Guilt-free training runs

Guilt-free training runs: why is this important to your family and your runner? It is important for runners to "get in" their training runs. It is also important to make sure that when it is time for your runner to leave, you gracefully say "Have a good run!". Leave all your "honey due" lists, pet peeves, grievances, and guilt trips for another time. Right before someone is going on a run is not the time to discuss the unresolved family issues of the day. You can do that once they return from their run.

It is important to emphasize planning as the way to maintain a great "give and take" relationship between the training schedule and family time. Sometimes all the planning in the world does not account for what actually happens. Most people that run or train for a long distance race find that their mood becomes positively affected by running. If your runner is antsy, or itching to get their run in for the day, the best thing that can happen is to encourage your runner to take the time and get the run done.

What kind of results can you see from having a supportive guilt-free attitude toward your runner's training? A happier runner, a happier family, and a runner achieving their goal. If the runner of the family is the mom, then it is common knowledge when mom is happy, everyone is happy. When mom needs to run, then that is the best thing for the family.

Credits

Run The Planet thanks Marathon Family (www.marathonfamily.com) for the permission to reprint the article "Guilt Free Training Runs - Why is this important to your family and your runner?" by Scott Winter. For more information about how to support your runner, in all phases from getting started to training to race day and back again, please visit www.marathonfamily.com. Questions, comments and suggestions can be mailed to info(at)marathonfamily.com. Illustration copyright © by Run The Planet.