8 Training Tips for Running Moms

I ran a 10K! So now I”m an expert and can give advice to other mother runners. Just kidding. But I did learn a few tips about incorporating training into an already hectic schedule as I attempted to train for distance. So if you’re a mom who has aspirations of running greatness, read on for training tips!

8 Training Tips for Running Moms

1. Support is key. A fully supportive partner is so important to training for and finishing a race. And I don’t mean running partner, although that is certainly helpful. But it takes time and dedication to log those training miles, and you need support on the child care side of things. My husband encouraged me to run and would even remind me of run days when my motivation was lagging and I was tired from being up all night. And without him to stay with the kids on race day, it simply wouldn’t have been possible to head off for a few hours to do something like this.

2. Schedule it. Pick a training plan, pick a time that works for you and get it on the calendar. It’ll help your partner know when that support and baby-wrangling is needed.

3. Be prepared for setbacks and interruptions. With kids, things just come up. Illness (theirs). Illness (yours, because of them). Getting called back to the gym daycare. A spouse who has to work late, preventing you from logging a training run. I’d say give yourself several extra weeks to train for a distance event. And the younger your kids are, the more flexible you should be with your goals for the race.

4. Buddy up. If your partner can’t wrangle kids when necessary because of work and schedule conflicts, find another running mom who can swap child care with you.

5. Fuel up. Running takes it out of you like crazy. Always refuel and make sure you’re getting your calories, especially if you’re a pregnant or breastfeeding mom.

6. Go easy. If you’re just getting back into running after a baby or are running for the first time in your life, don’t do too much too fast. Likewise, if you start to feel pain, ease up like I did. It’s better to take a couple of weeks off to feel better than to be sidelined for months and miss the race altogether.

7. Build in a time buffer. Give yourself plenty of time the morning of the race to pump or breastfeed before heading to the race if you’re a nursing mama. I had to get up at 3:30 a.m. to pump, but was glad I did as I felt comfortable during the race and beyond. If your race is later in the morning or your kids are older, still build in a time buffer. Spills, lost shoes and tantrums always have a way of making you late or keeping you from getting out the door.

8. Introduce a bottle before the big day of the race. I haven’t bottle fed my son since the early days in the NICU. Attempts months ago at the bottle were rejected, so we’ve just being feeding straight from the tap. Super convenient for me, yes. But not so cool when I had to be gone for hours and hours and my son had no idea about the whole bottle concept. So yeah, test run that beforehand. (Lucky for my husband, he remained fairly content while I was away, so I didn’t have frantic texts from my husband about the baby being hungry and COME HOME NOW.)

What tips would you add about distance running with small ones at home? (And don’t forget these tips on running with a stroller!) —Erin