Sep 06 | Kami Semick on The Family Workout

By Athlete Parents

Adaptability is one of the keys to parenting, especially if you need an outdoor fix on a daily basis.  Being an ultra runner, when the opportunity arises, or more likely my hand is forced because of circumstances outside of my control, the “family workout” comes into play.

 

On weekends, typically I enjoy running in the morning and then doing some family activity in the afternoon.    But I’m happy to have “the family workout” in my back pocket for those times when morning running isn’t possible and family time rises above everything else.

 

My daughter is to the age where she is interested and (somewhat) excited about checking out single track on her five-speed bike, and she has range…she can handle a four or five-mile ride with out too much difficulty.  Nothing too rugged, but it seems like a ride out on the trails is infinitely more interesting than a ride in the streets around our neighborhood.  Which works well with me, I’d much rather explore a trail than pound the pavement.

 

After some cajoling, my husband and I lace up our running shoes and my daughter puts on her helmet.  The goal is to let my husband “just run” so he can keep a steady pace.  My role is to hang with my daughter and keep her from veering off the trail or riding off a bridge (which she has done and survived).    Inevitably though, this workout turns into a “fartlek” workout for me.  Fartlek means speed play in Swedish.  And it can be a fun way to squeeze in an unstructured speed workout.

 

The trail we choose is a slight uphill for a couple of miles, with then a slight downhill for the return trip.  The trail undulates with some short but steep climbs and equally short but steep descents. My pace varies between 12-minute miles, pushing bike and child up short but steep hills, and 5.30 pace, running all out as we go down downhill.

 

One of the keys for me is to not let my fear of her wrecking creep into the instructions that I am giving as she flies down the trail.  She still needs reminders of when to gear up and gear down, but she has an amazing innate ability to pick a line down a steep hill complete with rocks and a sharp turn at the bottom.  She manages to stay upright better than most.

 

 

The key to this workout is:

 

Ø  Keep it short.

Ø  Keep it fun – kids seem to like some terrain – some rocks, some hills, as it keeps them engaged – but avoid overly technical or steep terrain, or you will be carrying or pushing bike and child. 

Ø  Bring water.

Ø  Remember that yelling, “You’re going to crash if you don’t …”  is not a confidence builder.

Ø  Have a tasty lunch at the end, or the prospects of going to grab a tasty bite. 

Comments

[Kovas Palubinskas]

Love working out with my kids! And I totally understand how they become fartlek sessions. We try to break up the rides or runs with a midway stop at a park or other place of interest.

[jordan 12]

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[nike shox]

One of the keys for me is to not let my fear of her wrecking creep into the instructions that I am giving as she flies down the trail.

[Cheap North Face]

I'd be interested in hearing. The TOS seems rather clear that it is not unless expressly approved by Amazon. I guess if the library got it in writing then they would be ok.