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I need to know it's possible to train/ race with children
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 2009-06-19 3:13 PM |
Pro  5169    Burbs |  Subject: I need to know it's possible to train/ race with childrenSome background: My husband really wants a baby. I'm 27, he's 29, and we've been married for 4 years. I told him I wanted to do an IM before we had baby no. 1, and I'll be racing doing IMCOZ Nov 09. We've talked about 'trying' not too long after that. I'm... I'm sort of on the fence. I definitely want children, and I get those maternal itches when I see/ hold a baby... but it's a big big big decision and a major life change. I KNOW that I will not be able to train / race when I have a newborn (oh god that thought is scarrrry!)... but I need to know that I will be able to make some type of return to tris when the baby isn't a baby anymore. |
| 2009-06-19 3:17 PM in reply to: #2229746 |
Extreme Veteran 535 Central New York | Subject: RE: I need to know it's possible to train/ race with children Trishie, I have two boys (2 and 6), and am putting up a fair number of hours on my training logs. It's all about priorities, and being on the same page with your husband. If my husband didn't support me in my training, there is no way I could do it with kids. My youngest was born in July, so no tris for me that year, but the following season I did three sprints while I was still nursing...totally doable. As far as training for IM, I do think that would be hard with small kids, but I know of several women who have done so with success. I'm waiting until my youngest is in school before I even decide... It also helps to have a good gym with childcare, a jogging stroller, and a trailer for the bike!! |
| 2009-06-19 3:29 PM in reply to: #2229746 |
Champion 7595 Columbia, South Carolina | Subject: RE: I need to know it's possible to train/ race with children Yes, it is possible. I'm a father, not a mother, but apart from feeding when the kids (3 of them) were babies, we split the child care time evenly. You have to prioritize and support each other, but it can be done. Of course I'm not going to tell you whether you should have kids, but...kids are great! |
| 2009-06-19 3:45 PM in reply to: #2229746 |
Pro 4824 Houston | Subject: RE: I need to know it's possible to train/ race with children I have 5 kids but I didn't start my tri training this year about the time my youngest turned 2, she is still nursing. You can train during pregnancy especially swimming but likely not running as much/far. You can start working out again shortly after the baby but you shouldn't expect long times away from home while you are nursing exclusively. If you have a bike trainer that is awesome! You can log many hours on there. I even rode a stationary bike while my baby was in the sling and walked a treadmill with baby on my back. Your body will need time to recover and your baby will need you a lot in the beginning but you can do it. |
| 2009-06-19 3:47 PM in reply to: #2229746 |
Champion 17756 SoCal | Subject: RE: I need to know it's possible to train/ race with children Yes you can |
| 2009-06-19 3:49 PM in reply to: #2229746 |
| Chandler | Subject: RE: I need to know it's possible to train/ race with children I agree with the previous posters it is all about balance and support from your spouse. My coach told me how his wife trained for an IM after she had one of their boys, competed in the IM and nursed the baby at the finish line. He said from the time she had the baby until the IM race was only one year. He also said that he and his wife have learned to alternate their racing seasons. If one of them is focusing on an IM, then the other sticks with sprints and olympic distances so that the training doesn't overpower their family life. My husband and I have four kids (12, 10, 7 and almost 3). He is training for an IM and I am training for an Olympic distance. I do all of my weekly training indoors either at home on the trainer or at the gym (treadmill and pool). On the weekends, he does his long bike in the morning and I do my long run at the gym. The next day, I do my long bike in the morning (on the road) and he does his long run at the gym when I get home. If you are already very active you should be able to train throughout your pregnancy (barring any pregnancy complications) for the most part without too much worry. Your doctor can counsel you on that and you can research it on your own as well. Just because you are pregnant does not mean you cannot train. It will just be a little different. After you have the baby, again barring any complications, you should be able to resume exercise within 6 weeks of the birth. Your biggest obstacle will be exhaustion from having a newborn and the changes a baby brings to your family. Talk to your husband and just be sure you are on the same page about responsibilities and goals. However, it seems to me that if you are aiming for a 2009 IM in the fall you should just finish that first and then try to conceive. It is only a few months and in the big picture that is not a lot of time.  Good luck with whatever you decide to do. |
