Moms-How do you do it??

[HoddyToddy]

Hi ladies,
I have a 3 yr old and #2 due in Feb. HOW do you maintain a good ride/training schedule and balance your work and family?

My hubby is also very active (two night skates{M,W} and at least one long weekend ride{usually Sat}), so we have to work around that, too. He is a little more serious than I am, so his routine usually comes first. I usually won't do Sunday mornings, as we are church-goers, but will go in the afternoons during fall/spring.

Should we just bite the bullet and get a regular babysitter/nanny a few afternoons/evenings/weekend mornings?

TIA,
Jenny

[limewave]

Yes, get a regular babysitter. My mom takes DD one evening a week so I can get my serious workout in. And, early Sunday morning while DH and DD are still asleep, I get my second good workout in for the week. Pretty much every other workout I include DD--push in the baby jogger, pull in the burley. She even likes to get her bouncy ball out and mimic the ball exercises I do for strength training.

The other option I'll be looking into this winter or next year is a YMCA membership. DD will be old enough to do Tumble Tots or take a swim class on her own and I would be able to attend a spin class during that time. They also have a day care set up for members.

Good luck! It's so hard to find balance, but if you are committed, I'm sure you'll find a way!

[HoddyToddy]

Thanks, limewave.

Yeah, we have the trailer, but DS is way to heavy now. But I'm sure it will get a lot of use again come May 2008!

And I want to invest in a jogging stroller as well for skating with the kids.

I'm happy that the timing of this pregnancy is such that as soon as I am physically able to start riding again, Spring will be here!

[singletrackmind]

Pulled the poor guy around in a trailer (he seemed to enjoy it) until just before his 4th b-day, now he's my best ever stoker on the tandem.

Ok, so I'm not that fast this year because he's only doing 22-50 miles with stops, it won't be forever....




....right???

[Running Mommy]

Well I only have one... But it can work if you really plan ahead- and are flexible. The best laid plans can change when kids are in the picture.

Since I was a runner before I was a triathlete, it was more about getting in the run training when he was small.
I had him in a jogging stroller at 6 weeks. He stayed in that until around 4. Then he moved on to the bike with training wheels. By 5 he was on two wheels and I had to sprint to keep up with him.
He's 10 now, and just recently took over my old road bike. Yeah- he is as tall as me now! But the good thing is we can ride together. He's not quite as fast as I am, but he keeps up pretty good.
In the past I did a lot of trainer rides. Spinervals became my friend. In fact he loves to make fun of Troy Jacobson. FIVE< FOUR< THREE<TWO ONE.... And spiiiinnnnnnn.....
Also having a gym with a good daycare is nice.
I think if you can work it out with the husband so that you can get out at least a couple of times a week and then balance that with trainer time, you'll do fine.
Oh- also getting the rides in early in the morning helps too. You are coming off the bike just as they wake up. I'm in such a good mood when I come off the bike and then see that smiling face waking up.
Of course in the winter that will involve having a good light. But it's well worth the cost IMO.
Good luck! And congrats on # 2!!

[Trekhawk]

3 kids, 1 fantastic husband who watches the kids a lot so I can ride.

[maillotpois]

RM - LOL about Coach Troy!! The PP saw the countdown clock on there and called it the countdown to "when you can be happy". And ditto on the riding in the morning, before light - though I do that more because I work 40+ hours a week than anything else. For me, though, there's no way I would ever be able to ride in the afternoons/evenings after work, because that's my time with Em to do homework, talk about her day, etc.

When she was little, I did run with a jogger stroller. I didn't get a bike til she was about 5. Cycling is tough to juggle because DH rides also. His parents live nearby (up until 2004 we lived in an in-law unit on their house) and have been EXTREMELY helpful. We couldn't do all the TNT rides and coaching we do if it weren't for them.

Now we're to the age with her (she's 11 going on 28 ) where we can go for a ride together for several hours and leave her alone. Wow!

And we only have one as well.....

Good luck. It can be done.

[cyclingmom01]

I have done all of my marathon trng in the wee hours of the morning as to not interfere with their soccer, swimming, band & whatever else we needed to get the kids to. 0430 in the morning for my last marathon trng. The biking seems to be a little harder for me becasue I won't ride in the dark and it's been dangerously hot when I'm done with my work day.
I have to realize that it's hard to stick to an actual trng schedule. I have to be okay with missing an occasional day. My kids are old enough now that they don't need a sitter and yours will be there before you know it. Don't wish them to grow up too fast.

