Running Mama

Fitting in running around being a mom involves being both very organised and structured while also being very flexible. I don't think that in my particular circumstances it is actually too difficult to fit running in, I just need to master these particular skills. Organisation and structure I am good at, flexibility not so much, but I am definitely learning.

My particular situation is this - I am on maternity leave, my mom is around a lot to help, my mother in law is also very helpful with babysitting and the like, my husband works long shifts which means he also gets a few days off each week (although which days these are changes all the time, and he is often called into work at the last minute), I have an awesome jogger pram, I have a treadmill (which to be honest I should make more use of). So all up, I think I am in a pretty good place to fit in some training. It got difficult when mom was travelling for three months and bub was still too little for the jogger pram, but even then I managed.

I try to do a long run every week on a day that hubby is definitely not working. I do it when he gets home from his long run. This is the run that I put in the diary like an appointment, the other runs during the week come when I have an opportunity. I try to have a training plan, but often this goes out the window as things come up - hubby gets called into work, mom can't babysit because I need her for something else, cat gets attacked by dog, i only got two hrs sleep, etc, etc. this is where I am learning to be flexible. Although I may want to run on trails with every ounce of my being, I might just have to slog it out on the treadmill today and I may only get twenty minutes in because V has decided she won't nap for long, but I'm trying to concentrate on the positives - I'm doing something, I have a little time to myself and so on.

Since I have taken this more flexible approach, I have rediscovered my absolute love of running. I feel passionate about running. I appreciate every single step I get to take. I even like running up hills because I know it is valuable training. I'm also seeing improvements in my running that I have never seen before. I don't know if these improvements will carry over into ultras but I'm not worrying about that. I am just concentrating on the next step.