training for longer races... where do you get the time?

stomper

Guest
#1
I'm at a point with my running where I could probably do longer distances than I have in the past. Whereas 5 miles used to be an accomplishment for me, now it's just normal. I've been thinking of doing longer races (e.g. a half marathon) but really, I can't figure out where I would get the time to regularly do runs of say 9 or 10 miles.

Consider this half-marathon training program- http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-238-244--6851-2-2X5X8-4,00.html - which builds up to about 33 miles/week. That's about twice as many miles per week as I currently do, ergo it would consume roughly twice as much time. I do prefer to do trails and rougher terrain, so that probably takes more time than concrete.

I am not that busy a person compared to some. I have an old house to take care of, part time consulting gigs (which don't take that much time but require full attention when I'm on them), and a kid in school. I don't like rushing around like a madman (one reason I don't own a car). I would like to do some exercise other than running once in a while to keep my body intelligent. Currently that would be brazilian jiu jitsu, once or twice a week.

Where do you all find the time to run long? Seriously, this is the most significant training question I have.

ps. edit to add: I suppose I could stop spending so much time on this forum. 0:)
 
#2
 I work full time, school

I work full time, school full-time, two boys (4 years and 4 months), and a wife. I start marathon training again, in Feb. Luckly my wife is understanding, because marathon training is very selfish.

You make time. I have my long run on the weekends, usually a saturday. I will wake up at 5:30am to get out there and get it done. My wife works some weekends, so I either ask one of my sisters to watch the kids so I can bang out a 20 miler here and there. I am lucky to have family close by where i live.

During the work week, I get up at 5:15am to run.
 
#3
I agree with Adam G about

I agree with Adam G about making time. I'm in the heavy part of my marathon training right now, where my shortest distance is 8 miles and my long is 23 miles. During the week, I have a set time that I go out to run where I know I can fit in a 6+ mile run. For some people, that is the morning. For me, it is at 7pm right after my daughter goes to bed.

For long runs, I will do what Adam does and wake up to run at 5am most of the time. It also works to take a half day from work, or do your long runs on a holiday (I will be doing a 23 miler on Veteran's Day for example).

Also, note that as with most of those training plans, they represent a training ceiling. You shouldn't be training more than the plans suggest, but you certainly can train less. I used the Hal Higdon plan for my first marathon, which requires running 6 days a week. I cut that down to 4 days a week.
 
#4
For my long runs I actually

For my long runs I actually get up at 3am during the week and drive to work. Then I have 3 - 3 1/2 hours to do a long run before work. I sit on my ass all day so it kind of works out well. I don't like to do long runs on the weekend because my time with the family is already limited. And the boys expect a lot of roughing around on the weekend, so I need to be fresh for that.
 
#5
 Wake up early. That way

Wake up early. That way nothing gets in the way. Long runs I start at 5, shorter runs usually around 6:15. Even before I started running I regularly put two hours a weekday and three hours a day on the weekend at the gym. I'm a grad student who works somewhere between 30-50 hours a week depending. But I did this same sort of schedule when I was working 50 hours all the time. I run 30-60 mpw and have 2-5 crosstraining hours.

People always asked how I had the time but I figure most of them took nearly an hour to get ready in the morning. I didn't take half that. They go to parties and hang out till midnight with friends on weekends I go to sleep at 8 or 9 every night. Sometimes my housework slips and my house is a bit of a mess for a week until I have time to take care of it. Dishes often get done every other day instead of every day. Things like that that can really save more time than you think. Exercise saves me time when it came to reading papers and doing other work that involved concentration. I focussed better when I knew I had to to be to bed early so I could get up early. Its all a matter of what you care about. I can't sleep and am miserable without very long workouts so thats what I do. I do however have the advantage of no family living with me at the moment. The husband is deployed and no kids to worry about so that really does make a difference.

