Three Things I Learned This Week

Okay, it's only Wednesday but for some reason this has just been a tough week. It's involved tears, stress, anxiety and, of course, joy (there is always room for joy!). I have not really been in the mood to run or exercise at all, but the idea of running a half marathon in just three and a half short months (more on that later) constantly hang over my head and it's enough to scare me into a run.

I don't necessarily know if these three things I learned this week are "new" things but at least they have all come to light this week in terms of my running.

Number 1

There is no perfect time to run

Sometimes (okay, a lot) I put off running, stating the often muttered phrase "I'll do it later". I find myself waiting for that perfect moment to get out the door. When the child is happy, the husband is happy, I feel motivated, energized, hydrated and with the perfect full-but-not-too-full feeling in my stomach. Well, if I waited for all those things to coincide, I would never be able to call myself a runner.  Even though there may be other things I need to do or should be doing or wish I was doing instead, the fact is that I never regret going for a run and somehow when it's all said and done the timing always ends up being just perfect.

Number 2

I should not feel guilty for running

Every mother runner knows exactly what I am talking about here. The guilt that looms when you leave your family behind to selfishly head out for a run. Or stay in the house and run on the treadmill and continuously hear the tiny voice in the next room asking for mommy. But the thing that I have to remember is that I am not being selfish, I am doing something for myself that makes me a better me for my family, and keeps me healthy, strong and happy.  It may not be the ideal time for my husband to watch our daughter so I can get out for a run, but truth is that he'll get over and I need to get my run on! My daughter may be upset that I am leaving and she may even cry but mama has gots to run! There is a fine line, I don't want to be neglectful of my family by any means, but I think there is a realistic amount of time that I am allowed to give myself to go for runs, this will look different for everyone and the balance is certainly important, but at the end of the day, everyone is happy that mommy was able to get a run in.

Number 3

It's okay to feel unmotivated or not want to run, but run anyway

We all have those days where we don't want to run especially now with the winter conditions being poor and the days being short, these unmotivated days come far too often. Let's face it, it is easier to run in the spring or summer, when you don't have to put 20 layers of clothing on (plus gloves, plus yak trax, etc) and you can actually sneak out of the house before the kids wake up because the sun in starting to peak over the hills as opposed to it being pure darkness outside. I suppose this also ties into the point I made in number 1, but the bottom line is to just run. In the words of Dimity McDowell (Co-Author of Another Mother Runner): "Don't Think, Just Run".

Katie