Wow..
How do you manage working full time, kids and family and training?
This is inspiring me to move up from half marathons to full. I’ve been putting it of, saying the training will take up too much of my life. Sounds like I should stop stalling and do it!
Thank you!
4
It's hard to do the math on how all that training makes you a better mother. Does spending less time with your children somehow improve parenthood?
For me, being a good parent has always entailed spending real time with my kids. While they were growing up, I cut back on running, cycling, racquetball, and golf because they're all time intensive.
It sounds like denial is a major component of your training and family life.
Cheers.
4
@Wade sour grapes no? coming from a male (of course).
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@Wade I’ve always found that mums and dads who set aside time to follow their own passions and hobbies set a great example to kids about balance, purpose and the fact that everyone in a family is deserving of the opportunity to have a personal goal outside of being a good enough parent/employee. Kids also get a lot out of turning the traditional parents-watching-kids relationship upside down and being a support crew for a change.
5
It's so awesome to see mothers prioritizing their own hobbies and interests and then absolutely crushing it to boot. I also like Arnold's writing in Outside Magazine. Now it's time for the NYT to do a story on Emelie Forsberg, the Swedish ultrarunner who set multiple FKTs (fastest known times) while pregnant. I'm not talking about random FKTs on her home mountain, either - I'm talking Mont Blanc and the Kungsleden Trail.
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You ROCK! I am so inspired by your story. I want to try some sort of ultra endurance event and I plan to use your strategy!
Congratulations on being an amazing human!!!
3
Inspiring read! Preparing for my first 26.2 this winter at age 40 and I am a slower runner. The idea that I, too, already have “mom superpowers” of endurance makes me slightly more confident going into this thing. It always does come down to one foot in front of the other. Thanks.
5
This story, beautifully written, is about following your bliss whatever that is. Do what you love and you energize your entire life. Thanks Katie!
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@Cel you need to read her book!
But...why? The writer never explains her motivation. What is the payoff? Why does she like ultramarathons so much that she is willing to risk ruining her body even further?
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What are your passions? What activities and hobbies give you joy? Why do you pursue them?
I can’t speak for her, but I love to run (I’ve done the Leadville 100) because it allows me to push myself, to test my limits, to try things where I might fail or fall short. Sports is relatively unimportant, so it allows me to do such where the consequences of failure are relatively low. The lessons learned there about myself translate into other, more important areas of my life. It also makes me feel good.
Ruining her body? there’s no evidence of that. I’m 59. I’ve been running and racing since I was 11. I’m healthier, fitter, and happier than most people half my age.
13
You keep insisting running isn’t the center of your life. Sounds like it might be. Nothing wrong with that, but wondering why you’d keep insisting it isn’t when it sounds as though every last thing you do is designed to accommodate your running.
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It’s not. It’s important, but her running revolves around her life, not the other way. Too many runners try to adhere to rigid training plans. They stress out if they don’t hit a workout. I bristle when I hear runners say “I have to run xx miles today.” As a coach, I never tell my runners what they have to do and hope my runners never say that. She trains as much as her life allows rather than doing life as much as her training allows.
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Wow! Very inspiring story and life lessons.
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Awesome. Respect. Stay healthy and happy
7
Really enjoyed this article.
Being a parent puts all of life in perspective.
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It's not the destination ; it's the journey
4
I've run about 30 marathons and a bunch of triathlons because I liked to run and wanted more challenges after 5 and 10 and half-marathon races.
Never once did I ever want to run an ultra-marathon. Not a single time!
"But you don't know what you're missing", you might say.
I know exactly what I'm missing: hallucinating; curling up into a fetal position and shaking uncontrollably at the end of a 40 mile run; getting lost in the middle of the night while hungry and hurting; smelling like vinegar because my body has broken down all it can and excreted excess ammonia (this from Scott Jurek's book "North").
No thanks!
I'll stay at home and beat myself with a stick instead.
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@MattNg it's not a matter of "you may not know what you're missing" but rather objectively, you're just missing it (because you're not doing it). just comes down to different strokes for different folks...
2
Reading your story just made my morning; even though you have superhuman tendencies - let's face it, you're an ultramarathon runner:) - it's so encouraging to read that you are also deeply human and with 4 boys i can totally relate to the craziness of juggling it all. Love how you take it in stride and make it work for you rather than it getting the best of you. It's a great mental shift that I can use to stay on track. Thank you for sharing !!
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I, too, love the phrase "steal time from the edges of your day"; it's akin to the one I thought of about 5 years ago while training for a marathon, attending classes to complete a second degree, and working two jobs and caring for pets. I did a LOT of homework and writing of papers during the "little pockets of time" I could find throughout the day. It could have been 15 minutes on the bus, a half hour during a lull at work, on my lunchbreak or 10 minutes in the morning over coffee. You squeeze it in wherever you can; what matters is that it all gets done. Congrats on your achievement, Katie!
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What a great article! I am no longer a runner, although back in the day I completed one marathon and many 5Ks and 10Ks. Now I swim, and that's a mom thing; my kids swim, and I'm the wheels, so I swim too. My challenge these days is work--teachers' hours and days are fixed, and grading and lesson prep seep into my off-hours when I'd rather be in the pool or the gym. Summers are glorious, but that freedom comes crashing down during the school year. So that phrase "steal time from the edges of your day" really resonated with me. Thanks for the inspiration!
