So after my return to swimming over the summer, I now need to plan how I am going to keep up the swimming once schools are back.
I was so fortunate where we used to live, being 5 mins or 15 mins from the pools I trained at, plus we trained late 8.30-9.30pm and 8-9.30pm so husband would be back to look after the kids.
So come 23rd Aug I need to leave home at 7.30am to get bigger small child to school. My nearest masters team is a good 30mins drive and practices 5.15am-6.30am, so I'd somehow have to get out of the pool at 6.30, drive through the rush hour traffic (albeit kind of against the traffic, but still..) get home have 2 small kids breakfasted, dressed and out the door all within the hour.
Husband is currently heading up some global finance project which means conference calls at all hours, so while he may be around at home, he may also have a 7am call with Europe, so can't rely on him to help out - and if he doesn't have an early call he would leave the house at 8.30am and likely stay in bed until 8.15..GRRR...
Plus by the time lunchtime comes around I'd be pooped - getting up at 5.45am this summer saw to that, so I have no idea if my body could cope with a 4.30am wake up. Smaller small child is 3 and will start pre-school 2 mornings per week, so will need entertaining the rest of the time (can't just pack 'em both off and go back to bed)
:blah::blah::blah:
So just how do you moms with small kids do it?
I do have a couple of other options to get some lap swimming in, but being coached and swimming with the team would obviously benefit my swimming the most.
Parents
Former Member
Could you work in just one coached practice per week, then do it on your own in the evenings the rest of the time? Are there others on your team who might want to plan times together? If it's a challenge for you, it's probably a challenge for them too.
I'm lucky in that I have a few options. We have several coached workouts at my health club - 5:30am, 9:30am and 6:00pm T/TH and one on Sat - so I try to fit a couple of those in and then do any other swimming on my own. Our coach is really helpful in that she'll give everyone things to work on when she's not there.
As for getting up early . . . caffeine is my friend. I have coffee after my workout buzz wears off, and another right after lunch. If things are really bad, I throw in a third around 3 (or I sneak in a quick nap when my daughter takes hers). :blush: I also try to get to bed at a reasonable hour (doesn't always happen - kid free time is precious). I guess I just kind of figure that until she's in school full time, I'm probably not going to get all the sleep I need, or spend the kind of time in the pool/gym that I used to. Just a couple more years . . .
Could you work in just one coached practice per week, then do it on your own in the evenings the rest of the time? Are there others on your team who might want to plan times together? If it's a challenge for you, it's probably a challenge for them too.
I'm lucky in that I have a few options. We have several coached workouts at my health club - 5:30am, 9:30am and 6:00pm T/TH and one on Sat - so I try to fit a couple of those in and then do any other swimming on my own. Our coach is really helpful in that she'll give everyone things to work on when she's not there.
As for getting up early . . . caffeine is my friend. I have coffee after my workout buzz wears off, and another right after lunch. If things are really bad, I throw in a third around 3 (or I sneak in a quick nap when my daughter takes hers). :blush: I also try to get to bed at a reasonable hour (doesn't always happen - kid free time is precious). I guess I just kind of figure that until she's in school full time, I'm probably not going to get all the sleep I need, or spend the kind of time in the pool/gym that I used to. Just a couple more years . . .