| 2009-06-19 3:50 PM in reply to: #2229746 |
Champion 11641 Fairport, NY | Subject: RE: I need to know it's possible to train/ race with children Totally doable. I started training for my first tri at age 40 with 2 and 3 year old girls. You'll need a treadmill, a bike trainer and a membership at a Y that has both a pool and childcare. A jogging stroller that converts to a trailer can also be very useful as can the ability to ride on the trainer while watching Blues Clues DVDs. |
| 2009-06-19 3:53 PM in reply to: #2229746 |
Master 2301 Rogersville, Alabama | Subject: RE: I need to know it's possible to train/ race with children Yes you can. I'm training for IM #2 and my wife is racing maybe 6-7 sprints this year. It's all about time management. Oh yeah, our kids are 27 months and 14 weeks |
| 2009-06-19 3:58 PM in reply to: #2229746 |
Extreme Veteran 417 Davidson | Subject: RE: I need to know it's possible to train/ race with children It's definitely doable. I am a husband/daddy with two kids ages 7 & 10. My wife doesn't work, so that helps some. She has more opportunities to do her exercise regime than I do, so she tries to plan her activities when the kids are in school or summer camp, etc. That being said, a trainer for your bike and a treadmill will be pretty handy for you and allow you to get in training on a more flexible schedule. As far as whether it is the 'right time' in your lives to have them, well, there never really is a day that comes and knocks you over the head with "It's Time!" But I will give you some food for thought on one aspect from a guy that didn't get married until 39 and had our first child at 42. Don't forget to think about life after the kids are 18 and out of your house. You don't want to be too old to enjoy the newfound freedom. I will be 63 when my youngest is graduating from high school and heading for college. I wish I had started earlier, but I hadn't found the right mom yet... Greg |
| 2009-06-19 4:00 PM in reply to: #2229746 |
Regular 68 | Subject: RE: I need to know it's possible to train/ race with children You can definitely do it! The first year or so is a little tough, but as everyone else stated, it's all about priorities. And if you want something bad enough, you'll find a way to make it happen. I have two kids, 2 and 5. It sometimes feels like you have to fight to get your workouts in (my husband and I often have conflicting work schedules), but it only makes them that much more savory. There are tools to make it work. My jogging stroller is a life-saver. Bike trainers, stationary bikes, trailers, etc. I joined a 24 hour gym with a pool to help with the swim part. That way even if its 10:30 at night when my other half gets home, I can go do some laps. Plus they have great childcare. Another point not often mentioned, is that my training has become my "me" time. I cherish it. (As long as I'm not dragging a dog, and pushing my stroller on my runs,) my run/bike/swim is a wonderful QUIET time for me. It gives me that much needed meditation time away from the demands of family, work and life in general. Follow your life goals, IM, children, and/or both. Each harbors great personal reward. (Especially when your kids are cheering you on!) You can make it happen!  |
| 2009-06-19 4:02 PM in reply to: #2229849 |
Regular 68 | Subject: RE: I need to know it's possible to train/ race with children BamaDC - 2009-06-19 1:53 PM Yes you can. I'm training for IM #2 and my wife is racing maybe 6-7 sprints this year. It's all about time management. Oh yeah, our kids are 27 months and 14 weeks U both rock! |
| 2009-06-19 4:07 PM in reply to: #2229840 |
| Alpharetta, Georgia | Subject: RE: I need to know it's possible to train/ race with children KZitar - 2009-06-19 3:49 PM He also said that he and his wife have learned to alternate their racing seasons. If one of them is focusing on an IM, then the other sticks with sprints and olympic distances so that the training doesn't overpower their family life. I am not a parent but this sounds like a great idea! My boyfriend and I are both triathletes and I can see us implementing something similar down the road. |
| 2009-06-19 4:08 PM in reply to: #2229746 |
