Training with 2 advice needed

[BamaEd1]

Hey Gang!

DW and I are doing Marathon weekend at WDW for a charity. She's doing the 1/2, me the full. I am ultra excited that we are going to experience this together. However, we are at very different places in our fitness levels. I will, if all goes to according to plan, run the entire marathon while DW will run/walk. Right now, I run 3 days a week and x-train 3 other days with 1 rest day. We will keep the same training concept throughout our training. We would like to train together but we have a 2 year old and can't leave her home by herself. In the early AM (the only time to train in the deep south), there is nobody to leave her with. Does anyone have any advice on how we might be able to do some of our training together? I know we can alternate run/x-train days but that defeats the point of us doing all of this together.

 

[windwalker]

Ed my pretty princess and I train together on my days off, that is my LSDs and her tempo days. We are both walkers but I have a much faster pace, when we do long distance it evens out.

On walk races that are 10K and below we race seperately since I have a shot at winning. Anything over 10K we do together, it makes it more special when we cross the finish line together.

A jogging stroller is excellent to bring your little one along. Your pushing it will slow you down and make it easier for your DW to keep up with you and it will make you stronger.

Walking Panda

 

[ksoehrlein]

My kids are 5 and 8, so I don't have any terrific advice for parents of a 2-year-old, but something that's worked OK for our shorter runs is training on the track (each at our own pace) while the kids play on the field. Odds are, one of us will be within sprinting distance of the kids at all times since our paces are so dissimilar.

Other suggestions are to use a jogging stroller (which might even help slow the faster runner to the pace of the spouse!) or co-op babysitting with another couple in a similar situation. Good luck!

 

[jbucci]

The other option is to goto a gym that has childcare and exercise on adjacent TMs-- not quite the same as walking or running outside but you can each go at your own pace-- my DH and I have set up TMs in our basement and exercise side by side-- him at a 10mpm and me at a 12mpm (often while watching a Disney Sing a Along video with our DD5)..

 

[Cruella de mom]

We do the the tag team approach. One of us takes off in the wee hours of the morning and as soon as they get home the other takes off. We alternate who gets the early slot (sometimes as early as 5am). Well, actually, Dh takes it most days cause I like to drink my coffee before my run and he likes it after.

Once the weather cools off, a good jogging stroller would make things easier.

We keep saying we are going to buy a treadmill but the good ones are so expensive.

By the way, your pictures from the peachtree are online. You look so happy!

 

[solotraveler]

At the risk of being VERY unpopular.....

If you are at very different fitness levels and have different goals for the race, you may want to consider not doing your runs together. I think to force that would be very frustrating for the both of you. So perhpas one of you going out to run first and then the other going out after the first comes back might be an option. Just because you don't necessarily doing your workouts together doesn't mean you aren't in this together. (Kind of the idea behind this board really....)

Now, that said, I like the idea of finding a gym with childcare and doing your crosstraining or hitting the treadmills together if the weather is iffy.

 

[wtpclc]

Solo is right. Before dh and I started trining, I thought I was in better shape than him. Anyone who was here in 2005 knows how hard it was. I was frustrated that I had to push so hard to catch up when he thoguht he was going slow. It is hard for him to slow down. This menas he can't use his normal stride and causes discomfort for him. Does not sound like a stroller would slow you down enough. We made it work, but htere are still times that it's hard.

lol, when we did Martian this spring, dh left me for a bit, as he kept up with Lynne and Erin as they passed us. Lynne and Erin were worried that I would be mad because they have heard me complain so much. I didn't, as it was an easy mistake and he just doesn't really that if he doeesn't concentrate on going slow, he will blow me away.

WIll it hurt to try? No. After a week, you may noth find that it does or dos not work for oyu. However, if you aren't racing together, it may be better not to train that way. OCme race day, solo might be extra hard then.

Maybe you could find a gym with child care adn just concentrate on XT together. Or maybe do family bikes pulling teh 2YO for XT.

Hope you can find something that works for all of you!

 

[hoosmi]

I don't know what to tell you about the pace question, but can tell you that a jogging stroller is a fabulous thing! I did most of my short runs, and all of my long runs for the Goofy with my now 2 year old in the stroller. We really had a lot of fun together. My toddler liked it so much that I'd take him even if DH was at home- he'd cry if I left him behind. I wasn't sure if he would be okay with it, so I bought one for about $200 instead of the really fancy ones- it's still in great shape.

Jen in GA

 

[laxdef69]

You went to a high school 440 yard track?

Set the little ripper up in the middle...you can both keep an eye on her while working out at your own pace...

Just a thought

 

[deekaypee]

DOOD and I train together in some of our XT (we take classes at our fitness club together) and on the TM. We don't run together outdoors. Our gym has child care, too, but I don't know if joining a gym is an option for you.

We don't have kids, which I imagine complicates your situation considerably. What kind of XT do you do--is there something you could do that you could that you could all do as a family. Biking? Or could you take DD out with you on one of your slow, easy runs while DW does her RW? The jogging stroller has been mentioned a few times, and DOOD's running partner uses one. (Interestingly, DOOD's running partner is as slow as I am, but DOOD and I don't run together. )

If those things aren't options, I would suggest taking turns with the running on the same day if possible, one after the other, and then finding a XT activity the two of you could do together & still watch DD. Pilates on DVD? Yoga?

FWIW, DOOD and I find that it works better for us to run separately--less frustration for us. We share lots of things about the training together. We read and discuss books, do research together, talk about running. I actually think we enjoy what we do share about the running experience more because we don't run together.

 

[twoWDWfools]

My DS is 19 so don't have the childcare concerns however DH and I run seperately. He jogs and I walk so can't really go outdoors together. He's tried slowing down so we spend time together but it irritates both of us (I have to go at near max speed so he can jog comfortably). We bike and do weight/core work together. And like Debra we share info we read, find on-line etc and seem to enjoy the experience more catching up after an event.

Just keep trying until you find what works for you.

 

[cdotla]

Wow - all I have to say is kudos to everyone for finding ways to make things work!

I have this habit of citing all the reasons, including 2 toddlers, which "prevents" me from working out. I will have to re-read this thread next time I need a kick in the pants. There really are no excuses.