Until tonight, I haven't run since this past Saturday.
And that's a problem.
I'd like to run more and I have good intentions. See, I like to research various workout plans to find ways to improve my performance. Just yesterday, for example, I printed off a 10-week half-marathon training regimen, and it looked great. It looked do-able.
Only it wasn't. The problem? I can't run six (or even five) days per week. I'd like to (Heck, I'd like to run every day if I could, though I know that's not healthy), but it's a logistical impossibility. The reasons are myriad. First, it's winter, and that means it stays dark until after I've already arrived at work and gets dark again about an hour after I come home. Second, I have young children. It's not like I can leave them home alone while I scratch my running itch. Third, life gets in the way. Just last night, for example, I didn't get home from school until 8 p.m. so I could participate in the eighth grade academic night. Early morning workouts aren't an option either. I already get up at 5:45 a.m. just so I can get to work on time, which means I'd have to get up at 4:30 in order to get anything meaningful done; plus, the roads are still dark and snowy—not very safe this time of year.
All of that means my running is sporadic at best. I know it's important to find time to work out, and trust me when I say motivation isn't the problem. But who has the time? I can't believe I'm alone in this, which is why it's all the more frustrating when I see running "gurus" provide workout plans as if they don't have a care in the world. Don't they have families? Jobs? Lives? Does anyone have a plan for a busy working dad? If you do, I'd love to see it.
There may be hope, though. My neighbor works at my gym. He suggested the other day that I could stay after hours to work out while he cleans up the place. He's there anyway, he said, and there are a few other guys who stay, too. That might be a solution. I could go after my kids are in bed and still have enough time to get in a decent-sized run. It'd mean I wouldn't be home and showered until 11 p.m. or so, but it beats doing nothing. There are worse ways to spend an evening and it would beat skipping three days between runs.
Happy running.
You don't know Jack, but you should.
4 months ago
Oh my gosh - I could have written THIS. EXACT. POST. today. I'm on my third night of at least 12 hour days, and tonight and yesterday were 14 hour days. I'm like you - I get up at 5:30. There's no way I can do it before work. It does get frustrating. I console myself by knowing that I don't have weeks like this every week. It's just a perfect storm of 8th grade fair, newspaper worknight, grad school and yearbook deadline all in one week. I'm going to run my pretty little heart out tomorrow (when I leave school at 3:16 dammit!)
ReplyDeleteYou also hadn't blogged since this past Saturday either. :[
ReplyDeleteI completely see where you're coming from though. I haven't even gotten a decent chance to start conditioning for track yet, but then again, I suppose there's a lack of motivation issue on my part as well. But good luck finding running opportunities!