Originally Posted by
cheapshades
I am a husband and father of four (16, 14, 9, and 4 yrs old). I got my first road bike a little over a week ago, and I have ridden every day since I got it.
I want to keep up the habit of riding every day, but man, some days are just so busy. At my current fitness level, it takes me between 40-60 minutes to ride 10 miles. Also, the time it takes to get prepared and then to get showered/cleaned up afterward adds up (not to mention time for regular maintenance). So, I'm struggling to figure out how to work riding into my routine so that I can guarantee at least one short ride per day. Where there is a will, there is a way -- I'm sure!
I'm curious what others with family responsibilities do to manage their riding time? Or, am I being too aggressive in trying to bike every day, and maybe I should just dedicate 3-4 days per week to riding?
Also a Dad here with work and my kids' after school activities. I usually schedule my rides in the mornings during the weekend or before school pick-up on the weekdays. My kids also play soccer matches by a MTB trail, so before games I get some off-road riding. Also cycling everyday seems quite a lot. Some days I throw in strength training and I make sure to get at least 1 rest day per week, and my rest day I might just do some casual swimming. It's good to mix things up so you don't get burn out. I'm guessing Indiana is fairly flat, so my suggestion is to to start interval training to properly utilize your time and maximize your effort. Lastly try to get good rest and start paying attention to your nutrition. Make sure your body has time to recovery between rides and that you're properly fueled!