If you’ve been around CrossFit Thunderbolt for any amount of time, you know that we work hard and we have a big heart.  Yes, you came for the fitness, but it’s the sense of belonging that keeps you here.

Our #Thunderfamily has members with family in Mexico, and with family in Puerto Rico.  No-one blinked, no-one thought twice – we put up a list of needed supplies, and suddenly our front entrance was full of supplies. And not only did all of you respond with open hearts to the call for donations, but you’ve let our members know how much we care about them and their loved ones. Thank you.

In the midst of that, we had a charity workout for “Lift Up Autism” planned.  45 people did the workout “Lift up Luke” to raise money and awareness about Autism.  And our little Box raised just over $1100 for this charity, at the same time that we were donating supplies for Mexico and Puerto Rico. Thank you.

#Thunderfamily is unique.  We’ve got a wide variety of athletes, we come from very different backgrounds, we have a wide variety of political views, and yet we belong. We work side by side. We put our arms around each other in times of sorrow. We are a family.

THANK YOU so much, #Thunderfamily, for your generosity and big heart.

“Spirituality is recognizing and celebrating that we are all inextricably connected to each other by a power greater than all of us, and that our connection to that power and one another is grounded in love and compassion.” ~Brene Brown

As parents today, we are overly busy, sometimes frazzled, and we struggle to find balance.  How do we meet our children’s needs, our family’s needs, and still find time to meet our own needs? Let’s be real: it’s hard to find balance.

When my oldest son was a baby – almost 16 years ago now – I did not know how to make time for myself.  Perhaps that is part of the learning curve of becoming a mother.  Perhaps it is a natural progression that parenthood envelopes us for a little while.  But as time passes, and babies get older, we do have to make time for ourselves in order to meet the needs of our family.  Here are some ideas to fit CrossFit into your busy parenting life:

1) Work out with your baby

Because little babies need to be close to a caregiver and because they have immediate needs, one easy solution is to get your workout in *with* your baby.  Wrap baby up in a sling, put baby on your back in a backpack (Ruck hike!), or, once the baby is old enough, use the jogger.  When your baby gets hungry, it is easy to stop to nurse or feed…take a quick break and you can get right back to your WOD.  Both your needs and your baby’s needs get met – it’s a win-win. And you can consider your walk, hike, run, or bike ride an RX+ workout with the added weight of the baby! You can also workout with your baby close by.  Depending on your box and depending on your baby (you know your baby best!), you can bring your baby with you to the WOD, keeping them close by in their carrier or secure seat. You can do a “travel WOD” at home while baby is sleeping.  And last but not least, you and your partner can take turns getting your WOD on – my husband and I called this the “high five” phase of parenthood.  He worked out early in the morning, and then when he walked in the door at night, and I gave him a “high five” on my way out to the gym.

Ruck hike with Dad!

2) Work out with your children

It is important to model our active lifestyle in front of our children!  Yes, it might take longer to do that hike with a strong-willed 4 year-old who wants to do things by himself …. yes, your shoulders might get tired from carrying them when they get tired …. yes, you might need to take more breaks when you go on a family bike ride together.  But teaching your children by example – teaching them to love what you love – is worth it.  One thing that worked well for our family was to take a bike ride to the local park, and then get our workout in at the park while the kids played.

The author’s children at the top of Mt. Washburn. The youngest needed to be carried a few times, and there were a few rests on the way – but it was a great hike.

3) Be willing to wake up early

To get a workout in by yourself, you may have to be willing to wake up early to get a WOD in before work and before the rest of the family wakes up.  How do you do this? First of all, think of how wonderful it will feel – how accomplished you will feel – to have your WOD done before breakfast.  Picture the result in your mind.  Then, tell your partner and your WOD-buddies your plan, to hold yourself accountable.  At night, set out your workout clothes and shoes.  Set out an easily digested pre-workout meal, ready to go for the morning, as well as a post-workout recovery, ready to take with you.  Set your alarm.  And PRESTO!  You are all set to get yourself out the door.

4) Or, be willing to take the late shift

It can be difficult to get yourself out the door for a WOD after work, or after a long day of parenting.  But as CrossFit has taught you, “difficult” doesn’t mean it can’t be done!  Take a similar approach to the early morning workout:  tell your plans to your partner and your friends, to hold yourself accountable.  Have the clothes ready to go in your workout bag. Have a nutrition plan in place – make sure to eat a meal or snack 1-2 hours before WOD time, and be sure to have a recovery shake in the car ready to go.  You’ve got this!

5) Teach them well

The pinnacle of balance could possibly be found by bringing your children into the lifestyle with you!  Imagine if they could understand what you are saying when you say “no-rep”, “toes to bar”, or “box jump”?  Imagine if they were the ones to encourage you to get out the door?  Teach them – show them – bring them with you when it makes sense.  If you sign up for a local competition, make sure that they come to cheer for you…and spend some time prepping them for what they will see there.  Hopefully these are future CrossFitters in the making – or athletes of a more specialized nature – but either way, it’s good to teach them about what you do.

The author’s children, doing a (kid’s) obstacle course race, just like Mom!

The author’s son learning how to squat!

