Training With Two in Tow
Posted on July 16th, 2008 – 12:26 PMBy Kay Krhin
How do two parents with two under three train for two big events? This is the question I’m trying to answer daily on a separate “log blog” Training Wheels. (Because, you see – I’m not busy enough). We are parents in training on many levels.
I am currently in training for the Iron Girl duathlon in September. It is an event for women only run 2 miles bike 22 miles and run 2 miles. It is my goal to accomplish this in honor of turning 40 and also part of my “Deflate in ’08” resolution. (deflate update: back in pre-baby (Ben) jeans with a belt!) I’m an event newbie aside from several 5K Reindeer Runs, so this is rather ambitious for me. I’m logging it because accountability works for me. If I have to write it down, I’ll do my darndest to follow through
Peter is no stranger to marathons and is training for the Twin Cities Marathon in October. But this is the first time he’s training with kids in the mix and it poses extra challenges.
The kids needs come first. We work around their schedules and take turns going alone if possible. We’re both finding time management challenges, along with a lot of entertainment and motivation from eachother and the kids. It adds about 50+ of pounds to the training runs with 2 kids and a jogging stroller combined. It makes hills more brutal - but comes with a built in drill sargeant named Ben, who loves the runs.
So we’re managing our training time by including the young ones, dividing and conquering, waking up really really early, or working out at lunch hours. Best of all we’re supporting eachother in our goals.
Of course there are days when I ask ”does back and forth walking across SuperTarget twice then diagonally because you forgot this or that count as a workout?” Cause that’s all I had time to do…I think it does.
So are we nuts? Perhaps. But we are enjoying the journey towards each respective finish line.
Anyone else training for an upcoming event? Has anyone done the Iron Girl? Id love to ask you further questions. Feel free to follow along on Training Wheels - (after you’re done reading Cribsheet of course!) and share advice or motivation as we continue on our path as parents in training.
10 Responses to "Training With Two in Tow"
Yes, Kay, you are nuts. You asked.
Kay, I wish I had your willpower.
I must say - I admire you. With our two under three it’s all I can do to take a shower some, er most days - much less work up a sweat doing something that is actually physical. That’s probably the reason I still look pregnant 18 months after giving birth to my last child! You are an inspiration…I wish I had some inspiration to give you - but it seems you are the one that is sending some inspiration my way! THANKS!
Congrats on the deflation, by the way!
Funny - I asked my mom the same thing. She started training for and running marathons after my younger brother was born. Then she had 2 more after him. Dad had already done a couple (Grandmas and Twin Cities). She was never in sports in high school and her first run was less than 1/4 mile, then walked home.
I asked her how she had time to train - she was a stay-at-home Mom, Dad was a teacher and 3-season coach. I’m told that we spent a lot of time with Dad (which I don’t remember AT ALL) but I do vaguely remember a couple of her races. And I think our neighbor would also provide frequent babysitting services.
It worked - she finished Grandma’s well under 4 hours (I could only dream), and beat Dad’s best marathon time. Dad claims it was good coaching.
For me - I shoot for a 1/2 hour run most days at lunch and might try a 5K in my hometown in August. Also have a double jogging stroller that gets some use, but not nearly as much as it should. Unlike Ben, my 3-year-old isn’t a huge fan of stroller rides. The 5-month-old seems fine with it, though;)
Somehow - it seems the best time for me to get it in is in the wee hours of the morning. It is much easier in the summer months. Still, with two little ones, it seems my marathon days are over… or at least on hold for a few years. It is hard to justify running for 2-4 hours every weekend.
Welcome to our world! With a 4 year old and a 1 year old at home, I am training for the Breast Cancer 3-Day in September (60 mile walk,) and my hubs is training for the Ragnar relay. (The Ragnar Relay is a 12 person relay from LaCrosse, WI to Minneapolis, or 192 miles total.)
My training is time intensive. Leading up to the 3-Day I have weekends that involve walking 18 miles on Saturday, and 15 on Sunday. Since my pace is between 3 - 4 miles an hour, I’m out of the house a lot. During the week I try to sqeeze 3 miles in on my lunch so I only have to head out for 1 or 2 miles when we get home. (And I too wonder about the walking I do at Target, or to and from t-ball, and ultimately add it into the days miles!) Because I want my training to be similar to the actual event, unless we are walking to a destination (t-ball, Subway, the park,) I don’t push a stroller. I’m to busy making sure my waistpack feels okay, and I am most often carrying a bottle of water. Needless to say, the boys have been getting a lot of Daddy time, and he is doing an amazing job supporting me in this adventure.
Hubby has been running late (bedtime)more often than not, but sometimes will run with one of the boys.
Neither one of us is good at the get up early and train, but I really should start, if only to beat the heat!
Good for you Kay! The Iron Girl sounds great and I want to try it - maybe next year. I’m shooting for a 10-mile race, either Twin Cities 10 miler or a different race the weekend before.
We have a 15-month-old and an almost 4-year-old, and like previous poster Sarah I found the wee hours of the morning (5:30ish) are best for me to run. My husband gets his workouts in late at night. It definitely helps having a treadmill and elliptical in our basement.
By the way I love your Training Wheels blog, what a great way to stay motivated. I have the #1 problem as well after having 2 kids. I’ve found since I’ve been running the problem has started to get better, and is usually not a problem early in the morning but can be a problem if I run later in the day (feminine products are a nuisance but do come in handy…). Most likely since overnight I obviously am not drinking anything and I must be completely emptying the tank so to speak after I wake up and before my run.
Good for you, Kay! I too have a goal of celebrating 40 (this December) by hopefully doing a triathlon next summer. You and I are on the same wavelength! Can’t wait to check out Training Wheels.
So I’m not training for a specific event this year, but AM definitely trying to lose all that baby weight. Like Sarah and Stephanie, the ONLY time I can do this is at 5:45 in the morning…there would be just no way otherwise.
here’s a tip that has REALLY helped me to deal with getting up that early…believe it or not, it actually helps to go EVERY day! I usually run but sometimes walk just for a break…but it helps so much to do it every day (M-F, I should say)…the consistency really helps me get up and get going, because this has just become my new wake-up time.
I’ve lost 13 pounds so far this summer…got a long way to go, but it feels GREAT.
Can’t wait to hear more about your training at the gathering, Kay!
I only have one son(15 months) so I am not so sure about training with two, but it is definitely possible. I completed the Iron Girl last year, along with two other triathlons last year and am doing a handful of tris this year. The iron girl is a great race! I would do it this year but will be out of town that weekend. It is a lot of fun and empowering. A supportive husband is very helpful (it helps that he also does tris, because then he understands the time commitments). Working out early morning (5 am) helps to get everything in -I only try for 3 days a week, I need to know I can sleep an extra hour at least two days. Also, it is not too bad to work out early morning during the summer months - cold winter mornings are so hard. I also try to work out 4 days after work, even if it is only a 30 min run. My son goes to bed early (7:30pm) so if I am not able to get the workout in the am and after work, I can go work out after I put him to bed. Weekends are great for longer training sessions - a long run with a stop at the park afterwards, or go for a swim and put him in the childcare and then after our workout we will swim and play in the pool as a family. Or take a long bike ride with him in the bike trailer. It is a struggle to balance everything, but I keep reminding myself I am setting a positive example. Good Luck on training and the race!