[tjf9]

I get most of my workouts in after the kids go to bed. My husband's hobby is the XBox, so he doesn't mind staying home most nights. Last night I did my long run and didn't get home until 9:30.

On the weekends, I usually take the kids to the gym with me and I'll spin or run on the treadmill. It's not an optimal workout, but at least someone else is watching the kids!

[cwodiva]

I have one ds who is seven. I've figured out that it's in the planning really. Dh is a serious rider too, he's wonderful about sharing time.

Don't let your goals come second just because your dh seems more "serious". Maybe talk to him about how important it is to you.

My dh' is work schedule makes it hard for us both to get rides in the way we want to. Last school year he was off by 1:00 and home by 2:00 so then we would take turns and I didn't have to worry about childcare. This school year has been different. DH works until 6, then does his ride around work to wait for the commute traffic to settle. If I didn't organize childcare I wouldn't be able to ride.

On weekends: He does the Sat morning group ride. I'll catch a ride later in the day.(I loove sleeping in on Saturdays!) I do the Sun morning group ride, he'll catch a ride later in the day. Sometimes we'll get a babysitter (once a month) for Sunday mornings so we can both do that ride. Ds sleeps in and usually has been up only an hour anyway by the time we get home from the Sunday ride.

I am lucky with my work hours, I'm done at 2:00, ds gets off the bus at 2:30 and he goes to a sports afterschool program in our neighborhood, swimming, base ball etc. I ride from about 2:30-4:00 or 4:30 on Tues, Thursday, Friday.
Mondays and Wednesdays are my rest days and I pick DS up early, normally right at bus time. If work gets busy or something else happens. I can always switch rest days around.

I also have a trainer that I use. That's a lifesaver. Ds and I will watch one of his shows together while I do my workout.

There is also a neighbor girl who is 14, more of a mother's helper. I can also ride laps in my neighborhood while she hangs out with ds. It saves travel time to the park, as well as, knowing if I need to get back in an emergency, I can be right there.

The first is to figure out what kind of workout schedule you want (how many days a week), then when you have your goals in mind, you can work childcare around. Having childcare is key. My dh is wonderful but his work schedule is terrible plus he has a two hour commute each day.

I also have a cycling coach, which helps tremendously. He takes my time constraints into consideration and makes the best workout plan for me, without spending 25 hours a week on the bike. I spend 6-12 hours a week riding, depending on if it's a heavy or easy week. Since I've started working with him, I get more of my rides in, have met and exceede my cycling goals. Coaches aren't just for pro's but are for regular people too. I get really good quality workouts and am riding stronger than ever before.

Childcare money is money well spent. I'm a much happier mommy when I get on my bike.

[momof4greatkids]

First congrats on the new baby! That's a nice age difference, it's a fun time in life, but also very hectic and demanding.

I haven't read through all the replies yet, but I can relate to your problem.

My kids are older now, 19-18-14-12. We are Christians and church comes first on Sunday mornings, too.

I think that it is vital to do whatever it takes for you to maintain your fitness, for your physical and emotional health. If it means paying a sitter, it's money well spent.

I guess I'm doubly blessed because my husband has always supported me to make sure I had my time for working out, cycling, running, whatever it may be. Why don't you work something out w/your hubby, where he takes over the duties at home while you get equal time to pursue your own fitness goals? That seems fair to me. Your time could be Tues and Thurs eve and Sunday afternoons. He still can do his Saturday long rides and skates on Mon Wed. The family budget won't take a hit for increased child care costs either.

Whatever you do, don't allow your own needs go unmet in the onslaught of raising your kids. You will be happier and have a healthier marriage in the long run if you take good care of your kid's mom.

Colleen

Hi ladies,
I have a 3 yr old and #2 due in Feb. HOW do you maintain a good ride/training schedule and balance your work and family?

My hubby is also very active (two night skates{M,W} and at least one long weekend ride{usually Sat}), so we have to work around that, too. He is a little more serious than I am, so his routine usually comes first. I usually won't do Sunday mornings, as we are church-goers, but will go in the afternoons during fall/spring.

Should we just bite the bullet and get a regular babysitter/nanny a few afternoons/evenings/weekend mornings?

TIA,
Jenny

[susiej]

Hi ladies,
I have a 3 yr old and #2 due in Feb. HOW do you maintain a good ride/training schedule and balance your work and family?

I commute to the train station (1 to 3.5 miles one way, depending on the station) each day. We are trying to find a route from our son's daycare back to our house that doesn't involve high traffic roads. :/ I'll also ride to the produce markets on weekends, and am trying to bike to anything within three miles. It's easier for me to squeeze riding into everyday chores than to set aside time a few days a week.

