A Passion for Running

Welcome to the home of Mark aka The Running Blogfather – a 40 year-old dad, husband and marathon runner who's beaten injury and is on the comeback trail!

how i’m going to run high mileage and keep my family

passion for running category: running on Monday, November 6 2006

Whenever people with families take on the challenge of preparing for a marathon, there is the question of balancing training with spending quality family time. The higher the mileage program that one takes on, the greater potential for …unbalancing and unhappiness.

Here’s how I’m going to do it:

Monday’s are my long run. I’m intentionally avoiding doing long runs on Sundays because of the effect the long run has on weekends:

  1. If you run early Saturday or Sunday morning, you are pretty much screwed for having fun on one of the nights before the long run. Doing the long run on Monday means getting to bed at a decent time Sunday evening — something most people do already because of the necessity of going to work on Monday.
  2. If you run on the weekend, you are going to be tired for a couple of hours after. So, for a 3 hour long run, you’re of little good to your family for 5 hours. That’s 1/4 of your weekend. “Sorry kids. Daddy’s too tired”. For me, doing the long run on Monday morning would mean being tired at my desk where I’m sitting down anyway. Doing the long run on the way home from work means I’m tired one night of the week. Either way, Monday works better for me.

Very soon, I will be running 90 minutes on Wednesdays and Fridays. It takes me 90 minutes to run home from work. What that means is I need to get to work at 8:00 A.M. so I can dress and leave at 4:15 and be home for dinner. Saweeeet!

My two other weekday runs are 60 minutes long. I have some flexibility at work so, by coming in a bit early or leaving a bit late, I can do the work ones during my lunch break. I’m already doing that. Saweeeeeet!

I have 90 minute runs on Saturdays, and 60 minute runs on Sundays. I can fit those in without much problem. Translation: I will be there for my family on weekends.

So, that’s the plan. We’ll have to see how it works out in real-time. :)




7 Comments

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Comment by Jack

Tuesday November 07, 2006 @

Sounds like a good plan. You are so right about the weekend long runs, it puts a deep rut in family activities. You leave me wondering if I should start doing my long run during the week, it is 28K to my house, that would just about do it! Where’s my map…

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Comment by Thomas

Tuesday November 07, 2006 @

I do my long runs during the week for exactly the same reasons. Last year, Monday was my long run day, this year it was Friday, for scheduling reasons.

As long as you manage to get out of bed at some ungodly hour, it’s perfect

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Comment by jank

Tuesday November 07, 2006 @

Likewise, love the idea of long runs during the week. Are they barefoot yet?

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Comment by jeanne

Tuesday November 07, 2006 @

sounds wise. here’s what i want to know: you get a lunch break???!?! you work 8-4?!?! Saweeeeet!!!
:)

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Comment by 21stCenturyMom

Tuesday November 07, 2006 @

The plan sounds fantastic. When I think of long runs I think of those 4 and 5 hour jobs toward the end of marathon training. I was waiting to hear how you would fit those in and work a full day :-) 90 minutes isn’t so hard, though. And running home to dinner sounds most excellent. I guess that means you get to do the dishes, though.

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Comment by Susan

Thursday November 09, 2006 @

Where is this plan coming from . . . did you make it up?

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Comment by Dawn - Pink Chick

Friday November 10, 2006 @

When I was running longer I often did them as my after work all the way home thingy. Depending on the route, my run home can vary from 16-20km. When I runner shorter I often still do it after work but take the bus part of the way.

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