Time to Find Time

A friend asked me how I find time and energy to run/train and how I stay motivated. Honestly, I have been able to adjust some things in my life that free me in ways that others might not be able to. Still, I hope something here will help.

I read once that when you say you can't do something it almost always means you don't want to badly enough. I remember that pissed me off initially. "There are things I just can't do!" I thought. But the more I considered it, the more this really did seem true. And being honest about it only helped me realize what I really did want badly enough.

After my oldest was born, I finished the school year and then went back in the fall full time. The hope had been that Dan would get a job as an assistant principal that year, and I would go part time. It didn't work out that way, and I spent a year struggling with feelings of inadequacy as a teacher, mother, and wife. Somewhere in there I also decided to try running. I ran one evening after getting home with the baby. Dan made dinner and sent me on my way. I came back sobbing after only going about a block. I wanted to be home with them, not running. It was not that I couldn't run; I just didn't want it badly enough. And that was okay. I focused I surviving the year and let running go.

A year later Dan landed a job as an AP, and I cut down my hours. It was amazing - everything I needed to feel like I was not just surviving but thriving. And I was ready to run again. I could find time without feeling like I was stealing it from someone else. I ran until I got pregnant again, and it was a year and a half after my youngest was born that I felt ready to lace up the sneakers again. So, my first suggestion would be an honest assessment as to whether or not this is something you want right now. No judgment either way - just honesty.

When I decide I am ready, finding time can be tricky. I have gotten very creative with sneaking in runs, and I have let go of completing a perfect training schedule. My midweek runs rarely are the recommended mileage, but I always make sure to complete the long runs. For shorter runs during the week I work with my mom (my childcare) and Dan to see when I can get them in. Sometimes I go right after work, and I am exhausted - those runs can be pretty terrible, so I try to cut myself a little slack. A crappy run is better than no run. Other times Dan gets dinner duty and I run around supper time. This is not my favorite since it can mean I miss eating with them. I have headed out to the gym at 8:00 or 9:00 to pound out some time on the treadmill, and as a last resort, we have a beat up treadmill that gets me by when needed.

Long runs can be trickier, but again, creativity is key. I have brought clothes to church, changed after Mass, and run home. I have run from my in-laws to the hotel we were staying at in a blizzard. Map My Run is awesome for plotting out courses. The biggest piece here is Dan's support. Since I am pretty slow, my long runs can take a chunk out of a weekend day. He gives me this time and never lets me feel bad about it.

Staying motivated is a whole other entry, and if I am brave enough, I will be really honest about some stuff that surrounds my motivation. However, I will say that letting go of perfection and just embracing my humble running offering has really turned it from something I had to do to something I want to. In all the races I ever run, I will very likely never win a prize, but I will finish - if I want to badly enough.