Why I Run.

Not me, what I imagine I look like ;)

I have not been a runner for many, many years, however 4 babies in 5 years pushed me to need to find something - something to do that would be for me.  Something that would help my mental health and my physical health.  Something that I could feel a personal sense of accomplishment about.  So many wonderful things about parenting are such a process - I needed something with an immediate result.

I began by running one block and walking one block.  I was in bad shape in the beginning.  I was quite overweight and have bad joints - not a good combination.  BUT I kept going.  My husband bought me a shuffle for Mother's Day to listen to while I ran - it helped immensely in the beginning - kept me from hearing my own heavy breathing.  Now I rarely use it, but prefer the quiet of the road instead.

My kids are incredibly supportive of this endeavor of mine and occasionally ask to go with.  I would love to share this love with them.  Not that they all need to be runners, but I like that they think it looks fun enough to try.  It is so fun to run with them around the block, they all approach running very differently!

My husband is my champion.  He helps me to make the time to get this done every week.  I am not a daily runner, that will never be the case for me and my arthritis, but I feel awesome when I can get out 2-3 times a week.

For me to be selfish and claim this time out - on a good week it ends up being about 3 hours for the week of running - spills over into the other parts of my life.  I am less irritable.  I feel healthier and therefore I eat healthier and therefore I have more energy for my family.  My brain has had a clear space - a quiet time - to process things that are bugging me or things that I am excited about.

I am an outdoor runner.  To be outdoors has always energized me.  I made a point to get the gear to be able to run outside in MN all winter long.  It was beautiful - I highly reccomend it!

I am a competitive person.  It has helped me to enter races to keep myself motivated to keep pushing myself to run farther and faster, however I do just run for the enjoyment of running.  I recently finished my first 10K and am curious if my body can accomplish a half marathon someday.  I am not a fast runner and frankly I really don't care.  It feels good to finish and over time I will get better.  Every race I come home from my kids ask if I won.  In my own way I did every time.

Every parent needs something for themselves.  It might be reading a non-picture book for 15 minutes a day.  It might be scrapbooking at night after kids are down to bed.  It might be fishing by yourself one night a week.  If you need ideas think about what you enjoyed doing before kids - are there things you would like to do again?  Can you make it happen for yourself?  Can you hire a sitter once a month for yourself?  Or trade childcare with a friend?  There are lots of ways to make this happen (and LOTS of guilt that we feel doing it - taking time for ourselves).  If you are parenting with a spouse or partner be honest with them, be specific about what you would like to do and why.  Clear expectations people.

Conversely, every parent needs to be flexible.  There are going to be times when you want or even need to have some time and space to yourself and it is not going to happen because your children and/or family will need you.  This is tricky, it is easy to become bitter about this.  Do your best to stay flexible, to let your family know you are there for them and you will get done what needs to get done and make a plan for yourself to rearrange a time for you to get that little time for you.  What I am saying is that there will be times that you have to BE THE PARENT and simply suck it up and keep going for awhile.  Just don't let that go on forever or you will burn out.

How do you create a little time for yourself?
What do you enjoy doing when you have the chance?  Read? Fish? Run? Other things?
Why do you think it matters to get a chance to do these things?  What is it modeling to your kids?