The Working, Running Mum

It's not always easy being a runner.  Or a running mum.  Or a working, running mum.

Sometimes I wish that I'd jumped on this marathon bandwagon before I had kids, because I had SO much more time then!  I'd have heaps more opportunities to run and nothing to hold me back.  But of course, it's all part of the journey and the accomplishment will mean so much more, that I'm doing it at this stage of life.

I try and be pretty positive with my posts and I'm an optimist through and through...but today I'm just compiling a list of things that really suck about being a working, running mum!

- having to call on favours for babysitting for every long run (SO fortunate to have family support though!)
- getting home from a 30km run, grabbing a drink, then having to cook dinner/clean the house/bath the kids/read bedtime stories/put kids to bed...when all you want to do is have a big stretch and a soak in the bath
- getting up for work at 4:15am every weekday, then after the shift, doing activities with the kids all morning, then having enough energy to run (with both in the pram) in the afternoon - some days, I'm just plain TIRED!
- never getting a sleep-in
- when the only opportunity for group/speed training (Tuesdays at 5:30am) means getting up even earlier (yes, we're talking 3:45am) to go into work to prepare, ducking out for an hour of running, then straight back to the office for the rest of the shift.
- having to schedule runs with the pram around kids' activities, sleeps and commitments.
- wanting desperately to go to a weekly yoga/pilates class but lacking time/money or having husband travelling...so it just doesn't happen.
- having to push a pram into a headwind while running
- having to stop on runs to break up fights in the pram
- just plain feeling like there's not enough hours in the day!

But you know what?  I committed to this and it's completely my own doing.  It's a choice and one I know I will not regret.  It's one I hope to be proud of for the rest of my life.  It's a way to be a positive role model for my kids and to help encourage them to live a healthy and active lifestyle.

I am thankful every day for my health and the opportunities I have.  The marathon is less than 7 weeks away and I'm going to stop my pity party now and just get on with it - I have running to do!