As I was ironing a shirt for my husband this morning at 1:15 a.m. (because that's how I've been rolling lately), I started thinking a lot about running. Well, I think about running a lot of the time anyway, but specifically, about races. Part of me said, you need to finish this shirt and get to bed - tomorrow is going to come early. The other part of me (which clearly won out) wanted, no needed, to sit down and write this post, even though I'd already turned off my computer for the day.
My husband's workload has changed quite drastically over the last year. He's traveling more and when he's not traveling, he's often working. As a result, my running has suffered. Not my daily workouts and runs, because I can usually get those done while the kids are at school, but my racing. My children are still young and not old enough to stay by themselves. We have no family nearby to help out. And there you have it - it's been since last July that I did a race, and I'm craving it BADLY.
My husband's workload has changed quite drastically over the last year. He's traveling more and when he's not traveling, he's often working. As a result, my running has suffered. Not my daily workouts and runs, because I can usually get those done while the kids are at school, but my racing. My children are still young and not old enough to stay by themselves. We have no family nearby to help out. And there you have it - it's been since last July that I did a race, and I'm craving it BADLY.
About a month ago, I sat down and looked at upcoming races for the year. I picked out about 10 that I wanted to do (including a possible first marathon), yet nearly all of them conflicted with my husband's schedule. Quite honestly, I'm not sure how to handle this. He is a wonderful man who works so hard to provide for our family, but on the other hand, I need to do this for myself. But how? It's hard to ask a friend to come over and watch your kids at 5 a.m. I could hire a baby-sitter, but what teenager wants to voluntarily get up at that time?
I love my daily runs, but races give me momentum. They give me something to work toward. It's the feeling of waiting for the gun to go off with people you've never met but somehow feel a connection to... of picking off runners ahead of you on the course one by one, and then finally crossing the finish line and receiving that coveted and well-earned medal. There is no feeling quite like it, and I miss it terribly.
So friends, I need your advice. How do you do it? How do you balance life's responsibilities and still take time to do one of the things that matters most to you? How do you play both mom and dad (at times) and still take time for yourself to do what you love? Please, let me hear from you...
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