In conclusion, there are many ways to balance parenting and CrossFit.  Along with the ideas in the post, it’s always good to ask other parents how they find balance.  And be willing to share what has worked for you!  As my children have gotten older, I have developed an the “airplane oxygen mask” theory: as a parent, you have to put your own oxygen mask on FIRST, so that you can take care of your children. The Box may not be all there is to life – but it can be an important part of life.  It is an important part of having the energy and capacity to meet the needs of your family, and it is certainly is an important part of teaching your children to be active, healthy, and to meet their own needs!

About the author:  Coach Molly is CF-L1, as well as a volunteer breastfeeding counselor with a local support group.  She has 3 children, who are now 15, 12, and 10 years old.

Since I started Crossfitting, running has changed for me.  I no longer run every day, empty miles after miles just for the sake of just running.  However, I do still run (and yes, sometimes I run long).  When I do run, I want to make it count.  I want to experience something beautiful outdoors, or get to see some terrain, some woods, some prairie, some wildlife…. I don’t want to merely run on a treadmill or run loops in my neighborhood.

Are you getting bored on your running route? One of the best things I have done for my running life is to take “field trips”.  It may take an extra 10 or 20 minutes to drive to a new locale for a run – but it’s entirely worth it.  I have found that planning long runs in new places helps to keep me engaged and interested; it helps to experience and enjoy some new natural beauty; and it helps me to get into a zone where I’m less worried about miles and time.

There are some fantastic trails and paths to run on in the western suburbs!  There are 14 trails listed here (I did not include the Prairie Path, because, well, if you live in Chicago area and you run, you are familiar with the Prairie Path) If you find yourself in a rut – always running on the same trail, always running a loop in your neighborhood, or the same old out and back – here are some field trip ideas.

1. Saw Wee Kee Park (Oswego, IL) – single track mountain bike trail.  Also great for hilly, technical running with quick change of direction 

2. Mather Woods (Plainfield, IL) – off-road trail with some single track mountain bike trails as well.  About 1 mile total around the perimeter trail, with many ways to criss-cross the single track trails to make more mileage.  Also easily connects to downtown Plainfield, Lake Renwick Preserve and Fort Beggs Bike Trail to make longer mileage.

Mather Woods in the fall, the interior trails.

3. Lake Renwick Preserve (Plainfield, IL) Paved path with easy connections to downtown Plainfield, Mather Woods, and Fort Beggs Bike trail.

4. Waterfall Glenn (Lemont, IL) – crushed ash path, with great hills and many good views of forest and prairie. 

5. Knoch Knolls (Naperville, IL) – part off-road and part paved path.  Great connection to the Dupage River Trail.

6. Oakhurst Forest Preserve (Aurora, IL) – has one of the largest hills in the area.  Part off-road trails, part crushed ash, as well as paved paths. Connects to Lake Waubonsie Trail for more mileage.

7. Lake Waubonsie Trail (Aurora, IL) – has two hills for off-road running, as well as paved paths for running or biking. Includes 3+ parks along the path for kids to take a jogger-break, or for monkey bar/pull-up work.  Connects easily to Oakhurst for a longer trail.  Easy access to water and bathrooms.

8. Springbrook Prairie (Naperville, IL) – Beautiful prairie views – moderate hills all along the crushed ash path.  Can become quite busy mid-morning on weekends – and in the winter, the snow tends to melt and refreeze, so that there is quite a bit of ice.  Two rustic bathrooms, but only one building has drinking water.  There is an off-road portion which adds to the possible mileage.

Springbrook Prairie

9. Rock Run Preserve/Joliet Junction Trail (Joliet, IL) – Mostly a paved path, with a little crushed ash.  There are many different increments and loops to make many a variety of mileage amounts.  The entire loop is 15-16 miles. 

10. Vermont Cemetary Trail (Aurora/Naperville, IL) Easily connects to Springbrook Prairie for a longer run.

11. Virgil Gilman Trail (Aurora to Sugar Grove, IL) This Path has many good trailhead points to start from.  The trail starts in Aurora and goes out to Waubonsie Community College parking lot in Sugar Grove: keep in mind that it goes right through downtown Aurora in a not-so-safe area, so either plan appropriately to be safe (run with someone, with your dog), or pick a different spot along the way to begin.

12. Green Valley (Naperville/Woodridge, IL) Similar to Springbrook Prairie, this is partly crushed ash path, partly paved, with beautiful forest and prairie views.  You can choose different loops to make a variety of mileage goals. 

13. Dupage River Trail (Naperville, IL) This trail is a paved path – in different increments, it can be used to cover a few miles or many.  It can connect to Knoch Knolls, Green Valley, and the Prairie Path.

Dupage River Trail in the fall

14. I & M Canal (various) The I & M Canal covers an enormous distance.  The link here is for the portion of the trail from Channahon to Morris, and from Morris to LaSalle.  It is crushed ash – with a good deal of tree cover.  There are water and bathrooms along the way.  Connects easily to Rock Run Preserve, Joliet Junction Trail, and Centennial Trail. 

A view from the I & M Canal

If you are stuck in a rut with your run, grab your running partner, your water and nutrition, and try one or more of these new trails out for your next long run.

Looking to improve your running form or speed? Sign up for a free session at Crossfit Thunderbolt and talk to one of our coaches!

-Coach Molly