Member 219 Nampa, Idaho | Subject: RE: I need to know it's possible to train/ race with children YES. It is very possible! My husband is military and is gone a lot and I still manage to train with two young children. I have babysitters that I know I can call that can watch the kids while I go out for a bike ride or a run. And the gym has childcare that I drop the kids off at while I swim. As they get older I'll just let them splash around the kiddie pool while I'm in the lap pool. My five year old is almost ready to start following me on her bike while I go for a jog. A lot of mothers I know get up early to get their training in or do it in the evenings after husband gets home. |
| 2009-06-19 4:13 PM in reply to: #2229882 |
Veteran 378 The Cold North | Subject: RE: I need to know it's possible to train/ race with children It's totally do-able. I just started training last year when my kids were 11, 7 and 2. This year I've got 6 spints lined up and I did a half marathon in the spring. Without the support of my husband, I don't think it would be possible but he knows how important my training is for me, so even with a sick child, we still find time for me to get in all the training I need. You may just need to be a little more flexible with your training times. |
| 2009-06-19 4:19 PM in reply to: #2229746 |
Master 1356 | Subject: RE: I need to know it's possible to train/ race with children I got into Tri-ing last year when my two kids were 1.5 and 3.5. My running and riding was almost exclusively done pushing a stroller and pulling a trailer, respectively. For swimming, I got up before the kids/Daddy to go swim and got home to find breakfast ready on the table If your partner is prepared to support the FAMILY, then having kids will not stifle your ability to be a triathlete. You both will need to make adjustments to make it work. This year I joined a gym with childcare so my training is mostly indoors. I have done some weekend runs where we go to the park and the kids play with Daddy as sentry and I run loops. Soon my daughter might be riding her bike while I run... we'll see! |
| 2009-06-19 4:34 PM in reply to: #2229746 |
Elite 3658 Roswell, GA | Subject: RE: I need to know it's possible to train/ race with children It's all been said above, but I'll say it again. Yep. You get smarter with your time and prioritize everything differently. btw, kids change everything. How you train will be a very small change compared to when and how you sleep, eat, and have fun. |
| 2009-06-19 4:34 PM in reply to: #2229746 |
Expert 1121 Chicago | Subject: RE: I need to know it's possible to train/ race with children Writing as a very involved dad (took the night shifts, feedings, baths, diapers, etc.) of 3 young kids and with a busy job, it's totally doable. The one caveat that I'd add is not to spend a whole lot of time planning or worrying about what comes after baby - just know that you can make things work. The one constant that I've seen as different friends and family have had children is that no one really knows exactly how that new baby will affect them until its there. P.S. It also speaks well for the possibility of training with kids that there is a cottage industry on the web selling baby and kid t-shirts: "Swim, Daddy [or Mommy] Swim! Bike, Daddy, Bike! Run, Daddy, Run", available with a "Team Ershk" on the back!! [and those shirts, or maybe more so the kids jumping up ad down in them, definitely adds a mph or two for at least a little while after you see them at a race] or, another nice onesie, "140.6 miles 'til I get my Daddy back". |
| 2009-06-19 4:44 PM in reply to: #2229746 |
Elite 4048 Gilbert, Az. | Subject: RE: I need to know it's possible to train/ race with children trishie - 2009-06-19 1:13 PM Some background: My husband really wants a baby. I'm 27, he's 29, and we've been married for 4 years. I told him I wanted to do an IM before we had baby no. 1, and I'll be racing doing IMCOZ Nov 09. We've talked about 'trying' not too long after that. I'm... I'm sort of on the fence. I definitely want children, and I get those maternal itches when I see/ hold a baby... but it's a big big big decision and a major life change. I KNOW that I will not be able to train / race when I have a newborn (oh god that thought is scarrrry!)... but I need to know that I will be able to make some type of return to tris when the baby isn't a baby anymore. Why not? The owner of my martial arts studio had a baby last year. She trained and taught class until her 8th month, and was back training within 4 weeks of giving birth. You may not have as much TIME to train as you had before, so you'll just have to make the most of the time you do have. Focus on harder, high quality workouts, and use the days you can't workout as good recovery time. Plenty of high level athletes train around having little 'uns. John |
| 2009-06-19 6:09 PM in reply to: #2229746 |