Our son is 2 1/2, and two weeks ago all three of us did the half-metric at the Lancaster (Pa) Bike Club's Covered Bridge Metric Century (30.9 miles, 4 1/2 hours including an hour of breaks). We saw a handful of kids on bikes, trail-a-bikes and in trailers (and one dog in a trailer!) on the quarter and half metric rides! The few training rides we did as a family lasted no more than an hour, mostly because we were riding unpaved trails, which were very uncomfortable for him.

We trade childcare duties as needed, either a morning-afternoon split, or a Saturday-Sunday split, or a Thursday night - Saturday morning split. You could each take a child on a ride, either together or separately.

My boss's husband biked up and down the quarter-mile hill in front of their house while their nine-year-old son sat on the porch, played, and acted as "rider support" for his dad. (My boss was here, bossing.) He said he was in fantastic shape for the next group ride he did.

Like you said, you can always get a babysitter.

Congratulations and good luck!

[Jiffer]

Just today, on my ride, I was thinking about how great it is that I can get out there and ride without worrying about who will be home with the kids. They're 9 and 12 now, so they're fine on their own. I only got into cycling about a year ago, so I never had to schedule around them, though I did when I was into walking/running and any time I wanted to go to the gym, etc.. I scheduled around Dh's schedule, which wasn't always easy to do because his schedule changes every other minute, yet he doesn't have to leave for work at 6:00 or 7:00 every day either.

My kid's are homeschooled, so it's not like I could ever drop them off at school and go exercise.

I think a babysitter a couple of times a week would be good. When you feel good, you'll be a better mom!

[indigoiis]

I have a fourteen year old daughter, and I have a farm, and I work 40 hrs a week about 35 mins (non bikeable due to a bridge) away from home. My daughter starts at a new charter high school this year in another city - about 45 mins. away - and must be driven to the bus at 7:10, two days a week (the other days she is with her Dad.)

Last week I went out alone on a non-kid day for a 25 miler and came home to one of our animals giving birth.

It's definitely a challenge.

I worked out a schedule and told everyone too bad - I gots to ride. On non-kid days I ride in the a.m., do farm chores and check all the pregnant mom animals, then go to work. On kid days, I ride in the evenings after evening farm chores. I'll be able to keep this up until it starts getting darker earlier. Then I don't know what I'll do - get up at 4? But then, it's dark then, too. I guess I'll need to get a lamp on the bike. Meantime my husband only gets to ride once a week - his schedule is even crazier.

You just gotta make it happen!

[sgtiger]

I'm a SAHM who couldn't do it without a very supportive DH. He watches the kids so I can go to yoga/tai-chi 2-3x a week after he gets off work. He works out the other evenings (while I take DS to his tae kwon do class) and sometimes after I come back from yoga. It means that we rarely eat dinner together during the week anymore.

I usually have a weekend day for a long ride. I try to get short rides in during the week with DD in the trailer, but that's been difficult with DS home for summer vacation. He's only good for short spurts on his bike with lots of long breaks in between. Thankfully school resumes in a week. Also, now we try to plan family and couple activities that involve our bikes.

We do have a YMCA membership for the whole family, which is nice, because as Limewave mentioned they provide free day care for the kiddies. I try to get two circuit training work-outs in during the week but I've been lazy about that lately. Their rates are very reasonable IMO and the facility is nice (at least in my area - I have lived in communities where the Y was very ghetto) with enough equipment that there usually isn't a long wait for them. They offer a plethora of programs most of which are part of membership - spinning, swimming, pilates, nutrition, etc. Some classes do require an additional fee such as the various martial art classes and personal training sessions. Plus they offer various programs for kids of all ages and family programs. We keep meaning to take advantage of their parents night out. This is offered one night a month for parents to drop off their children for a few hours in the evening for a date night or something. Not all Y's have the same offerings, so if you're interested, check with your local outfit.

My other "work-outs" are during play time with the kids. DD is competitive by nature so she'll want to race while she's riding her bike and I'll chase after her on foot or on my rollerblades. We each have our own jumpropes and the kids will watch me and try to follow along. If the kids are occupied with their own activities and friends, I sometimes use that time to stretch or something. I probably look like a dork doing this in the middle of our apartment complex. Oh well, I don't fit most people's definition of cool anyway and I have learned to accept that. Not too long ago a neighbor commented on how athletic she thought I was. I have to admit that for this former couch potato and slightly less chubbier (though I'm still quite a butterball) person it felt good to hear.