QUESTION: With two little kids at home, my training time is down to three rides a week — and that’s on a good week. More often, it’s only two rides. I still want to get faster and hang with the local hammerfest, but I’m not sure if that’s realistic anymore. Is it possible to make real gains on a limited schedule, or do I just need to accept maintenance mode for now? —Carl D.
RBR’S STAN PURDUM REPLIES: Hanging with the hammerfest may not be realistic if your ride time is down to two rides a week, but the two rides should be enough to keep you from turning into a slug while giving some of your time regularly to those two little kids. In retrospect, it’s amazing how short the time is when they are little, and it’s good for them — and for you — to not miss out on it.
You can make those two weekly rides count more, however, by increasing their duration, if possible, and adding in some additional effort, such as high-intensity interval training or riding by zones. But even if you don’t, riding for a few hours twice a week is far more exercise than the great majority of the population undertakes, and it still promotes good health even if it doesn’t enable you to be the local speed king.
As you say, it’s maintenance mode, but the focus of that is to keep from losing fitness while other things in life need your attention as well, and that’s not a bad goal.
Stan Purdum has ridden several long-distance bike trips, including an across-America ride recounted in his book Roll Around Heaven All Day, and a trek on U.S. 62, from Niagara Falls, New York, to El Paso, Texas, the subject of his book Playing in Traffic. Stan, a freelance writer and editor, lives in Ohio. See more at www.StanPurdum.com.
Get a bike seat for one kid & take turns riding with them. Acceleration’s with the extra weight is good. Plus when the kid says “faster daddy!”.!!!
Good suggestion!
Agree with Russ (first commenter), ride with the kids. When mine were little, I had a bike trailer that seated 2 and I pulled them to pre-school, shopping, playgrounds in different neighborhoods. Sometimes, it took the promise of an ice cream stop to get them in the trailer. Could usually get 5 to 10 miles or more per trip, most times twice a day. Hills, and the extra drag, made it a good workout. Got more difficult when we had kids 3 and 4.
The trailer is a great solution for many. When mine were in the trailer, we called it my “50 pound air brake” and it made for a good workout. Bribes were often needed, but we did what it took to get them to go.
Biking with kids goes in basically 4 phases:
1) Trailer (ages ~1 to 5 years)- Great workout as previously mentioned. My kids would fall asleep in the trailer and always loved it. No bribe required. I’m told that a trailer is safer than a seat.
2a) Tag-along (ages ~5 to 10 years) – Once they are a little older, switch to a tag-along that clamps to your seatpost. Then they can contribute to propulsion and feel like they are really part of the team.
2.b) Tandem (ages ~12 years and up) – As your kids outgrow the tag-along, if you can afford a tandem, that’s a good next step. You stay together and still ride at a good pace.
3a) Kids on own bikes (ages ~12 to 16) – This is when you have to slow down if you want to ride with your kids. But build them up to some longer milage. My boys did cycling merit badge with Boy Scouts when thery were ~13 years old including the 50 miler.
3b) Kid on own bikes (ages ~16+) – Now my three kids are all riding faster than me and will still ride with me sometimes when they don’t mind a bit of a slower pace (fathers’ day, etc.). It is great to see them all as competent and strong riders.
Enjoy your time with your kids.