletes who know their bodies far more than I ever will.
But no matter where you are—on the couch watching daytime TV, or halfway up Kilimanjaro—there’s room to redouble. To take a breath, refocus, and take the next meaningful step.
Efficiency vs. Excellence
We’re wired for efficiency. That’s not a flaw—it’s biology. We gravitate to the path of least resistance. But what makes us human is our ability to override that instinct when needed.
We don’t have to be perfect.
We just have to keep returning.
Keep refining.
Keep redoubling.
Final Thought
If you’ve fallen off—so have I. This isn’t about shame.
It’s about the next move.
It’s about adjusting the plan and re-engaging.
It’s about showing up anyway.
It’s about honoring your personal bandwidth while refusing to coast.
Redoubling your efforts isn’t a failure.
It’s the proof that you’re still in the game.
So, let’s redouble.
Suggested Reading & References
- Clear, James. Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones.
This foundational book emphasizes the compound effects of small actions and the importance of identity in habit formation. Clear’s concept of “never missing twice” is a direct echo of the redoubling principle—acknowledge the slip, then immediately return to the routine. - Hanson, Rick. Just One Thing: Developing a Buddha Brain One Simple Practice at a Time.
A neuroscience-informed guide to incremental change. Hanson encourages small, practical mindfulness actions to shift brain structure and behavior over time. Many of his chapters align with the idea of redoubling through calm, non-judgmental recommitment. - Duhigg, Charles. The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business.
Duhigg’s work outlines the habit loop (cue–routine–reward), and how to regain control when routines break down. He discusses keystone habits and how disruption is inevitable—but reintegration is possible and often leads to deeper behavioral change. - Duckworth, Angela. Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance.
While not directly about habits, Duckworth’s research emphasizes long-term consistency over intensity. Her concept of grit aligns perfectly with redoubling: the willingness to start again, and again, even after setbacks. - Baumeister, Roy F., and Tierney, John. Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength.
A deeper dive into the science of self-regulation and decision fatigue. Baumeister discusses how willpower is a limited resource and why simplification, automation, and fast recovery from failure are key.
