So clean, and yet so loud.
Around AMR, we like to tackle the big issues like peace in Yemen; the environmental impact of all the electronics we use; whether Super PACS are a good idea; and, of course, when a mother runner should go to the bathroom pre-race.
We got this beauty in our inbox a few weeks ago, and decided we needed the tribe to chime in. (The sender wants to remain anonymous, but I will leak that she’s headed to run a few miles in Pittsburgh this weekend.)
Her ultra-important dilemma: I am traveling with the family (husband, two 10-year-olds) for a destination race. I am going to wake up, sneak out, walk to the start and have the hubs and kiddos see me on the course later. But before I sneak out, I need to know: Should I use the bathroom?
I am lucky enough to have an intestinal tract that let’s me “drop the kids at the pool” when I wake up, so I have a perfect opportunity to avoid line at and the disgustingness of the Honey Buckets and clear my chute in our clean, quiet hotel bathroom. But I’m afraid of the flush: if I go at the hotel, I risk waking up the kids at a really early hour. (And also risk them being slightly crabby all day long as a result.)
So should I take one for the team, tiptoe out of the room and use the port-o-let? Or should I put myself first and use the clean toilet?
What would you do, mother runner? Stay and go—or go and go?
Most hotels have a restroom in the lobby. Why not wake up, sneak down to the lobby and take care of business in the lobby bathroom? That way your fam can stay asleep and you don’t have to cork it and use a disgusting port-o-potty.
I was literally going to say the same thing as Ashleigh!! Lobby of the the hotel! Actually not a very commonly used bathroom because everyone goes in their rooms.
I would actually suggest using the hotel’s lobby bathroom.
Yep, hotel lobby was my thought, too.
Lobby was my thought, too!!!!!
Our family travel is always centered around destination races. I’ve never thought twice about using the toilet in my room, nor has my family ever complained about it. Your children are 10 not 1 !
Looks like we all had the same thought. Lobby bathroom – cleaner than race potties.
All things considered, hotels are noise anyway, what if someone else needed to use the bathroom during night?, Or if you developed stomach issues, are you doing to keep running (lol) down to the lobby? Make it as stress free as possible for yourself. If it’s no biggie to trot to the lobby when your “cookies are done” fine. Me? I’d give the team the lowdown the night before. It’s a flush that’s just a moment in time. If they get the memo: it’s just me and go back to sleep. See ya later. They should be able to fall into that routine. Tell them to stick their heads under the pillow. Little air freshener, and you’re good to go.
What would happen it you knew you really couldn’t make it to another bathroom or even worse, couldn’t get into that other bathroom?! ugh!
It’s your “moment” and you know your family. I like the comfort of my room and when I’m ready to go, I gotta go!
Good luck! (in the race and your decision :) )
Hotel bathrooms are so clean in the morning! Head on downstairs!
Can you use the hotel lobby restroom?
I agree – hotel lobby bathroom. Or you could make the agreement with your husband that you will use the toilet in your bathroom and not flush – so he will need to flush once everyone is stirring.
Hotel lobby bathroom. Always always. This is my usual routine anytime we go to a hotel because I like to workout by 5:30 am even when on vacation so I’m always up before my sleeping brood
I always bring a fan for the room. We have one that is small, or use a white noise app on your husbands phone. I tell everyone the night before and ALWAYS use the hotel bathroom.
I would say to go in the hotel room because I’m just that selfish but when you said cranky kids all day long it circled back to me again. So my suggestion is to use the bathroom in the hotel lobby. Easy peasy. Good luck at the race.
Hotel room. I agree with someone else your kids are 10 not 1.
Go in the hotel! I have had this dilemma on family vacations before just for a regular run to the bathroom and I have yet to wake up my 10 year old! ;)
Use the one in the lobby. :)
All hotels have a bathroom in the lobby area. Use that one and problem solved. Flush toilet-clean area, and the kiddos won’t be woken up.
If you have to go, go. It will most likely not wake anyone. Good luck in Pittsburgh. I’ve run both the full and the half there and the porta-potties have always been clean.
Use the potty in the hotel lobby. They all have them!
Go in the hotel lobby. But definitely drop the kids at the pool before you leave hotel. Anything else is crazy talk.
Sneak out and go in the public toilet in the lobby downstairs. Can’t risk kids calling out for mum before she leaves!
Yep, I immediately thought of the lobby too LOL. Good luck!
Go at the hotel in the lobby!!
I’d go at th hotel, and hadn’t ought about the lobby til I saw it mentioned above. Good idea.
I would use the the beautiful, clean empty lobby bathroom!
Hotel lobby bathroom for the win!
Ditto what everyone else is saying- use the hotel bathroom in the lobby. Problem solved!! :) Good luck with your race!!
Hotel! But then again my kids are heavy sleepers and would only possibly wake up if a struck a gong by their heads…
No question – the hotel! Port-a-potties can be soooo disgusting, even during the early morning hours of a race and light can be nonexistent that early. I’m always afraid of dropping my iPod, GUs and other necessities in there. Put yourself first here and go at the hotel
I’d use the one in the lobby!
