What time of day do you run (parents with young kids)?

[Mangomumma]

I haven't run in years but want to start up again to get a bit healthier. I have a 9 month old & a 4 year old so trying to fit in a run is tricky sometimes. Baby gets up super early so I could go then but it would make the mornings a bit manic once the 4 year old is back in school. The evenings would be better, but me & DH eat once they're in bed as he often gets home about 7pm. Do I run before & eat really late, or eat first then run after? Couldn't run straight after eating so it'd probably be quite late. And as baby is up early I want an early night. I know I'm probably making excuses! Wondered what others do?

Not doing it at the moment but my preference is to run early before dh goes to work (he can deal with kids). I have to be back by 7am then I can jump in the shower before he goes.

Got an 18 month old who isn’t back at nursery yet. I either run at lunchtime when he’s sleeping or once he’s in bed.

You could get a running buggy for the baby once your 4 year old is at school, I know. A lot of mums of young children that do this. Or just a quick 30 minutes in the morning, you could shower after taking the 4 year old to school, I've done that before

We eat together at 6 and I go out after bedtime so 7.30ish. Though this will be less pleasant once the evenings are dark so I will have to work out a winter option!

Either at lunchtime or very early in the morning.
Mine are now 7 and 4, but even when DC2 was newborn and DC1 was 3 I made sure I fit in at least 30+ miles a week.

Usually comes at the expense of either lunch or sleep though!

I go out after bedtime one DH is home (or during bedtime if he’s at home and doing it), so somewhere between 7 and 8pm. Means we/ I don’t eat with DD, as I once tried running about 2 hours after eating and early tea and I just felt so awful! I do feel a bit guilty about that but I need to do it for myself.

We always ate late anyway pre child as both used to work quite late so it works for us. DH often goes on Zwift around the same time if I’m not running.

and now it’s prime running time and I’m not out! 😂

I go at 6am. Home by 7. When kids were small, DH got up with them if necessary (sat baby on floor in bathroom with toys / books whilst he had a shower), then I took over when I got home so he could finish getting ready for work in peace before leaving at about 7:45.
We (kids and I) didn't used to leave the house until 8:30 so this gave me just enough time to shower, give us all breakfast and get ready etc.

Late! DH leaves for work around 6ish and I don’t go to bed til 1am most nights so there’s no way I’m getting up at 5/5.30 to run. He gets home around 7pm, I usually make it out around 7.30/8, sometimes 8.30 if I get delayed. I sometimes put one or two kids to bed first depending on how tired they are. It’s nice at the moment as still light in the evenings so I have more freedom but a pain most of the time trying to stick to the lit routes!

I run at around 7pm, when dh has stopped work (we are both WFH now) and can take over with the kids. Mine are 5 and 7 so he starts Bath/bedtime and I run. He goes early, at 6am ish. When winter hits and it’s dark at 7pm I think I will attempt to go either after breakfast club / school drop off or poss mid morning if meetings allow it??

I have a one and a three year old. DH and I take turns doing bedtime (currently both wfh but even in normal circumstances are both home from work by 6pm). Whoever isn’t doing bedtime goes for a run then comes back and whoever is finished first starts dinner for us both. Works well for us, and means I get 3-4 decent runs in every week. I appreciate it would be much harder without us both being home for early evening though as personally I can’t run after dinner or too late then eat even later as I’d be starving!

Thanks all! Might give both early & late a go & see what works best.

I think the other thing to remember if you've not run for a while is building a consistent habit is most important initially than distance, pace or time. So a 15 minute run that you can for in 3 times a week is better than a half hour run you only manage once a week (or even always find a reason to put off). Assuming you can run from your door, that's the beauty of running for me - from home and back again I can be 15 minutes or 90minutes depending on what I can fit in. I also did a lot of running as transport when I was building a habit - running to shops to pick something up, run after school drop off, run when going to meet a friend. I got quite good at packing a quick change and some wipes!

I haven't got small children but what I do may work/help you. I don't get home from work until about 6:45 (dh about 7:45) and the nights I go out for a run I cook something that can go in the oven for 45mins to an hour. So something like a chicken traybake or I'll put some jacket potatoes in the oven to have with cold meats and salad. Sometimes I'll have made something like a chilli so it just needs reheating and dh will put the rice on to cook when he gets home. It means we get to eat at about 8 which doesn't feel too late.

I either run straight from dropping DS to nursery (we walk there, I just put his baby carrier on my back for the run) or evening after DH gets home. But I eat around 6 with DS, I couldn't run soon after eating.

It’s tough but I’m lucky as dh works from home 9-6. I’ve not been working in lockdown so have been going at 8am or 6pm.
When everything’s normal I try and go once a week when both kids are at school/childcare, once at the weekend and sometimes in the evening when dh puts kids to bed (and eat later).