Having a kid, maintaining elite-ish running career, possible?

luv2run wrote:

Wait.

Are you working or trying to make a career of running?

I'm still in School, finish in December 2018, at which point she would get off parental leave and I would assume it. 15 months parental leave where I'm at. Haven't planned further than that.

Your concern shouldn't be your running. Your concern should be how in the heck you are going to provide for a family. You haven't said what you do for a living or how you intend to pay for the $250k plus that it takes to raise a child to adulthood. If your first thought is your running goals, you have seriously screwed up priorities in life. Figure out these other, much more important things before worrying about your 5k time.

Thanks! Yes, as I said. I have bigger dreams in live than just my running, obviously having a kid would supersede other priorities. It's just that running has meant and continues to mean so much to me. And I'm reasonably good at it. I might have a 5 year window of improvement left, that's not too much in the grand scheme of things?

Please pop the real one. wrote:

I'm not sure if the op ever returned.

At any rate, just wanted to point out that in addition to the responses above saying that you can be elite with children, I would point out there are some pro runners with children. Rupp, Mo both have kids.

There are some women pros with children too, but I can't think of who off the top of my head.

You don't have a job?????? No, you can't maintain a competitive running career.

Here's the standard old guy response. There was a time when essentially all out of school runners had to have full time jobs and they managed to do both. Ron Clarke had three kids, worked as an accountant, and managed 13:16 and 27:39. You may need to run at times of the day other than your preferred ones or to get a treadmill but you can do it.

Sounds like a good recipe for chronic fatigue and a divorce. How do you get enough sleep with that type of schedule?

jewbacca wrote:

Congrats. I have a 2-year old and one on the way, and being a father has been the best experience of my life so far.

Yes, it's possible to train at a high level. I've managed to find time for 90 mpw, and running has never taken away from my responsibilities as a father.

1) I'm out the door at 4:30am M-F. Sat/Sun I sleep in till 5am and I'm home by the time baby wakes up

2) I add 3 evening runs a week, and most times I bring the baby in the jogging stroller, or else wait till baby is in bed

3) 3 quality sessions a week plus a Sunday long run

4) When she can, my wife bikes with us on the evening runs

You can make it work, though it may take some adjustment.

HRE wrote:

Here's the standard old guy response. There was a time when essentially all out of school runners had to have full time jobs and they managed to do both. Ron Clarke had three kids, worked as an accountant, and managed 13:16 and 27:39. You may need to run at times of the day other than your preferred ones or to get a treadmill but you can do it.

Thanks!

I just wanna know if it's possible to continue to improve. As I said, I'm not too far off the goals that I've set for myself. Before I learnt of this a few days back I was working to get there by next year.

BabyReagan wrote:

Will cut to the chase. 24 year old, turning 25 later this year. Just found out my girlfriend is pregnant, and she is on the fence but leaning towards keeping it.

Forget your running career and start to focus on your kid's running career. I'd get an altitude tent for the crib and get it on an ugali-focused diet by age 3.

HardLuper wrote:

BabyReagan wrote:

Will cut to the chase. 24 year old, turning 25 later this year. Just found out my girlfriend is pregnant, and she is on the fence but leaning towards keeping it.

Forget your running career and start to focus on your kid's running career. I'd get an altitude tent for the crib and get it on an ugali-focused diet by age 3.

Those are longterm goals for sure.

joedirt wrote:

Sounds like a good recipe for chronic fatigue and a divorce. How do you get enough sleep with that type of schedule?

I go to bed at 9pm. It's a little more than 7 hrs a night, and I often take a Sunday afternoon nap. Fatigue hasn't been a problem so far.

I'm not going to say our relationship is perfect, but it is pretty strong. My wife appreciates my efforts to make running a behind-the-scenes thing. She likes it when I can take the kid on runs in the evening and give her some breathing room. We usually split the workload in the evenings, e.g. one of us feeds the baby while the other cooks. I usually get some play time with the little one. I put the baby to bed. Then we get a couple hours together before bed. I'm happy, she's happy, the kid is happy.

That could all change with baby #2... won't know till it happens.

Plus, I've pointed out to my wife that we can make good vacations out of peak races. When I do Boston in the next couple years, for example, we'll spend the following week in New England and enjoy a part of the country we've never seen.

There's ways to have fun with it.