Definitely, lobby.
Use the public bathroom in the hotel.
Definitely use the lobby bathroom.
Hello?? You’re running a race; they’re still sleeping. Whose comfort is more important at that point. YOURS, for sure. Use that beautiful, comfortable (and clean) bathroom. Close the door and flush. Or, if you’re really concerned that they might be awakened, do your thing, close the lid, and leave a note saying, “please flush me before opening lid”! Have a great race!
Go in your hotel room! Your kids are 10, they will stay asleep or go back to sleep. It’s all about you that day and nobody else. Do what makes you feel comfortable.
If the hotel has a bathroom in the lobby area, I would use that bathroom. That way, you don’t take the risk of waking up the family, you don’t stink up your room potty AND you avoid the line at the disgusting port-a-pots….it’s a WIN WIN WIN!!
Hotel room!!! The hubby and kids will be able to sleep through and why should you have to use a public restroom or a honey bucket when you have access to a private, clean facility.
Use the hotel bathroom!!! For sure!! How many times have you woken up for those kids??? It’s fine if they wake up once for you and then go back to sleep!
I would either use the hotel room bathroom and risk waking them up, or I would use the bathroom in the hotel lobby. Skip the port-o-potty at all costs!
Agree…use the bathroom in the hotel lobby!!!!
Go and go- downstairs in the hotel lobby! Everybody wins!
They usually have a lobby bathroom. Go there!
I would use hotel room or lobby bathroom. Anything to avoid a port-a-potty!!!!
I would use the bathroom in the room but the lobby is an alternative if you are that concerned. While I try to be quiet, on race morning it is about me. Your kids are 10. They will go back to sleep and survive. Perhaps ensure they are well rested the days leading up to the race since we all know the night before doesn’t mean much in terms of overall sleep (says the insomniac…).
Best of luck and I am in awe of your GI system. Wish I could say the same for me. I’d be using the hotel room, the lobby and the porta potty. :-)
Use the bathroom in the room!! I would avoid the porta-potty at all costs. I am not a fan of ANY public bathroom, especially if you have a private one. If you were meeting friends at the hotel and not staying there then I would say lobby. At 10 YO if the kids wake-up they should be able to get themselves back to sleep or quietly read or play on an electronic.
Hotel lobby. You get a cleaner space, kiddos won’t hear. You’ll be early enough that any other people nearby are runners and will understand.
This is exactly what I was going to say!! Not sure why this is even a question. Kids are not babies, nice facilities right there, the point of trip is the race…being a good mother does not exclude using a nice bathroom when the option is purposefully available. Have a good race!
Bathroom in the hotel lobby if waking up your kids is a real possibility.
I would risk it, but if you don’t feel comfortable with that, then use the bathroom in the lobby.
I would use the hotel bathroom! Either in the room (the flush likely won’t wake them) or see if there’s one in a public place like the lobby or the workout room.
I would add to the lobby/hotel gym option to call ahead and find out where the public restrooms are in the hotel. That way you can check if off your list of question marks…and focus your nerves on the next one!
A quandary for sure! I think I would have to use the hotel loo and hope the kiddos stay asleep.
I know my husband wouldn’t hesitate to use the bathroom at any time of morning, so why shouldn’t I? The kids are 10 YEARS old, not 10 MONTHS. They’ll survive.
Hotels are loud anyway…we usually run the fan for white noise all night long. Keep the fan going, use the room loo and flush!
Use the bathroom in the hotel lobby. You won’t wake anyone up and it will be clean.
I had the same dilemma in my own house when my kids were little. I’d poop, them close the lid, and leave the toilietr lol on the seat. It was a known code in our house for the next user to flush it before opening it. You can cover poo with a little paper if you are worried they’ll sneak a peek :)
Almost all hotels have a lobby bathroom…so I would totally drop the deuce in the lobby bathroom before heading out. :-)
I agree with the tribe…go use the lobby bathroom! I usually stop there anyway even if I used the room’s facility, just to be sure everything is totally empty!! ;)
use the lobby bathroom! Good luck :)
Use your own and just take a sound machine. It will drowned out any noise of you getting ready or flushing!
Lobby bathroom.
I second Liz+B- most hotels have a lobby bathroom that is clean and on your way out the door. So- I would stop there and get some peace of mind. Have a good race!
I vote lobby bathroom
Yes, lobby bathroom.
Use your own bathroom but don’t flush. We have a system in our house where if the lid is down and something’s on top of the seat, like a Kleenex box or air freshener, it means “don’t look, just flush.”
You have got to either use the toilet in your hotel room or the bathroom in the lobby. I say, warn your husband to flush as soon as he rises…it’s all good. :)
I face this dilemma all the time when travelling with my family. Head downstairs to the nice bathroom in the hotel lobby and go for it!
Flush.
I would use the restroom in the lobby!
Put yourself first, flush, and run!
Use the hotel lobby bathroom.
that’s an easy one – use the bathroom in the lobby or over by any meeting/ballrooms the hotel has
hotel bathrooms are perfect when you are on a road trip too – cleaner and nicer than restaurant bathrooms