Moms with young children -- finding time to ride

[CaliRider]

I am curious about other working moms of young children make cycling work for them. My children are 8, 5 and 3, so they still need constant supervision. I'm feeling like I want to increase my mileage and my cycling time, and I just can't figure out how to make it happen. Right now I get up early 3 days a week and ride before my husband and I leave for work, but I only get to ride for 30-40 minutes. Then on Saturdays I have been riding about 90 minutes. I have a Burley trailer that my 3-year-old can ride in, but it's not particularly therapeutic to carry on a conversation with a toddler the whole ride and stop periodically to help with snacks and water. I guess I'm curious about how often you ride and your weekly mileage too. I would love to hear any stories of how you make it all work.

Thanks!

[Skippyak]

I don't have young children any more (mine are 13/16) but frankly when my 3 were little, I didn't go to work and when they were not in school the only exercise time was when they were in bed (ie night time). I now live in UT and I am frankly astounded by how the mums of many (many LOL) young children appear to have time for multiple exercise avenues. The mums are not working but they often have babies right up to older teens. Frankly I don't know the answer. I think you do really well to manage a job, young kids and any exercise that does not involve a babysitter or childcare. What about a trainer indoors? My answer is that I never did make it all work when mine were toddlers and I didn't even have a job to juggle. Is commuting by bike an option?

[Crankin]

I didn't ride when I had young kids, but I did go to the gym, religiously, at 5-6 AM. I even taught aerobics at this time for years.
I mixed it in with after work exercise, but, since I already got up at 5:30 for work, what's another hour earlier?

[Melalvai]

I didn't start riding until my daughter was 9. That was just coincidence but it worked out pretty well.

I have heard of some parents who just do the toddler ride, stopping constantly for snacks etc. With 3 kids, and only 1 that fits in the trailer, that surely would be a challenge.

I know a couple who are both extremely active, with a 1-yr old, who take turns, bring the kid in some fashion (usually a jogging trailer for a run), or use a babysitter.

I know another mom who has 4 small kids and she is an avid gardener. I think that keeps her pretty active, and all the kids are involved in the gardening.

Keep asking the question. Somewhere there's a creative solution that will work for you. With 3 small kids, bicycling might not be for you, or maybe it is-- a bicycle built for 4!

[Crankin]

I must add that when I needed to, I got a babysitter, so I could keep exercising. Mostly, this occurred when I was teaching at the gym and my DH was traveling. I had a wonderful teenage babysitter who would come to my house at 4:40 AM, so I could teach my class at 5 (very hard to get subs at that hour), and stay until I either came home and got ready for work and my nanny came, or, stayed until the nanny came, if I had to be at work early and had to shower at the gym. She would drive to my house, and get ready for school there. She was from a family of 5 kids who had foster babies, and I also used her older sister and younger brother to watch my kids at times. We started with her when she had just turned 12, and she knew more about child care than most moms! She now is 42 and has 4 kids of her own.
I guess what I am saying, is that develop a support system, whether it be sitters, relatives, or other moms. I am sure some thought I was selfish, but it was "my time," and it kept me sane. Also, exercising at that early time didn't really interfere with other family responsibilities. My DH used to play racquetball at lunch.

[limewave]

You are riding more than I am! My kids are 4 and almost 8. I make spin class one morning a week and then try and ride for 90 minutes on the weekend. That's quite literally all the spare time I have right now. I'm already getting up at 4 AM every day. Most mornings I run or walk for 45ish minutes. I run because I can do that outside in the dark--I much prefer to exercise outside than riding a trainer or going to spin class. I think it's just that stage of life . . . I do try and take the kids for bike rides but those are clearly for their benefit and is more valuable as "family together time" rather than "me getting in a workout" time. DH and I occasionally get a babysitter so that we can go mountain biking.

[ny biker]

I run because I can do that outside in the dark--I much prefer to exercise outside than riding a trainer or going to spin class.

