Urban stay-home-mom duathlon

By Marie Dershem | Published: October 12, 2012

“What” you ask is the Urban Stay-Home-Mom Duathlon? Well, recently I determined (due to injury and illness) that my body was telling me… actually was SCREAMING at me to take some real time off from training. That… and my doctor told me I absolutely need to rest my body. You see, I really, truly love to train and race. And, to be honest, I haven’t taken a real break in a really long time… years, I dare say. So, for over a week now, I have enjoyed easy commuter bike rides, walks in the woods, and a little paddling about in the pool. I thought I would hate it… but I’ve really enjoyed the rest and extra time in my schedule. So, how is it then that I managed to do a duathlon without racing or training?

My kids had a fundraiser for their school called the Foot Frolic Frenzy. They received pledges per lap or running around the school track. I have 2 sons who participated, ages 9 and 6. My 9 year old ran at 11 a.m. and my 6 year old at 1:45. At 11, I ran 13 laps with my nine year old… well… ran is a bit of an exaggeration. I encouraged and supported him while we jogged together. After he was done, (and I had a nice lunch) I hopped on my commuter bike and rode to the grocery store to pick up a few items I needed for dinner. When I returned, it was time for my 6 year old to run. We, too, jogged 13 laps together. This, my friends, was my urban stay-home-mom duathlon.

Jog-commute-jog.

A lovely way to spend a few off-season hours!

 


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Marie Dershem mdershem
I am a mom, student working toward a Masters degree in Nutrition, and a triathlete. In college, I rowed and competed in rowing for about 10 years after college. This became very challenging, however, once my children took priority. A friend, Tom Trout, introduced me to the sport of triathlon and I fell in love. I have competed in 6-7 triathlons each summer for the past 5 years. It has given me a fantastic outlet for my competitive spirit, a great way to meet new friends and athletes, and has provided me with an opportunity to participate in something that keeps me healthy - mind, body and spirit.

One Comment

  1. Cheryl Olson Cheryl Olson
    Posted October 19, 2012 at 9:38 am | Permalink

    Great Story Marie!! Your downtime will pay off immensely I promise! Your stay- home- mom Du gives me great ides….. hmmmm. I’ll be in touch about that :-) .

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