I guess I look at my long runs as my fun time not training. Its like people who go to the woods and hike, I just go alittle faster without as much stuff attached to me. I get friends to come with me on my semi-long runs so that way I have my social time during runs too. Once you start doing it you'll wonder why you ever thought you didn't have time for it.
 
#6
I think most training plans

I think most training plans are designed for shodders. BF runners, in general, can do more with less since we're not tearing ouselves up quite so much in the training. BF Ted doesn't do 50 mile training runs to prep for his ultras. I hear he runs 25 to 30 each week. (This is my opinion, and not supported by peer reviewed research.)

On the other side of things, winter sucks as the days shorten. Moreso for our northern brethren and sistren. In high summer I was able to run before work which starts at 0700 for me. Whatever you do, don't stress on it. You can do what you can do and just enjoy the running (please!)
 
#7
Just keep thinking about it

Just keep thinking about it and way will open. It was a revelation to me the first time I managed 9 miles on a Tuesday night. I don't have a car either. Plan, plan, and plan some more and eventually you will find way to tack on miles or add days. I thought I could never add a run on Monday, and I finally did it. It just took about a year of planning and figuring it out.
 
#8
Jason was working on making

Jason was working on making barefoot training programs for all distances that would allow the runner to plug in variables to get a more refined, personalize training plan. Barefoot Tyler was going to write the code for the program. I haven't heard where they are with this though. Jason?
 
#9
My husband and I both run,

My husband and I both run, and we're both out for about an hour each evening. On the weekends we both do long runs (he's gone 2.5 hours sometimes). Our children have learned to "cope" with it and both my husband and I are happier for it. He started it as a weight loss routine but now he's addicted. ;-)

Sometimes we do both take a weekend day off, so the boys get our full attention all day long. But, even when we both do long runs, we are finished by lunch time (hubby gets up at 6:00AM on the weekends and he's out the door before anyone gets up if he's lucky). I go as soon as he gets back (I mean I'm dressed and ready to go at the two-hour mark most of the time). It can make for a hectic morning but it does allow for time alone for each of us with our boys, as well as time for the whole family on the same day.

Weeknights are just crazy and I confess that I get off work early to pick the boys up from school, so they have "real" together time with me in the afternoons and I'm sure I'm not missed when I run (and they get quality time with Dad, who doesn't make them do homework!).

As everyone has been saying, if it's important to you, you'll find a way to do it. Your family will be supportive as long as they know why you are doing it and as long as you take a day off on occasion to be with them!
 
#10
I'll go ahead and repeat what

I'll go ahead and repeat what has already been mentioned, but you'll easily find the time once you make it a priority. I wake up at 4:45am during the week for my runs, and I'm usually up by 6:00am or 6:30am on Saturdays and out the door to run with my brothers.
 
#11
Thanks all.  I like hearing

Thanks all. I like hearing about the family schedules, how people arrange things with their kids and other activities. Anybody else?
 
#12
Also, being car-free, do you

Also, being car-free, do you ever run errands, as in, literally run errands? Working running into my normal life as transportation has made things alot easier. For example, on holidays, the kids and hubby will take the subway to my parents' house, while I'll run there (12 miles). Buying diapers or going to the optometrist might mean a little 5K excursion, etc.
 
#13
jschwab wrote:Also, being

jschwab said:
Also, being car-free, do you ever run errands, as in, literally run errands? Working running into my normal life as transportation has made things alot easier.
Click to expand...

It's an interesting idea. I haven't tried it too much except for running to school to pick up my kid (1/2 mile). I've never liked wearing packs while I run, but I suppose if I could get used to that there would be all sorts of possibilities. How do you carry stuff?
 
#14
haven't done any huge

haven't done any huge distances yet, but I think I can relate ;)



I commute about 50 minutes one-way to work (which includes a 9 hour work day for a total of about 10.5-11 hours) have 2 small kids (1 and 3) and a wife who works part time evenings and weekends, so finding time to run is challenging to say the least. my best solution so far has been to get up at 4:30AM and walk around the house to wake up my feet, legs, and everything else to hit the road at about 4:45. that gives me about 1:15 of useable time so far, and as my mileage increases (I'm still pretty new to running in general) I plan to get up as early as 4:00AM.



