A recent WSJ article told the woeful tales of couples in conflict over exercise, including the life of an Ironman "widow" left behind with her kids while her husband devotes countless hours to triathlon training. So, what's the key to fit marital bliss? According to the story, it's a two-athlete household. "[T]he surest way for a marriage to accommodate an intense exercise regimen is for both spouses to engage in it." I guess I should count myself lucky to be married to a fellow endurance sport enthusiast, then.
Before parenthood, our running shoes, road bikes and wetsuits were our babies. At various times, each of us left the other on a weekend morning for multihour rides, runs or swims. It never seemed strange. We were big into road races and triathlons and it was just our way of life. And now, as parents, it still is. With adjustments.
Training for my first postbaby half marathon, I got by with two weekday runs and a one weekend long run each week. In his early months as a dad, my husband cycled into the mountains with his friends every other weekend instead of each week. And to this day, we often run together with the little one babbling or snoozing away in the BOB.
It can be a difficult task to find balance with a new addition to your family. But, with some effort, it's possible and even fun. Despite lack of sleep and the complete upheaval of our once neat little schedules, we carve out time for sanity-restoring exercise and often feel better because of it. (We just won't get into all the other things that have chipped away at our sanity as new parents.)
Our suggestions to new parents:
1. Have a plan. Map out your races or goals for the year, devise a training plan or schedule and put it all in writing. We use a shared calendar to jot down big training days and races. Knowing your workouts for the day, month and season will help you and your partner plan accordingly and follow through. If you're new to formal training plans, do a quick search online and you'll find countless resources for creating a schedule that's compatible with endurance parenting. For running, I'm a big fan of FIRST and its less-is-more philosophy.
2. Be flexible. Adaptability is a good characteristic for any new parent to have. Even more so for a weekend warrior mom or dad. A hellish night of teething or a sick kiddo might preempt a speed workout or long run. Don't let these bumps in the road break your stride. Accept that they will come up and revise your plans by swapping workouts or shifting training days. Adapting as needed is good mental training for race days when you're dealing with unexpected changes in weather, a surprise mid-race injury or malfunctioning equipment. Ever have two flats in one race? I have. There's no way to train for that, and your success lies completely in how you adapt.
3. Have fun together. The family that runs together has fun together. While I certainly enjoy my alone time on runs, rides and swims, I really love when the three of us can get outside and enjoy a workout together. It turns exercise into a family hobby and is a great way to introduce your little one to the importance of being active. We ran our first race as a family when the kidster was about 6 months old and it's a great memory. He was the first stroller to cross the line, and I chuckle about the fact that he earned his first medal before he could walk. If he decides running is for him, we're looking forward to watching him cross a finish line on his own.
© 2011 GUF
