The continued prayer is, “Lord keep me focused. Keep my mind stayed on You. Help me to bring You praise. I know You believe in me. Please help me in my unbelief. Amen.”
It’s been almost a month since my last entry and I must say, I’ve missed blogging my experiences. But really, many of my runs lately have been on the treadmill and treadmill runs really aren’t worth writing about.
My treadmill is old and stuck on a 6% incline. I am convinced that this makes me a stronger runner. When I do make it outside, I feel that my run is stronger and faster.
Also, I’ve been much encumbered with the merriment that is my life.
Jordan has started flag football and I get to be that mom who cheers and loads him down with electrolytes, carbs and sugar at half time. That is so much fun for me. Work had also been very busy, as we had been understaffed for one reason or another for weeks, it seemed.
Throughout all of that, I have been determined to make time for runs whenever I can. I’ve been focusing on short and fast and just getting the miles in.
Exercise is grand and great. It really is…. But training is far better. Running with no goal is starting to wear on me. My last race was the Pacific Half and it was a blast.
I am grateful for what I’ve been able to do and if I never get to run another race again, I will still consider myself blessed among women.
However, I’m having bib withdrawals. If I don’t get in another race soon (Any race!), I may do something drastic.
However, for me, It’s not as simple as finding a race and registering for it. I have these pretty little people who live in my house and summer is coming. That means money will be tight.
Any mom who works full time outside the home has the same dilemma: What to do with the kids when school is out! For some of us, it means extra childcare and summer field trips, which costs a grip out here in the land of perpetual sunshine.
One day soon, they will be taking care of themselves and won’t be such a drain on our resources. But for now, they come first. So if that means I have to skip a $150 Half Marathon Registration Fee or reduce my speed drills to a handheld 3-mile stroll, capped off with a trip to Rocket Fizz on a Saturday morning or wait for the Fall racing season to register for a race: I’ll take it….. All day long.
Right now, I’m a Mom who runs. Soon enough, I’ll be a Runner who has kids. When that time comes training can take the place of bedtime stories, trips to the library, baking cupcakes and cuddling & kisses.
For now, my runs will have to be tucked in after practice, when I load the family into the car and send Chris and the kids ahead of me, while I stay behind and run the 5 miles home or run laps around the block after I pick the kids up from school because Chris hasn’t made it in from work yet and I can’t leave the kids or I'll be racking up the miles on the treadmill in the stuffy, hot garage.
Cuz I’m a Mom…… Who runs.
Nice to have you writing again, and like you it's been a while since I was on the road, yes I've run a couple of trail races, but I want to knock of a couple of miles and watch the clock, to run mile after mile at the same pace!!!
ReplyDeleteSo find the time and money, and sign up for the next race, no wait find 2!!! a half to work towards and a 5km or 10km for as soon as...
go for a local small cheep race, the best there is!!!
And even if you are stuck on the dreadmill at 6% tell up about it, the slow miles and the fast miles, about how you watched TV and raced the ad breaks, think of something exciting! good luck
Thanks Coach! Always great to hear from you. I've been reading and the stuff I see you do is AMAZING!!! I can't even imagine you on a treadmill! Unless you're being monitored by some university doctor who is trying to figure out why some people are superhuman and others just aren't!
DeleteI'll look for a local race that's cheap and see if I can work it in. Fortunately, my husband is really supportive. He's cool with whatever. That's why I always feel like I need to check myself. From Sept 2010 to Aug 2011, I made commitment to run one organized race a month for 12 months. It got expensive but my husband was cool the whole time. This year, I promised myself I'd ease up.
But you gotta do what Coach says! When Coach says run, you move your ass! I'll keep you posted.