7
Great article! Congrats on your achievement: a rich but real life with your family ... oh yes, and your 100 mile win :)
14
Thank you for a story that goes against the naysayers: running distance is bad for you; you can't have kids and a career and have serious hobbies. I've run errands, literally. And spliced life and work into runs (8 before work, a few at lunch, a few more after work: it all counts). Happy trails!
23
Great article for athletes of all aspirations, and a terrific analogy for challenges and goals in life. I'm an avid hiker and biker, but recently faced a long road to climb to get back in shape after 2+ years of cancer surgeries and treatments. Putting one foot in front of another, hour after hour, day after day, month after month, is how's it done on the race course and and in all challenges in life.
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I'm not a runner and I don't have kids. But I just sent this to several friends and I found it so inspiring, and funny, and heartfelt, and so well written. More from you in the NYT!
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Just love the quote "a tough day of running is a great day of mental training". I'm going to keep that in mind for my togh days.
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Wow ! What an amazing accomplishment ! I felt very much in sync with the article as a long distance runner and mother of 5 children. I also don’t do fancy training plans or have a fancy watch to keep track of pacing , heart rates etc . But I do accumulate many miles per week as well as , like Katie , what I also consider cross training with caring for my kids and doing activities with them . Always being on my feet and on the go , but also downtime that comes along with conflict of running vs family plans - ends up working out for the needed rest days . Kudos and huge congrats to you Katie , from a fellow mother runner !
23
As someone who's on the cusp of 68 and contemplating longer distances (which for me means half-marathon), I love this article! The real-world training ideas inspire me. Thank you, Katie!
(I started running at *60*. I could only manage 45 seconds at first. It can be done! Keep moving!)
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67 as well Lee. Got diabetes, Arthritis, herniated discs, friends and family passing from heart attacks, cancer etc. what do you do ? Lots of physical therapy and keep moving. I like the author’s attitude regarding training, but for me it’s not ‘training’ stay in motion,, grab every opportunity your body will allow. Present a moving target
9
@Phat Skier Okay 62 here and I feel as though I can see the check out booth ahead of me. So putting it all on the table for here on out. Find the guy, foster a kid, build the right home if you have to (simple and efficient) - be kind, love generously and yes indeed put one foot in front of the other.
7
Great piece. My kids are in their 20’s & up, both very athletic ‘cause as a mom I dragged them along on hikes and the outdoors. I’m no 100 miler, but @ 66 still
walking & hiking with vigor ... down the road is good at any age !
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This is awesome to read, and I'm only 23! I always thought there would be an expiration date for my running as I get older, which is why I panicked to start racing early. Katie is amazing and inspirational.
30
Congrats on your Leadville accomplishment....when I was doing my long stuff (my longest run was a Rim to Rim to Rim in the Grand Canyon) I was teaching young kids (special needs) full time. I considered running around all day with them part of my training during the day. I ran to and from work also and did my long stuff on the weekends. I never talked about it however as this was the early 80s and not many (women especially) were doing these things. I cut back when I had my own family as I had to work full time (teaching)- and didn't have a supportive husband. Now I am too old to even think about a 50K or 50 miler. Those long races/runs stick with you the rest of your life though....
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@cheryl
Nah. The rims are still waiting for you.
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Inspiring!!
16
Some years back, there was a delightful fitness website called SqueezeItIn.com, with its slogan "Let Life Be Your Workout."
Aimed mostly at young mothers who find that the time demands of parenting make exercising (especially getting to the gym) more difficult, the site featured inventive ways to "squeeze it in" during daily activities.
These included effective moves you can employ during house cleaning and laundry (hefting around a full laundry basket for repetitions can be as strenuous as lifting a barbell of equal weight), supermarket shopping (discretely striding forward pushing a loaded cart is great for the quads, glutes and calves), playground visits, etc.
Although a non-parent and batchelor, I learned and still incorporate these ideas as part of my weekly fitness activities.
Sadly, SqueezeItIn.com is no longer active. But Ms. Arnold's highly successful approach to her ultramarathon -- making all her waking activities potentially part of her training -- helps demonstrate the value of this approach.
18
@Richard My dad was a lifelong runner, as am I (so far - 44+ years running starting at age 12) - but my mom never "exercised." However, all her life she's done the housework, gardening, shopping, and myriad volunteer activities. My dad sadly passed away at 80 from Parkinson's, but my mom at 89 is still living independently, shopping, gardening, passed her driving test with flying colors a few years ago - she has the mobility and strength of many people in their late 60's or early 70's.
I love running and hate housework - but it's clear to me that activity is the key, not the label on the activity!
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100 miles at 5 miles an hour!!! Amazing.
Lot of people run 1 to 2 miles fast and think that running a marathon is the same. I tell them about the fuzzy brain and they think I am weird.
Thank you for the inspiration.
39
Thank you, Katie! Definitely sharing with my reproductive children. Not an athlete at your level but I used the rhythm of family life to “order” my “workouts” over that decade plus of nursing, attending to preschoolers, and on and on. I didn’t return to work until the youngest was in first grade - but after several years of “back to work, I became tragically sandwiched between generations as caregiving to a disabled parent and children ordered/overwhelmed my life - and my workouts.
15