As I was digging around the internet for articles about this topic, I came across a very interesting quote in an artcile titled, The Moderating Effect of Spouse Support on the Relation Between Serious Leisure and Spouses’ Perceived Leisure-Family Conflict:
Glover and Schuder (1988) reported the divorce rate among New York Marathon runners was 3.5 times the national average and cited a poll taken in the Boston area that found forty percent of married runners who run more than 70 miles a week got divorced.
Well that is pretty damn scary. Although my wife and I were not anywhere near divorce when I was training for my marathon a year ago, I can say that it did put a pretty good strain on our relationship. The large number of miles that I was running had me spending 4 hours on a Sunday morning running while she had to deal with the kids, just as she did everyday while I was at work. Then there was the miles I had to put in before or after the kids went to bed during the weekday. It was a lot and our time together suffered. She is a very supportive wife, but this would test even the most loving of spouses!
What the above quote tells me is that these people put their running before their families, which is something I am unwilling to do. My family is too important to me. As such, I have decided that I am going to hold off running marathons until my kids are older and our lives are not as hectic. When this will be, I do not know but I can still cure my running bug by training for 10-Ks and half-marathons.
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4 comments so far
I have been debating this topic in my head for the last few weeks - the whole idea if running with family members makes a stronger or weaker family. It popped in my head on the heals on the obesity study that said you tend to be more obese if your friends are. So I wondered what you tend to be if you hung out with friends/family who are runners. This study was really interesting - I know the training can be tough to manage - but didn’t know if can cause harm. Really interesting! Thanks for stopping by!
Thanks for the comment Amy - interesting point on the linkages between this and the obesity study. I am able to be a runner even if my wife is not one, but I bet it would be easier if she was! However, it is what it is and she fully supports it so I continue to call myself a runner.
My hubby and I are doing it together. Takes even more juggling but the commitment is there from both of us so that is pretty cool. Very lucky, but your wife is lucky too, because you have a great attitude!
Your wife might enjoy Binham’s “The Courage to Start” ??!! I am reading it now, just posted on it a couple days ago.
[…] | Home My Wife is Now (Almost) a Runner 09.22.07 Guest post: Awhile ago you may remember me writing about my wife not being arunner. Well it turns out I spoke to soon and she has successfully completed 2 runs in the past two weeks. Good for her I say. I have asked her to write a guest post on my blog - this is her account of the experience… […]
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