Training as a parent

[amy1985]

Hello!
I'm training for the wine and dine half marathon in November. I'm currently up to 6 miles, but have a training question for all the parents out there. What kind of runs do you do during the week? I'm debating between doing 1 mile runs tues/Thurs at kind of a tempo pace (basically as fast as I can) and keeping with the long runs saturday or sunday vs doing 3 miles on Wednesday and the long run. Does anyone have advice?

 

[JasonDeyoung]

Not a parent but huge runDisney runner. I do two 30 min runs during the week and a long run on weekends. Usually tue & thur I do 30 and sat whatever miles are on my training schedule for long run

 

[dreamfinder]

Well, I'm still trying to perfect the training regimen now that our DS is around. Did you have any base in place prior? Pre DS I was at constant 1/2 readiness, IE ran 10k Sat, 1/2 Sun, both at race pace. I found this let me do Dopey when he was 14ish mo, with no real issues. Didn't PR anything, but I had enough base that not having done anything longer than a half in almost 2 years didn't stop me from Dopey.
With that said, I try to work out 7 days a week. M-F before work, bike M&F, running T,W,Th. Medium run Sat, long run Sun. Saturday runs we have actually started doing as a family at my DW's pace, partially for family time and partially to get DS re-acquainted with the jogger before race season starts next month. It's pretty much the same routine I has before DS, just distance on the weekend has plateaued around a half, where as before it would be 16-18.
Doing a few days of shorter tempo runs are good, you may also want to try to throw pure speedwork in there with repeats or something. It would really come down to what time you have an what you have available. It's all about getting creative with the time you can find. If you have a jogger and can use that, it can easily help to add time on to what would have otherwise had to be a short run to get back home.

 

[JillC LI]

Hi Amy. I'm currently sidelined with an injury, but I've been running since my kids were very little (they are 14 and 16 now). I have always run 3x per week, and only increased to 4x per week as I got closer to a Half or Full Marathon. I almost always do my long-run on the weekend, and then the other midweek runs are shorter, one of them being a tempo or interval run. It's tough fitting in runs to a mom's schedule, but for me, early morning runs and having a treadmill at home for the shorter runs helped enormously. I could squeeze in a run while the kids were sleeping that way.

By the way, a tempo run is not meant to be as fast as you can. It is meant to be comfortably hard but something you can hold for the distance without crashing. Runners World gives the following example:

• Tempo Run Perceived Exertion: An 8 on a 1-to-10 scale (a comfortable effort would be a 5; racing would be close to a 10).

I personally prefer intervals to tempo runs but they both serve their purpose.

 

[surfsupdon]

Such a great role model for your kids. Be well.

 

[LAKid53]

Like you, I've already started my training for Wine & Dine, mainly because I decided to run all three races. I use Galloway's training schedule from the runDisney site. Two 30 minute runs each week Tues/Thurs, (the maintenance runs) and then alternate Saturdays between a 30 minute run and a distance run. The important thing, and this is confirmed by my PT and running buddy, is recovery days between run days. And then a day of nothing. This gives your body - importantly leg muscles - time to recover. Jeff's training program is designed to build endurance and distance, along with improving time. The schedule for the 2016 race isn't available yet, but when it is, I will import it into my calendar. I hadn't run in nearly 20 years and found his program excellent for getting back into form for the SW 10k.

I'm a parent, but mine left the house nearly 10 years ago. However, when she was young (and I'm a single parent, so finding me time was really a challenge), I ran early in the mornings before she woke up... or in the evenings after she was asleep. Years ago, the State of Florida allowed state employees 30 minutes 3 times a week for exercise. I used those 30 minutes to leave early and run during the work week, so I could avoid getting up at a time I don't even want to think about anymore.

Good luck with your training!