My wife and I have nine children ages 16 through 10 months. I am 42, my 800 PR at the age of 18 was 2:12 (with good 800 training), my marathon PR is 2:23:57 (St. George, 2007), loop course 2:30:32 (St. Jude, 2007). When I ran my marathon PRs I was 34 years old and we had five children. A little over a week ago, my wife and I + our six oldest ran a 5 K on a certified loop course at altitude (Draper Days 5 K in Draper, UT) averaging 20:50 and the times ranging from 15:58 (our 16-year-old) to 24:58 (my wife).
This goes to show that with the right approach you can run quite well when you have not only just one kid but a large family, and your family can run as well. In fact, I think it is easier when you have many children - once you learn to see them as an asset rather than a liability.
I cannot tell you in one thread how we do it, but I can share some core ideas:
- Be committed - do whatever it takes to make things happen, do not skip the runs, do not just give up
- Involve your wife - she has a great asset in you, the principles you know from running transfer very well to the matter of having the physical strength to take care of the family after having a baby - you can coach her to have good health and she will be very thankful if she listens.
- Involve the kids - first in the stroller, then a quarter mile holding your hand, then half a mile, then a few years later they are faster than you and not because you have gotten fat and lazy.
- Maintain a balance - e.g. if you did not get the sleep, slow your run down
- Be flexible - e.g. take the baby in the stroller at night for a shopping trip, put the groceries in the stroller, run around the field while the kids play, etc
- Find a job that works well with the family. Preferably something tele-commuting. Very nice if it pays enough so the wife does not have to work. If you are somewhat technically inclined, consider software engineering. It is not so much about wits or degree as it is about persistence and common sense. If not, maybe some kind of sales.