I certainly miss sleep, but then again since we had the kids I haven't had a good night's sleep anyway ;)
 
#15
jschwab, I have a car, but I

jschwab, I have a car, but I definitely "run" errands on occasion. It started for me when my wife was pregnant and wanted Dairy Queen. I couldn't get a run in and also make it to DQ, so I ran the 4 miles to DQ. I put a smaller cooler in a backpack so I could carry her blizzard back without it melting.

Since then I do all sorts of errands on my runs and bike rides. Mostly small ones so that I can fit what I buy into a backpack. But for large errands, you can bring a jogging stroller or burley to carry everything. Works out pretty sweet.
 
#16
I never carry a back pack,

I never carry a back pack, but I do end up carrying alot of crap while I run. I might run home, for example, and pick up diapers on the way and then run the rest of the way (about a mile) holding the diapers simply in my hands (goofy looking but not as hard as it seems after awhile). Or I might run to a store and take public transportation home. I have run home from two funerals. I had work offsite a couple times in the past few weeks, and I wore running clothes and ran back from there. I have a locker at work and a shower, so that makes it alot easier. If I have to go pick up new glasses or go to the doctor, that is always an opportunity for fitting in a run. The first time I did it was to buy a shirt for my husband who needed it for job interviews. That's nothing heavy, so it was easy to do over lunch. Alot depends on where you live what the possibilities are and how willing you are to look like a complete fool. I hate backpacks, so running with random stuff in my hands is where it's at. Once I needed to send an urgent package of literature to a former colleague who works at another agency. Instead of packing it and sending it, I just ran it over like a bike courier.
 
#17
Not to hijack this thread,

Not to hijack this thread, Jschwab I totally would have taken you for a cloth diaper user?

Hell Saypay that is a great idea about using the jogging stroller as a cart. Kind of creepy if you don't have kids in there, but oh well.
 
#19
In fact I would have though

In fact I would have though more of us would be ECing. It worked pretty well for us and it's 'simpler' than diapers.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elimination_communication



I like the idea of running errands. And the stroller would be good for big groceries trips. I just find it difficult to run while pushing the stroller, I guess it takes practice.

My biggest problem when I want to run is it find what to do with the kids. Hopefully soon they can both ride their bike at my speed and we can run/bike to the store together.
 
#20
Stomper, you are right. If

Stomper, you are right. If you're not sitting around thinking "man, I've got 2 hours on my hands and nothing to do", then you have to take the time from somewhere. For me, work takes what it will. I have to work, thus I have to give the beast its due. Other volunteer stuff (church, scouts, BRS, etc.) certainly take some time, but outside of meetings, the time spent on these activities can be molded around other "hard" items on the schedule. Sleep is needed (and doesn't count as quality family time) So home/family time is the big thing that I choose to give up. Because in the end, you have to "choose" to spend more time running and "choose" to spend less time doing something else.

But I run as close to home as I can, most of the time, because that limits the amount of time I'm away. I also try to start my longer runs earlier in the day. Sometimes this means I get up at 4:00 and wear a headlamp. But this way I can get the miles in before others in the house are up and around.

I share a 1/2 mile long gravel driveway with a neighbor, so I can run loops while the dogs run alongside and sometimes my 10 yr. old will ride his bike (if I'm still running when he wakes up).

But like others have said, you kind of just have to figure out what works for you, in your situation (which typically is a moving target), and just do the best you can.

But don't forget the long-term benefits of showing your family (especially your kids) that sometimes you have to work a healthy lifestyle into the equation, that it doesn't always come easy.

One of the biggest plusses for me to run in the morning is that mentally I am "one up on the day" when I make myself get up, put on the running togs and hit the road! Then, whatever else I do that day, I don't have "I need to run" hanging over my head.

Good luck w/your journey!
 
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