| Master 1695 STL | Subject: RE: I need to know it's possible to train/ race with children Yes it's doable, alot of us here have families. It's funny you post that because at 29, we have a 7 and a 6 year old, but would like to have another. Sometimes I seriously think about adoption because racing is so much a part of me, and I've always wanted to adopt or foster care. I have "issues" know with body image (lingering from adolecence) and not sure if I want to do it to myself again, plus there's a big difference of being 29 and prego than being 21 and prego! At the same time, it's exciting thinking about what another one of OUR children would look like and be like... |
| 2009-06-19 6:45 PM in reply to: #2229746 |
Extreme Veteran 604 Carrollton, Virginia | Subject: RE: I need to know it's possible to train/ race with children My wife and I both train for Tri and we have a 2 yr old. We've been training for about a year. You could train pretty much the entire time - we have a friend from our LBS that was riding her bike (on a trainer) while she was pregnant, and was not advised otherwise by her doc. Even during the infant stage, if you have the energy and support from your family, you could train SOME. Once a kid turns 1-ish or so, it becomes a LOT easier and you could easily log 6-8+ hours if your family and lifestyle supports it. My wife trains EARLY AM or right after work and then picks up our 2yo form daycare. I train after she leaves in the morning, during lunch, and occasionally after he goes to bed. Other than work stuff going on, vacation, and a short illness, I've had no trouble getting in decent training, and fully expect us both to do 8-10 hours for most of the summer in preparation for the HIM we are doing. |
| 2009-06-19 7:26 PM in reply to: #2229746 |
Master 1572 PA | Subject: RE: I need to know it's possible to train/ race with children It's really about time. You can make time, but you will have to make sacrifices. The majority of my training is before 7:30am (i get up at 5am most days, so the sacrifice is sleep) or after 8pm when kids are in bed. Outdoor bikes occur during the day, but on the weekends i try to be on the bike by 6am so i'm home by noon or so if it's a long bike. |
| 2009-06-19 7:55 PM in reply to: #2230130 |
Champion 9060 Charlottesville, Virginia | Subject: RE: I need to know it's possible to train/ race with children We have a 3 and 5 year old, wife just did her first 1/2 a couple weeks ago, and I did the Oly the day before. It does take quite a bit of planning if you want to get a decent amount of training in. My wife gets up very early and runs to work or runs at lunch, also does masters pretty early. I swim at work and run right when I get home. That way we don't miss much time with the kids at all. Kids just went to bed and she went for a run. LOL, my 5 year old is very excited about his USAT card he had to get for a run, trike, run he is doing this summer. |
| 2009-06-19 8:27 PM in reply to: #2229746 |
Master 1655 NJ | Subject: RE: I need to know it's possible to train/ race with children Sure - like Marma said - the trainer's not boring until you've watched an hour or so of Blue's Clues and Mickey's Clubhouse. Double jogger was the best gift we got ourselves. The Y has free babysitting and my husband's great at watching the kiddies on the weekends. Totally doable and you're a great role model for them. Our oldest did her first tri a few months ago when she was 3 and is doing another this summer. She's stoked
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| 2009-06-19 8:53 PM in reply to: #2229746 |
Extreme Veteran 434 Stuart | Subject: RE: I need to know it's possible to train/ race with children Dont let this sport stand between you and your family if that is what you really want. My wife and I are both endurance athletes. We just have to share the load in child care and split training time. We use our mothers "grandma time" to get in rides or runs/ races together. Instead of movies or dinner. It is what is important to us. My wife ran till 3 day before her c section. She got the go ahead to run again 5 weeks later and started back that day. She did NYC marathon 8 months after our baby was born. It is very possible to have kids and tri. Seeing my little girl at the finish of one of my races is my greatest joy in life. I just hope she wants to join me when she gets older. If not Ill join her in whatever she loves. |
| 2009-06-19 9:17 PM in reply to: #2229746 |
Master 2491 | Subject: RE: I need to know it's possible to train/ race with children If you train at 4 AM, it doesn't cut into family time. You'll need to get to bed early, but I only lost out on a lot of bad tv and some of my insomnia. Give it a few months. It may work for you. |
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