I'd love to hear some tips and tricks on how you stay/stayed active while handling the responsibility of a family.
I'd love to hear some tips and tricks on how you stay/stayed active while handling the responsibility of a family.
Juggling a family sounds dangerous. Set them down before you go for your run.
Run in the morning or accept it isn’t going to happen that day.
PSA: don't juggle your family wrote:
Juggling a family sounds dangerous. Set them down before you go for your run.
This ^
Not a deer parent, just the parent of a house cat, so I don’t feel qualified to give good advice on this issue.
Cba wrote:
Run in the morning or accept it isn’t going to happen that day.
This has been my experience. Assuming a standard 8-5 weekday job, runs/workouts take place around 5-6am either outside or at local gym.
If you’re going to bed at a reasonable hour and not staying up late glued to a tv/phone, you should get enough sleep.
Weekends just coordinate with your significant other. Mine loves to sleep in, so I’m on dad duty for the first few hours of Sat/Sun. It’s understood that I’ll be getting in a workout at some point throughout the day that does not interfere with planned family activities.
Getting up at 4:30 or 5am is the only way. Also, stroller doubles.
Start runs before 6 am on weekdays. Choose one weekend day and get out early for long run. Singles only. Try to be done before the kids get up.
1) Adjust expectations.
2) Make time to run and have a flexible daily plan.
3) Evaluate once in a while, adjust and iterate.
Running at 430-5 every morning is a 💯 nonstarter for me. However, some jobs won’t mind if you come in early and leave a bit early to get a run in around 3-4 pm. This is ideal for me. Alternately you can run at lunch if you have a shower at work or nearby in a gym. Finally, I’ve dropped kids off at soccer practice and run near the complex.
I’ve accepted: a) I won’t run at the same time every day b) I won’t always be able to do the workout I want to and c) it probably doesn’t matter anyway.
Get up early enough you’re done with your run when before anyone else wakes up. For me, that means the alarm goes off at 5 am. It take some getting used to, but it works. No matter how crazy the day gets, my run is already in the books.
I have a 3.5 year old and a 1.5 year old. Most of my running during the week is after they go to bed. That means out the door 7:45/8:00 which means running in the dark most of the year. I do run in the morning once a week or so, but my wife gets mad if the kids wake up because they hear me leaving the house.
My wife is fine with me being out of the house once a weekend for 2-3 hours early in the morning, as long as my long run doesn't leave me laid up on the couch the rest of the day. That's also with the tacit agreement that the rest of the weekend is full-time, hands-on attentive parenting and my wife will also take a few hours to do something on her own.
If you can run commute or run during a lunch break, etc. that's always a great option to keep yourself available at home.
Having an understanding spouse is crucial.
I heard those deer parents only had two bucks.
pavement88 wrote:
I do run in the morning once a week or so, but my wife gets mad if the kids wake up because they hear me leaving the house.
I got pretty good at not waking anyone else up while getting out the door to run by 5:10am (4:45am alarm).
1. All clothes picked out and downstairs with my shoes the night before
2. Vibrating alarm on my watch
3. Typically, I’d wake up at 3-4am to pee and I’d use that very early opportunity to move downstairs and sleep the rest of the time on the couch.
4. Leave through the quietest door. I was lucky at the time that our garage was on the same level as the finished basement (with bathroom) so I was two stories away from the wife and kids.
pavement88 wrote:
I have a 3.5 year old and a 1.5 year old. Most of my running during the week is after they go to bed. That means out the door 7:45/8:00 which means running in the dark most of the year. I do run in the morning once a week or so, but my wife gets mad if the kids wake up because they hear me leaving the house.
My wife is fine with me being out of the house once a weekend for 2-3 hours early in the morning, as long as my long run doesn't leave me laid up on the couch the rest of the day. That's also with the tacit agreement that the rest of the weekend is full-time, hands-on attentive parenting and my wife will also take a few hours to do something on her own.
If you can run commute or run during a lunch break, etc. that's always a great option to keep yourself available at home.
Having an understanding spouse is crucial.
I have kids the exact same age. I run at 6am Tuesday-Thursday and am back just as everyone is waking up. I jump directly into kid duty and helping my wife get them ready for daycare. I’m done with work mid-day on Friday I usually use that extra hour or two for a run. Saturday long runs start at 6:30 and I’m done by 8am. Again, I come home and take over kid duty. My wife has zero pity for how rough I may fee after hard long runs. Will grab the kids and get them out of the house for an hour or so to let my wife relax. Typically coffee run, donuts and Home Depot. I never count on a Sunday run - if things work out I consider it a bonus.
You have to realize that as much as you care about running and any accomplishments you may be chasing, your kids and wife really don’t care. They just know that dad is gone. Be present. You’ll never regret that.
My kids are now 12, 16, 19. Lots of running with babies in a running stroller.
My husband played soccer twice a week and those were his nights; I ran with a group twice a week. We both pretty much got to do what we wanted in terms of working out which was nice.
I think the key is to make sure if your spouse is watching the kids so you can run that you offer her time to do whatever she wants while you watch the kids. It has to be balanced or resentment will build.
Jog stroller never slowed me down. Father Time did.
I'd look after the kids at times so my wife could do things she wanted to do and at other times she'd watch the kids and I'd run.
pavement88 wrote:
I have a 3.5 year old and a 1.5 year old. Most of my running during the week is after they go to bed. That means out the door 7:45/8:00 which means running in the dark most of the year. I do run in the morning once a week or so, but my wife gets mad if the kids wake up because they hear me leaving the house.
My wife is fine with me being out of the house once a weekend for 2-3 hours early in the morning, as long as my long run doesn't leave me laid up on the couch the rest of the day. That's also with the tacit agreement that the rest of the weekend is full-time, hands-on attentive parenting and my wife will also take a few hours to do something on her own.
If you can run commute or run during a lunch break, etc. that's always a great option to keep yourself available at home.
Having an understanding spouse is crucial.
Dang. Your baby-momma sounds a little on the overbearing side. What are you going to do if the bedtime ever drifts any later in the evening?
Wow, great responses everyone!
Just realized how great my life is. I can run when I want, without some nagging old hag and some little turd kids that sleep all day. Fuc that. Kids suck. Hey OP you suck too. Think I’ll sleep in tomorrow, run when I want, and not be poor from buying crap all the time for ungrateful kids. Thanks for the perspective !! Hahahahahahahahhahaha! Sucker!!
3 kids 5/2/4 months. As others have said run early or if you have a flexible work situation between daycare drop off and first meeting.
On weekend sometimes I’ll get a long run in by running to the location of the outing for the morning while my wife drives. Just find a new playground you have never been to 15-20 miles away and have her leave an hour after you do.