I’m lucky, i have a basement. And my kids’ rooms are not on the main floor but on the “1st” (and only) floor.
So that gives me some time to train whether after they go to sleep or before i go to work.
I usually avoid mornings like the plague, but sometimes, it’s the best time for outdoor rides on weekends. And it seems to be the same with my 2 other rider friends who also have kids 2 and under.
By the time we’re done our ride, kids are done having breakfast and we can go on about our days without having disrupted their schedule
Obviously, first year or so is harder as even when trying during their nap, they might wake up so … you’ll get a few stopped/unfinished workouts and it’s alright. At least you tried.
Lots of great ideas in here. I basically used all the low volume plans SSB1and2, and then alternated the Different build plans and would repeat. If I had to i cut the long ride on Saturday short by 15min. I did this in 17,18 and found my fitness improved decently. If I had time during the week I would do a 2-3 hour endurance ride. But that didn’t happen every week but I stayed consistent with my structure. Didn’t burn myself out either. Good luck to all the parents out there. It’s a battle for sure but mental health is as important as physical health for both parents. Communicate with the yours and life will be so much better.
Wasn’t training when they were newborns - it’s the size I was having them that got me going (with thos photo’s now my “before” ones!).
Now they’re older, I just schedule when least disruptive to the family. That generally means mornings. I use Hybrid Rollers in the work car park - beat the traffic, get my workout done, available all evening!
I may be pedantic, buuuutt…I think your poll isn’t set up to capture data properly.
Someone with 2 girls and one boy (or vice versa), has no option.
It also doesn’t quantity the number of boys/girls. Someone could have 5 girls and no boys - but their poll response is equal to only +1 against their column.
It’s almost like you’ve used the US electoral system as a model to set up the poll!
Great thread… I have 4 kids, from 12yr - 1yr old and I have been able to still follow TR plans for a few years without much effort.
Here are my tips:
Set a schedule. Train at the same time every night or morning. I get on the trainer immediately after I get the kids down for bed Tuesday - Thursday. (Mornings are hard because sometimes the kids wake up in the middle of night and I end up skipping it)
Get in that 1 ride outside a week with friends. For me it is key or I get tired of the pain cave. When I get home from my 1 outside ride my wife gets the afternoon to do what she wants, and I handle the kids.
Remove beer! It sucks, but you don’t have time for it anymore.
Do your house duties whenever you have a spare min so they don’t get in the way of your training
It is hardest to find time for races. So select just the good ones and try to make a family trip out of them.
Manage expectations. You are not going to have time to race a lot, or go for those super long training rides. Your friends who do all that will probably crush you. Learn to be cool with it. At least you are still out there.
Get used to being sick a lot and don’t try to train through it.
Isn’t that the truth, I cant say no to a little kiss and hug when they have a cold. And of course I then get the exact same.
And Ive goner from racing twice a weekend, Sat and Sunday, to racing IRL once a month, and use Zwift races during the week (also good for replacing SST)
Those are 2 great points.
There are only 24 hours in a day, so you have to make choices.
House duties and actually other duties too are time consuming, but most of the time with the right planning and doing them, as you advise, whenever there is a spare minute, is a huge time saver. This can be as dumb as washing the dishes when you wait for kids to be ready to go out. Seriously, we have plenty of 3-5 minutes slots in a day - many people just take a look at their phone and watch dumb stuff - if you actually optimize those, once kids are asleep, it’s your free time immediately - you don’t have any other stuff to do. It’s invaluable.
We’ve had our 3rd kid a month ago so it wasn’t easy, but with experience, I’m actually amazed but how well this month I was able to train. I was prepared to not train at all, while I’m actually able to maintain a very good fitness - following a plan though is a bit too much, as with the newborn and new school year there are quite a lot of unexpected events.
Another key advice that many of us mention already is this - realize your training time is a privilege your partner is giving you, so make sure to return the favor. He or she also need free time and it’s up to him/her to decide what to spend on it - maybe it’s a nap, Netflix series or Kaweah+2.
Hey folks. My daughter is 6 months. Big shift in life as you can all imagine. Making it work though and that’s mainly down to my wife being super understandable. I still try and keep my Tuesdays and Thursdays as I used to with a 2 hour gravel ride at the weekend when I’m not racing. I am currently racing CX some weekends so want to keep as in the loop as I can. My wife and baby come to the races and love it and that’s the joy of CX. I pop in and out of hour workouts depending on what the body is willing to except. I do these after she’s gone to bed. Sleep is a killer, but I just have to deal with it and not let it get in my head. The mountain bike has been shelved which gives me some time to get a few new parts for it and have it ready for next season.
All in all I still have some focus and I’m miles off where I was but feel I have a good balance. I love watching her grow up and hate missing out on anything especially when I’m away all day working. It puts everything into perspective and its a welcome change to a routine I have been doing for 4 years. Trainer Road has been the best money I’ve spent and feel I am really utilizing the time that’s available to me. Thanks guys!
The company (or the product, or both?) is called kids ride shotgun, I got it directly on the internet. Best 100 bucks I ever spent on bike parts, the little one loves it!
Paul congrats on your daughter, daughters change your life that’s for sure. Sounds like you have adapted quite well. TR is great for being time crunched. You can achieve quite a lot in limited time and with your base as good as it was, you can maintain that and still race CX. When she gets older, training becomes easier around her it did for the twins and I.
Keep at it mate.
This week has been crap, mentally and physically. Single parent while the wife is away has been a challenge, mentally, emotionally and my training has been in my terms sub par. Completed zero sessions, had to adapt to 45mins here and there, I was on a good session outdoors this week, when I flatted. Its very hard to accept my own training which I consider my time has been a failure. I try and say I am doing whatever I can, making the sessions I do have count, I’m training for a 40k TT so 45mins with SST efforts isn’t really cutting it. Hopefully today and tomorrow I can get two solid sessions in (now the wife is back).
Went thru the same a few weeks back. Wife was gone for a week, leaving me to fly solo w/the 10mo old twins. Before she left, I made peace w/the fact that training would be limited and that anything would be better than nothing. I thought of it as an impromptu recovery week.
