Got a question I'm sure has been brought up countless times prior. I have two young kids, a seven and three year old, as well as a wife who also works full-time like myself, and the kids certainly do keep us busy outside of that. My question is for anyone in a similar boat as me-when do you find the time to hit the road/trail? I've tried to set my alarm early, but that almost always wakes up the kids and then they're up and ready to go, with a wife who now has to deal with them while I go out and have some fun (not a great situation). I've thrown my bike in my van and attempted to squeeze in some lunch hour rides, but that's always easier said than done, and weekends are usually packed with activities as well.
I realize I'm in that time of my life right now where such recreational activities will be tricky, and I'm OK with that. The kids both ride as well but understandably aren't very fast yet, so it's difficult to get in a workout in that situation. I just want to know how anyone else with kids is able to make it work. I do have one of my bikes on a trainer in the basement, and I do enjoy that, but nothing beats getting outdoors. I've also done my share of night rides after the kids go to bed, but it's just not the same.
Being retired I can go for a ride almost any time I like. It's been dangerously hot in Florida for the past several days and even a normal summer day can be unhealthy. So I take a four-mile ride in the early morning, and another one late evening, when it's cooler.
My longish rides around the county are reserved for the winter months. Prior to retirement I was too busy working in construction, and where I lived in Delaware wasn't good for biking because it was all narrow country lanes, and drivers just will not give you the room they are legally required to give a cyclist. Neither will they slow down and take five precious seconds of their time waiting to pass, safely. Occasionally I'd take the bike to a state park, but it was a ten-mile drive to get there. Since I left Delaware, they've built a trail going for miles, linking one town with another. Biking has become more popular there since provision for biking has been made. And someone opened a new bike shop, something that didn't exist when I was there.
When I had kids I rode to work then after work for an hour then went home 4 days out of the weekdays (Wednesday I went straight home) on the weekend I spent 1/2 day riding long distance like 75 to 120 miles usually starting out at 6am and finishing between 11am to 1pm. So I did spend at least a couple of hours a night on weekdays with them, and all day Sunday and a half a day on Saturday, plus we took vacations when I wasn't on the bike at all unless there was a cycling event I had to go to which those became less frequent as they got older and eventually stopped the events by the time my oldest was 8. These things are tough to call because it's impossible to say whether or not I had spent more time with them would things be different? I adopted my kids, the first one turned out pretty good, she's a great daughter and has given us 3 grandkids too; the other one has severe mental issues which was due to a chemical imbalance in her system which the docs can only partially control it. All kids are different too, some need their parents more than others, so you have to work with that and honestly figure it out beyond what you want.
Achieving work-life balance is indeed challenging, but have you considered implementing a time management matrix? Quadrant 2 activities, such as exercise, are important yet not urgent. Prioritize and schedule these tasks to ensure they don't get neglected. Also, consider involving your family - turning your outdoor activities into family bonding time. #timeManagement #prioritization #familyActivities
