I have to be very organised. Planning is a major part of my life now, especially with Rob and his travel commitments. Between that and doing the school runs and prepping for different competitions, we always have to plan ahead.
We travel with the kids a lot of the time. Taking them with us wherever we’re going eliminates a lot of the childcare requirements.
Our morning routine starts at 7.10am, I wake Regan (our 12-month-old), then Cathal (9) and get him ready for school. I’m on the road for 8:10am for the school run. Next, I prep Rob’s bag for the morning training session and arrange his gear, drinks and the lactic machine. Depending on what the weather is like, we figure out what course is the best option to take and what will be the most beneficial. Training begins at 10.30am.
Rob will have two training sessions per day. We drop the kids to school and go to training, come home and grab some lunch. Rob goes for a sleep in the afternoon and I’ll collect Cathal from school. Rob wakes around 5.30pm and heads off out training again for a few hours. You throw in cooking and cleaning on top of that as well and it’s just normal life.
We get to spend more time with our kids than other families. We bring them to the training camps and in a sense you’re practicing what you’re preaching. Spending a lot of time with them, I hope, will show them what a strong work ethic is and how you can apply yourself to something.
Cathal had a different upbringing to what Regan has. We were at a different stage in our life back then, obviously we were younger and not as settled. Financially, we weren’t as secure as we are today.
I was lucky to have had great support growing up. When I was competing myself, my own mother was a great help to us. She would always be on hand to help out with Cathal, taking him overnight or after school or when I had races.
We’re very active as a family. I took up cycling about two years ago and it’s great bringing the kids out. I think you kind of learn how much cop-on they have and how clued-in they are to road safety and it gives you a little bit more confidence on how they behave or act outside. We were lucky enough to do the An Post Cycle Series last year, the kids did the 10km leisurely cycle (Cathal and Megan – Rob’s eldest daughter) and are certainly going to do it again this year for the An Post Rebel Tour of Cork.
The best piece of advice I’ve ever received was from my old coach Stuart Hogg. He said: “you’re only as big as the person that annoys you.”
Being a parent is… trying to be the best role model for your kids, teach them as best as you can, try to learn from them and be the best you can be. I think the most important thing is to enjoy your kids while they’re young and while they’re growing up. Try to involve them as much as you can.
I think work ethic is huge. Applying yourself to something and sticking it out, having a rationale as to why you want to do something or going after a dream. A lot of kids grow up wanting to be footballers or top class rugby players, but what this all entails is huge. If they are going to do something, do it properly and make sure to do something in a way that’s realistic.
Our support network is very important. I’m a qualified Sports Injuries Therapist, so I tend to do a lot of Rob’s “maintenance”! I’m not his physio; he works with a great Irish physio at the moment. She sees him once per week. Between myself, the physio and Robbie Williams in Fitness Works gym’s in Cork (Strength & Conditioning coach), it’s a small enough network. There is another lady in Belgium, Yvonne Cassen who graphs out Rob’s year, his training plan and is able to tell him what he should be hitting in certain races, time-trials and in sessions.
The beauty product I can’t live without… is my mascara! End of story.
My greatest indulgence? Oh my god, at the moment it’s everything because I’m seven months pregnant. I think I’m allowed to eat anything. Chocolate is a big thing, I have a serious sweet tooth.
Rob gets a month off per year. That’s our down time. It’s one day off every three weeks throughout the year and we try to make the most of that day. It could be anything from a spin to the beach, swimming or something like that. We try to organise a holiday for around August or September, by the time he is finished his year.
Our weekends are jam-packed with training and activities with the kids. They’re involved with athletics, hurling and football so there’s always a match on. We gear our family time around that! A lot of the family will come down to watch Cathal play a game or watch Megan run.
Marian Heffernan is an ambassador for the An Post Cycle Series, five cycling participation events around the country aimed at getting people out on their bikes and keeping active.
