Fitting in the Workouts

Ever feel like there is just not enough time? I have been feeling very stressed and frustrated with myself lately.  I was told one time a saying from my mom, not sure where she got it from, “Some days I am a great mom, some days I am a great employee, rarely am I the both on the same day.” I feel I should tweak that statement a little to include runner as well. I love my runs and know they are important, but so often I feel like they are taking time away from my family. I struggle almost daily with the idea that I should be doing something other than my run. Or just as bad I struggle with myself and feel like if I was just a faster runner it would be so much easier to get the runs in and still have time for everything else.

So often I used to think that stay at home moms should have plenty of time to do everything. Haha! I was SOOO wrong. Now that I am a stay at home mom I feel so much more stressed and have even less time for my workouts it feels. I need to be working 4+ hours a day to keep up with the work. Then the cleaning (let’s face it that takes last priority). All this is around kids’ schedules of school, swim, tutoring, and homework, not to mention just playing with them. It seems like there should be plenty of time. But let me lay out the day. Wake up at 6-6:30 and it is get kids/husband lunches ready, and kids ready for school. By 8 it is out the door for school drop off. This is usually a longer process then I plan because I indulge my kids and walk them to class and then end up running into a parent or two to say hi to and talk with about life. So instead of getting home by 8:30 it is usually 9. Then I try on MWF to get my runs in, anywhere from 3-5 miles depending on the training plan. Due to my pace being so slow this is anywhere from a 36-60 min time. After you account for getting the little one set up with her movie or snack and all the other interruptions it is usually 10-10:30 before that is done.  From there I usually clean up a little (not a shower yet who has time for that). By 11 I MAY have time to sit down and get to my job. “Work” from 11 AM-2 PM interrupted frequently by youngest needing something or wanting help with her coloring or reading. Of course at some point in there I have to get lunch. At 2 we get ready to pick up the oldest from School. Again that rarely goes as fast as I hope pick up will go. So by the time we get home it is 2:45-3. Then it is snack time and homework until 3:45 and then off to Swim until 5:30-6. After that it is home for dinner/showers/cuddle time/bed. If I am lucky kids are in bed by 8-8:30 and actually settled by 9. At this point, if you are following along I still need to work for another 1-2 hours to get all my time and work done. Just looking at that typed out makes me cringe and think that running really should be cut out so I can clean more.  However, then the family would really dislike me! I would be so grouchy.

The perfect schedule would be me getting up at 5 AM and getting my work out in before 6:30. However, I am just not a morning person. 5AM just comes SOOOO early! I haven’t had my running partner lately due to life so I have no motivation to get out of bed! I am trying so hard to be perfect and fit it all in. I think the facts are we can’t always fit it all in. No matter how well we plan our schedule there has to be flexibility. Life is great at throwing us curve balls. I did a weekly schedule with cleaning and work outs. It included getting up every morning at 5 AM to get it all in. What it left out were important things like helping with homework and grocery shopping. I will have to revisit that some day soon.

For now I am going to do my best to keep plugging away and make time for the most important things, my family and taking care of myself. While some, and even myself sometimes, think my running time is selfish, I would argue it is needed. Without it I would probably gain even more weight (a subject for another blog post) and be very grouchy. So, my “me” time is running and the rest of the day is flexible depending on what my family needs. I try to remind myself that by doing this I am setting an example to my daughters that it is important to take care of yourself, even in busy times.  Life happens but how we react to it is the important part!