I don’t know about other moms out there but when I leave to go for a run or swimming, my hubby gives me this look that is a cross between resentment that I’m going and deer in headlights that I’m leaving him with two young kids. Maybe I’m a sucker or maybe my guilty conscious is getting to me but I made the decision to do what I can to get my workouts in without leaving the house every single day to do it. This is a problem easily solved when I’m working because I can use our staff gym or go for runs at lunchtime and not miss any time at home with my family. However, I’m on maternity leave until February 2013 so the only sweating I get on my lunch “hour” right now is one that comes with trying to get a two-and-a-half year old to sit still long enough to eat while nursing the 5 month old, eat something myself and ignore the growing number of hair bunnies gathering on my floors.
So the question is: how to get the most out of my workouts when I’m training for a 10-miler in September and a Half Marathon in October. I can usually fit in short bursts of activity throughout my day as the kids allow but when training for endurance events, you need to build your endurance up (duh) which means I can’t train by doing a dozen 10 minute mini runs throughout my day. So what’s a girl to do you ask?
Here is my answer: flexibility and 2-a-days. The last few weeks I’ve been taking one day during the week and doing a run and a swim back to back. The pool I swim at has a small indoor track around the perimeter of the pool that I’ve been using for shorter runs. It’s not the most ideal running area because it’s usually 85-90 degrees from the humidity coming from the pools and the track is short (6 laps=1 mile) BUT I can run, then cool off in the pool doing some laps after. My body is wrecked by the end but in the best possible way. Plus, with the heat we’ve been getting this summer, running outside is heat stroke waiting to happen. I still do my long runs outside on the weekends. I just have to force myself to get up and out the door before the heat hits.
Just finished my track run and getting ready to jump in the pool! There must be some kind of reward for being this sweaty/
I have to say, this method of training is totally amazing and I love it! I have always loved those super hard workouts that leave you a puddle of goop by the end (which is why I am dying to try crossfit and then find a way to fund a membership). I can’t say for sure if it’s benefiting my overall fitness in the sense of increased performance but it is definitely working me from head to toe and hubby gets to have me home more often in the evening which makes him happy too. Everybody wins.
How do you fit in your training when time is an issue? Do you workout twice in a day and/or combine workouts? Did you find it helped/hindered your overall performance?
[...] week of socializing but exhausted doesn’t begin to describe it. I still managed to get to the pool once and get two runs in. I did a three mile run before my swim on Tuesday and then went for a [...]