Something that is greatly
overlooked in training guides is the importance of your family. It can
be a great challenge trying to balance training time with the needs of
your family. But having their support will help in many ways. They
will help you mentally get through the more difficult training sessions
and races.
They
can help provide motivation for those days you have trouble motivating
yourself. And they will also help pick up the slack for those day to day
choirs you will not have time for. Here are a few tips on things you,
the runner, can do in return:
Race Selection: If
you have younger kids, many races have fun runs for kids 2 through 12.
Distances are age appropriate and everyone gets something for their
efforts. If you have older kids, pick a race you can run with them. Not
only is this a lot of fun for the kids, but it helps them better
understand what you are doing. It also gives them something to look
forward to and allows them to enjoy the races - not just you. Many
training programs include shorter distance races prior to the big race.
These are good races to do with the family.
Training: Your
training will take up a lot of your time over an extended period. Be
sensitive to your family regarding your schedule. Set a specific
training schedule at the beginning of the week which includes the times
of the day you plan to run and for how long. Include recovery times for
longer runs. Share this with your family and be flexible to allow for
things that are important to them. Knowing these ahead of time
will help you and your family plan better. But, allow these to vary
based on work and family obligations.
Taper Week: Just before the big
race, spend some quality time with your family. At this point, your
training is done. Additional training will not help you, and may hurt
you. The time with your family will distract you from the race, help
settle you down and help you with the mental aspects of the race.
Race Day: If
you expect your pre-race warm up & the race itself to take an
extended period (especially for Marathons or Triathalons):