Dads That Run….Ultras! (Submitted by Adam Knutson)

Hey, I’m Adam! I’m a trainer that lives in Oklahoma with my wife and two kids. I served 6 years in the Army and have worked in the fitness industry for over a decade. ln 2020, I ran my first ultramarathon, instantly became hooked, and have been training and jumping in events ever since. When DTR offered an opportunity to share a little about my ultra running hobby, I thought it would be a great to share how I fit a busy training schedule into a busy family schedule. 

I remember being single in my 20s, going to the gym at 8pm and thinking, "why doesn't everyone just find the time!?" Fast forward a handful of years later, I'm married with 2 young kids, driving by the gym after work, knowing I should stop, but leaving my wife at home for another hour or two with the kids just doesn't feel right. You could say that I've discovered the answer to the question 20 something year old me would ponder: sometimes there just isn't time!

Fitness may look different as a dad, but I've found what works for my family, and that's all we can really do. During my training, I've learned there's a phase that can pop up in every training block that dads need to be prepared for. It's the "survive" portion where training might not be exactly what we want, but we do our best as runners, dads, and husbands. My main goal is to be a present dad and husband who runs ultramarathons. 

Here's my schedule and how I try to strike some balance:

Monday's - no run, but sneaking in a deadlifting session with some pulls (pull-ups, inverted rows, Single leg RDLs, etc.).

Tuesday & Wednesday - 8-10+ miles - Sometimes they are split up. I will knock out 3-5 miles on the treadmill in the morning before getting my kids ready for school. Afternoon or evening, I'll fill the gap. 

It's okay to split runs up. I've found it to be a great tool. It gets me out of my "all or nothing" mindset.

Thursday - 4-6 miles or off. Real easy run. Recovery pace. Usually, an upper body lift is involved.

Friday: 10+ miles. Might be together, might be split in 2 runs. I write my workouts in pencil!

Saturday - Long run on the trail 14-20+ miles - This is my dedicated morning run. My wife knows I will be home late morning or early afternoon. When I get back, she usually has errands she wants to do, so I watch the kids while she gets her time too. Now this is the fun part…We're dads that run, so we don't get to throw Netflix on and binge series with our feet elevated. Nope. Kids are busy. I always say my Saturday workouts begin when I get home. I will never tell my kids "I'm too tired" to play after a run…Quality time with the kiddos and extra time on my feet.

Sunday - Usually 6+ miles. I hit the treadmill on Sundays. My wife deserves a morning to herself, so I'll either finish before anyone wakes up or let my girls know they can come to where I have the treadmill set up, snag an iPad, and get some screen time as I finish up.

Obviously, there will be curveballs weekly and daily at times that might end up in a missed run. That's okay. Was it a planning failure, or did life get the better of us? Adapt as needed and get those running shoes back on. All work is good work!