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Liz G.
Liz G. Sendmail

Working parents...how do you manage?

posted 10 months ago | Report

I work full time and have a young child. I love my life, but sometimes I'm just soooo tired, and getting up at 5 (or before) to run gets hard. I'm very thankful that my husband is supportive. He's generally training for something too, so we switch long training days over the weekend, and I get mornings, he has evenings during the week.

How do you stay motivated to train when life gets busy?

(Maybe I just hit a rough patch this week, and the snooze button is just so close :-))

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10 posts

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  • Joe H.
    Joe H. Sendmail

    life gets in the way. do the best you can with what you got and focus on the important stuff and sometimes that means training takesa hit. you're doing awesome w/ the early workouts. my rugrats are getting older so I can incorporate running while they ride bikes or swim while they do dive practice. when they were little they loved the jogging stroller/bike stroller and would have great naps while I trained. I got an elliptical and bike trainer to train late at night or when they were busy doing something else and that helps (I find be consistent in my training is very important in staying healthy and making progress) be creative and maybe you'll get lucky. good luck

    posted 10 months ago

  • Molly W.
    Molly W. Sendmail

    Liz, I hear ya. The snooze button was VERY close this morning. But it's SO worth it when you fight through it. Get through that first ten minutes of fog, then that first mile of the run. That's what I tell myself. If it's absolutely horrible after that, then I can go back to bed. It never is.

    Something I keep at the front of my mind always is the example I'm setting for my daughter. She's only 6, but I see her watching me very closely as I lace 'em up to go running, stretch, and when I come back she always has questions. "Where did you run?" and will come cheer me on at my first 10K in September.

    Back in the day, I used to peek out our back window and watch my dad start his runs. I didn't realize how much of an effect all his running had on me. And the rest of my family - I looked around and saw my brother running a marathon, then my sister running a marathon, then my other brother running a marathon...

    Do it for yourself, first. But also know that there is someone else watching and taking it all in. That little person might ignore it for 30 years before they lace 'em up...but when they do, they'll think in their head, "Thanks, Mom, for running."

    posted 10 months ago

  • Joy R.
    Joy R. Sendmail

    One of the things that's helped me tremendously was purchasing a jogger so I could run with my little one who is a little over 2 years old. My runs aren't always interrupted and there are times I need to stop and backtrack to rescue a sippy cup or stuffed animal that's gone overboard - but when I can't bring myself to get up in the morning (which is often) it offers me an option at the end of the day that allows me to run AND get in time with her.

    It is hard though - and sometimes, as Joe wrote, life gets in the way. As your little one gets older you might have a late meeting one day, miss your run in the morning because you decided sleep is more important and will be hard pressed to get in a run in the afternoon because you've got school activities. You do what you can with what you've got and you cut yourself some slack because being a mom, working full time and maintaining fitness is not easy.

    I also try to remember that, like Molly, I'm setting an example for my two girls - an example that I never had. I watched my mom struggle with her weight but not be active and it made a huge impression on me. I don't want that for my girls.

    Ultimately though, I think of my runs and my workouts and the few early mornings I'll muster up as "me time" - and that solitude is invaluable because not only does it make me a better person but it makes me a better wife and ultimately a better mother too.

    Hang in there. Experiment. Mix things up and hopefully you'll find something that works for you.

    Joy

    posted 10 months ago

  • Shaindel B.
    Shaindel B. Sendmail

    I second the jogging stroller. Jared (my guy) is generally the one who does stroller runs, but because he's the FAST one. He ran a 7:26 mile this morning with our little guy in the stroller. If you want to be fair, you can switch out who runs with/without the stroller...

    We occasionally all run together, too, which is fun :-)

    posted 10 months ago

  • Nichole A.
    Nichole A. Sendmail

    I have 4 kids, and I work full time, as does my husband. I have the luxury of working from home though which does help alot. I have a treadmill in my office. I know running outdoors is preferred when training for an event, but if I have a day that I just cannot get up, and I want to hit snooze, I reset the alarm and go back to bed, then use the treadmill on lunch, or in the evening while the kids eat dinner, or while they are showering, or, you get my drift. I squeeze it in. I also make my off day for running on Sundays, so I can spend Sunday morning sleeping in, and my hubby lets me do that :)

    posted 10 months ago

  • Melissa J.
    Melissa J. Sendmail

    Everyone has given you great advice and there's no real formula as to how to get it all done (if there were the person who figured it out would be very rich lol)

    all I have to add is that you're doing a great job!

    posted 10 months ago

  • Liz G.
    Liz G. Sendmail

    Thanks everyone for your great responses! In the end, it's all stuff I know, but I guess I just needed to hear it :-) This is the first time I've had a team where there are no other parents, so it's really nice to hear from you all!

    Setting an example for my daughter (2.5yrs) is a defenite motivator for me - she refers to "Momma's runnin people" when she know's I've been on a group run, and today she asked me if I had a good running day. I told her no, but I will tomorrow :-) She's finished a race with me, and even did a 100m kida fun run. Maybe she's got the bug too!

    posted 10 months ago

  • Ben K.PRO
    Ben K. Sendmail

    Molly hit it on the head for me on this one, being a good example to your kids is a great motivator I think. I'm just coming back from a 2 month injury induced break, and I tell you sleeping in was wonderful. However, I know as Joy said, my kids are watching me. They see me when I'm coming back in from my morning runs and they keep asking to join me next time. As Joe said, I'm thinking that soon my oldest will probably be able to keep up with me on his bike. We'll see.

    The other thing to consider, in addition to being a positive role model, is to remember that you have to take care of yourself to. Running will help to reduce stress and improve your overall health, right? How can you take care of others if you yourself aren't in top shape?

    So yeah, it sucks. But you already have all the motivation you need to get up and "get er done" in the mornings.

    posted 10 months ago

  • Mark N.
    Mark N. Sendmail

    I'll actually go home get changed and run to daycare with an empty pram, pick him up and run home... Seems to work well. His in care 3 out of 5 days a week. So I'll run 2 of the 3 days.

    posted 10 months ago

  • Jen B.
    Jen B. Sendmail

    Love everyone's responses, love the question. Love the image of doubling back with the jogger to pick up dropped sippy cup or teddy bear. (For me, it was a shoe and a hat.) I try to get up early and get back before my husband and 2 boys even wake up. The early morning schedule works for me, as I'm used to it. 3 days/week I have to be at work early, and I can't run first, so I have bribed my kids to go in the double jogger after I pick them up from the sitter. Last week they got ice pops - hey, it was hot, they'll do anything for sugar.... They total 70 pounds, so I go so slow it hardly feels like running sometimes, especially on hills, but at least I can get out there that one extra day. Love the point about being a good role model for the kids. I tell them they have to encourage me: "GO Mom! You can do it!" They see someone working hard and not giving up even when there's a challenge.
    Yay for parents!!!! Thanks for the inspiration, everyone!

    posted 10 months ago

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