I have no kids, but this might be helpful -- I like to go for a hilly ride (15-18 miles) one night per week after work. I developed a route near my office (in Arlington) that I really like. It's on mostly low-traffic roads and is a great workout. In the spring and fall I would usually finish around dusk but a good inexpensive headlight (Bontrager Ion 2) was sufficient for those conditions. I generally don't do the ride from mid/late October through late March, because I didn't want to ride after dark or in the cold.

A couple of months ago my job moved to an inconveniently-located and not very safe neighborhood in DC. I decided I wanted to continue doing my weekly rides after work in Arlington. But now I have to drive for about a half-hour to get to the ride start, so I'm starting later, and since it's fall already I'm finding that my rides are starting at sunset or later. So I decided to take the plunge and get a better headlight. I checked the reviews online and then got this one (which was also highly recommended by two people at my LBS):

http://thebikelane.com/product/light-motion-urban-550-headlight-173934-1.htm

And it's game changer. I now feel much more comfortable riding in total darkness. And it did not cost nearly as much as I thought I would have to spend to get a good light.

I also have several taillights and a couple of small blinking headlights, plus I wear reflective gear (wristbands and ankle bands plus this vest: http://www.teamestrogen.com/prodNN_2039N.html). I'm finding that I can see really well and drivers are also seeing me.

So basically what I'm trying to say is, for years I figured it wasn't worth the effort or cost to outfit myself for riding after dark, but the effort and cost really wasn't as much as I thought they'd be. And it can be fun riding in the dark, and very peaceful if you have a good network of quiet residential streets to ride on.

Now my only limiter is the cold. But I've been investing in better winter weather gear recently, so I'm going to try to keep doing the weekly night rides. I still probably won't be doing them in the worst winter months, but I'm looking forward to riding outdoors later into the fall and earlier in the spring.

[limewave]

What about wildlife? That is a major concern for me. When I run early in the morning there are all sorts of wildlife running around my neighborhood: skunks, raccoons, deer, coyote, etc. I see them all the time when I'm running and I would be worried about having one of the critters run out in front of me while I'm cycling. The animals are very active between 4-5 AM in my 'hood.

[ny biker]

What about wildlife? That is a major concern for me. When I run early in the morning there are all sorts of wildlife running around my neighborhood: skunks, raccoons, deer, coyote, etc. I see them all the time when I'm running and I would be worried about having one of the critters run out in front of me while I'm cycling. The animals are very active between 4-5 AM in my 'hood.

Most of the wildlife I have to deal with is idiot squirrels. I do see deer, but I see them earlier in the evening, too.

[Crankin]

I have seen the occasional deer on my early AM rides. The ones that sort of live in my neighborhood have a very predictable pattern and always cross the road at the same spot, or go across my driveway in the same spot. I do not go fast at this time, even if if I am going downhill, so I can easily stop.
The squirrels, etc., well I have those all of the time.
And yes, just adding in one ride a week for 12-15 miles in the dark, adds up. I've had 3 headlights, and the one I have now is so bright that drivers often flash their lights at me!

[limewave]

I am almost convinced to try early morning riding! But, at this point in the season, I think I will wait until spring. But I have a few Christmas Gift ideas to ask for now!

[CaliRider]

Thanks, everyone! I am thankful for the validation and the reminder that this is merely a season of life; there will soon be time. I don't want to be so caught up in waiting for free time that I don't enjoy the phase we're in. It's just that I have discovered that I LOVE biking (as opposed to the running I've done for years without really enjoying it that much), and I would love to do more.

Thanks, too, for the suggestions about riding in the dark; that's a possibility. We live far enough in the country that wildlife is a huge problem here too. I have nearly wrecked by hitting a deer in the daylight....we live in a dense deer population....so I would be a tad concerned about that. The good news is that the time change will make it lighter earlier in a couple of weeks, and it very rarely gets colder than the 30's in the mornings here.

My take away from this discussion is that what I'm doing right now is reasonable given our time and budget, so I am going to choose to focus on the joy of riding when I get out for my short rides.

Thank you!