BabyReagan wrote:

HRE wrote:

Here's the standard old guy response. There was a time when essentially all out of school runners had to have full time jobs and they managed to do both. Ron Clarke had three kids, worked as an accountant, and managed 13:16 and 27:39. You may need to run at times of the day other than your preferred ones or to get a treadmill but you can do it.

Thanks!

I just wanna know if it's possible to continue to improve. As I said, I'm not too far off the goals that I've set for myself. Before I learnt of this a few days back I was working to get there by next year.

Hard to believe so many think kids end things. As HRE says practically all of the old time guys worked full time, were fathers and trained at a world class level.

Follow the old time athletes, not the new ones.

Lopes and Jones both had young kids when they were at their absolute peak.

You could even argue that working and raising kids is a catalyst to better running instead of wondering what you are going to do between training sessions.

Never meant to come from a position of moral compass. Becoming a first time parent is not an easy transition, especially if you're juggling a job and seriously training as well. I just hope this guys priority is this kid and not a couple PRs. If he finds the right balance everything can be harmonious. He came off as not committed on being a parent, with the whole, she's keeping it part( not turning it into abortion issue, more a commitment issue).

Also, comparing Rupp, Mo, Kara G. To this situation is absurd. Those 3 are making enough money TO TRAIN to support a family and afford day care/nanny/spouse at home. They aren't saddled with a job that takes them away from 9-5. I don't know this couples working/living situation, but that's an enormous factor.

[quote]BabyReagan wrote:

Hi!

Will cut to the chase. 24 year old, turning 25 later this year. Just found out my girlfriend is pregnant, and she is on the fence but leaning towards keeping it.

Please never refer to a child, especially your own child as an "it".

That's Great! Thanks for posting!

The key variable here is your job, not the kids. In a vacuum, a demanding and (more importantly) inflexible job is much more detrimental to running.

Since you are still in school (with no job?), I would assume you would have plenty of time and flexibility in your schedule to get 2 hours of training in while devoting enough time to your kid.

Having said that, all kids are different and the first year can be a crapshoot. Sometimes babies are easy, sometimes they will absolutely crush you, and everything in between. It's just luck of the draw which kind you get. Sparing you the details, mine was very very bad for the first 6 months. The lack of sleep and stress about broke us. That's not typical, but it happens. She's 1 and better now.

Sara Vaughn made a worlds team as a mother of 3. All you complainer millennials have no excuse!!

I'm close to an elite level in my profession (a kind of scientific research), which is one in which the bar for elite is quite high. I have several kids and it is impossible to make the time commitment or to have the energy to be at the elite level while actually participating fully in their upbringing and care. Anyone who tells you otherwise either is not close to being elite or is not taking care of the kids themselves. I work hard, get up at 5, work 10-12 hour days when I can, but can't work weekends and can't devote myself completely to one thing. To be elite you need to devote yourself to nothing else, and that almost always is to the detriment of any family you might have. One thing is to run 100kmw and run sub-elite races, another is to be genuinely elite. Sure Mo Farah is a great dad and all, but I doubt very much he ever changed a diaper.

Yeah I understand there's a difference between the olympic level athletes and myself, this mostly pertains to my ability to steadily improve with a kid in the picture. I understand it would require focus and determination. Right now I run roughly 85-110 miles a week depending on the time of year, the girlfriend has stated that she would want me to continue but I reckon it's easier to say that than to actually mean it. I'm not trying to be self-centered here, I understand that the presence of a child would supersede all else, but cannot help thinking about the aspects of life that I truly cherish right now.

BabyReagan wrote:

Hi!

Will cut to the chase. 24 year old, turning 25 later this year. Just found out my girlfriend is pregnant, and she is on the fence but leaning towards keeping it.

While I'm no world beater I'm a competitive runner in my area and improving steadily, I've set career goals of sub 14 and sub 29 that which I intend to pursue (Currently at 8.15 for 3000m and 14.15 for 5000m). Now, spare me the "you're not fit to be a father if you put your running career before the child's needs"-comments, I understand that priorities will change. What I wanna know is, preferably from somewhat competitive runners, is it possible to finagle a serious running career while having a young child? My girlfriend would (most likely) be supportive of my running as long as I still play my role as a father in the relationship.

Much obliged.

"She is leaning on the fence....thinking about keeping it? What are you talking about? You can't "return it" without a receipt. Forget running on this post.