How to Train for a Marathon with Small Children at Home
Are you ready to run long distances (again) after having a kid? But you’re not sure how to train for a marathon with small children at home? I’ll be honest, it is not easy. But it is doable! And rewarding. And – dare I say – fun? Yes, a 20 mile run CAN be fun. Learn how to train for a marathon with small children with these tips and advice. I trained for and ran a marathon with a 2.5 year old.
First, let’s talk about the marathon. It’s rather silly that we willingly choose to train for and run 26.2 miles, and I think every single person who runs one is a badass.
If this is your first marathon, prepare yourself for so. much. running. Your long runs will take you as long as 4-ish hours. Find a training plan – I always use Hal Higdon’s plan and modify it a bit to fit my schedule. I always stick with his long run schedule, though. Also prepare yourself for hunger. And possible chafing. And soreness and tiredness.
If this is your first or 10th marathon, you are awesome. Achieving this feat is incredible. Crossing the finish line of a marathon is one of the greatest feelings in the history of human feelings. It’s the best.
So seriously, good for you. And thanks for reading this post….
Train for a Marathon with Small Children at Home
I’m assuming if you’re here, you are training for your first marathon after having kids. Whether you have a baby or toddler or small child at home, it definitely makes training for a marathon more difficult.
We are all in different circumstances. If your kids are in day care and you work full-time, things will be different for you than a stay at home parent. I still think most/all of these tips can apply to everyone.
I know things are different for everyone, but I would recommend waiting until you’re past the newborn phase if you’re a new mom. The newborn phase took everything out of me. I was in survival mode. The breastfeeding, the never sleeping for longer than a couple hours at a time, the adjustments… not to mention the healing of your body… If you would have told me to run 12 miles during that time, I would have just cried.
I just think if you can wait until you’re kiddo is at least 3 months old AND you are fully healed, please do that for your own well-being.
Convince your Partner to also Train for a Marathon
It’s a lot easier to get your tired significant other to watch your toddler for 3 hours on a Saturday when they also are going to run for 3 hours on a Saturday. You trade off, figure out your schedules, and make it work. It’s exciting to accomplish the marathon training together.
Plan Ahead
Once you’ve found a training plan, it’s time to plan out your runs – especially the long runs. Look at the next few weeks and plan out when you’ll be able to accomplish the long runs. It’s helpful to look at when you can do the shorter runs too, but those long ones are vital to marathon success. And they’re time consuming.
Figure out childcare or who’s going to watch your little one.
My husband travels for work, and I work as a nurse. We looked at our weeks and sometimes had to do a long run on a Thursday. But we never missed one. If we hadn’t planned ahead, we would not have finished our training or a marathon.
Enlist Help
I highly recommend finding some help during your marathon training. A babysitter or drop-in day care is super helpful for long runs. Or a spouse or family member that’s willing to watch your little one when you’re out running for hours.
Know that You will be Sore after Long Runs
It’s hard to care for a small child after running a really long run. Try to have someone else who can help with your kiddo those days.
My husband and I tried to trade off which day we’d do the really long runs (like 16+ miles) so that the other one could do the running around with our 2 year old.
But also, I think chasing my toddler at a playground after an 18 mile run helped me in some ways too. So if you have no choice but to care for your little one while sore after, you will survive.
Read Next: Is Running a Marathon Hard?
Find a Gym with Child Care
This one is HUGE. You drop your kid off, let them play/wear themselves out for 1-2 hours, run on the treadmill, AND get a shower. We have a family membership to the YMCA, and this has honestly been a game changer for us. I truly hate the treadmill, but it is just a necessary part of training for a marathon with small children. Sacrifices happen.
Buy a Jogging Stroller
Running while pushing a stroller is HARD. But if you have to get miles in, and running with your kiddo in the stroller is your only option – you can do it. The jogging stroller is especially helpful on shorter mileage days when you have nice weather.
I have personally never done a long run with my kiddo in the stroller…. I think that would be hard, and you’d need breaks to let them stretch their legs. I’d also plan it during nap time so they hopefully nap for a while during the run.
Here we are after our marathon!
Manage Your Hunger
You will be SO HUNGRY.
If you’re a mom reading this — remember how hungry you were soon after giving birth? Particularly if you were also breastfeeding? For me, it felt like I would maybe die if I didn’t eat something RIGHT NOW.
That is similar to marathon training hunger.
I don’t know about you, but I have much less patience for my toddler’s insanity when I’m starving.
Try to have lots of snacks on hand, make nutritious and filling meals, and plan ahead.
Don’t run 15 miles with no plan of what to eat after. Fueling is so important during marathon training, so don’t let yourself put your nutrition on the back burner.
Crockpot meals are excellent during marathon training. Smoothies are great – bonus points if your kiddo will share and get some spinach intake. Takeout is also great if you can afford it. Or really easy meals. And leftovers are your best friend.
Remind Yourself Why You’re Doing This.
Why are you training for a marathon?
There are tons of reasons: To get fit. To accomplish an incredible goal. Because you just love running. Maybe you want show your little one that health and wellness matters. Maybe you want to qualify for Boston. Because you like doing hard things.
Whatever it is, remind yourself of your WHY on the hard days.
You won’t always want to run for hours. Remember why you are.
Prioritize Sleep
Training for a marathon sucks a lot of energy out of you. Go to bed earlier. I know it’s easy to get lost in the scrolling at night, but please put your phone down or turn the TV off and go to bed earlier.
You will be a better runner and a better parent if you aren’t feeling exhausted everyday.
Nap when your Little One Naps
I truly hated this advice when my kiddo was a newborn. When am I supposed to do the dishes or the laundry or literally anything for myself if I sleep every time the baby sleeps?! But if you have a toddler and a little bit more of a groove with napping, please take a nap when you’re tired. Just 30 minutes can make a HUGE difference in your day. I promise.
Get your Kiddo to Love Stretching/Yoga
It’s hard to find time for running, so it’s also hard to find time to stretch after. I bought a Yoga Kids book from a thrift store a while back, and my toddler LOVES doing the yoga poses with me. She has a blast, and I get some really good stretching in.
Relish the Long Runs
As parents, we don’t get a lot of alone time. I found myself getting more excited for long runs than I ever have before. It was time to myself, time to not answer to others, time to listen to music or a podcast or my own thoughts for a while. Be grateful for getting to do this.
Enjoy the Marathon!
As much as one can enjoy running 26.2 miles, right? It’s always painful at the end. Always.
But be proud of your training, be proud of your endurance, and let your kiddo see how awesome you are!
My husband and I finished The Colorado Marathon, and it was a beautiful course.
Train for a Marathon with Small Children at Home
Did I miss anything? Have you trained for a marathon with small children at home and have advice I should add? Comment below!
And share with a friend who’s going through this 🙂
Happy Running!
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