Did you read about my day yesterday? I’m praying today is better. Hopefully just a tad less chaotic. Fingers crossed. 🙂
I love Fridays. And not because it’s the end of my work-week. Or even the end of my husband’s work-week. Because it’s neither. My husband usually works on Saturdays. And any parent will tell you there’s never a day off. So TGIF really has no meaning anymore. BUT, today is running-life balance day, which is why I love Fridays! I really enjoy connecting with fellow bloggers and learning more about them. It’s refreshing.
Before I hand it over to Sarah, today’s guest, don’t forget to enter my Lunatik Athletiks compression socks giveaway. You don’t want to miss out. Trust me.
I hope you enjoy Sarah’s guest post today. I particularly identify with it not only because I’m a runner, but I’m a mama, too. Priorities ebb and flow each and every day. Sarah’s post reminds me of how difficult a balancing act life can be. (See yesterday’s post. Lol.) Anyway… here’s Sarah!
—
Hi! I’m Sarah from Roaring Mama Lion,
and my whole life is one big balancing act. I’m a mom, wife, teacher, runner
(and Sweat Pink Ambassador), photographer,
and writer. I’m sure there are more nouns that identify me, but those are the
ones that have the most priority. Every day, mom and wife come first, and
the others bounce around for the next top spots.Â
and my whole life is one big balancing act. I’m a mom, wife, teacher, runner
(and Sweat Pink Ambassador), photographer,
and writer. I’m sure there are more nouns that identify me, but those are the
ones that have the most priority. Every day, mom and wife come first, and
the others bounce around for the next top spots.Â
What are you training for
(if anything)? Â
(if anything)? Â
As a teacher, I get to breathe a great
big sigh of relief when summer arrives. I can close the door on one BIG piece of
my identity, at least for a few weeks. Since I become a stay at home mom
during the summer, I actually feel a bit less guilty about choosing some
non-mom activities during these few weeks. That actually works out really well
for me right now, because I’m in the least six weeks or so of training for a
half marathon – I’ll run three 10k’s this month in preparation, and then I need
to start seriously upping my mileage. I’ve run five half marathons, and this
will be the second time I’ve run the Napa to Sonoma Half Marathon – it’s the
first major race I’ll run without my son in the stroller. Since he’s a toddler
now and tends to scream his way through runs, I’ve decided to train with him
but not race with him – that’s my balance. I go for long walks, chat with
him, and listen to his conversation about the dogs, the trees, the cars. And
that chatter is way more pleasant than the miles of screaming and crying
and dirty looks from other runners that come when I race with him.
big sigh of relief when summer arrives. I can close the door on one BIG piece of
my identity, at least for a few weeks. Since I become a stay at home mom
during the summer, I actually feel a bit less guilty about choosing some
non-mom activities during these few weeks. That actually works out really well
for me right now, because I’m in the least six weeks or so of training for a
half marathon – I’ll run three 10k’s this month in preparation, and then I need
to start seriously upping my mileage. I’ve run five half marathons, and this
will be the second time I’ve run the Napa to Sonoma Half Marathon – it’s the
first major race I’ll run without my son in the stroller. Since he’s a toddler
now and tends to scream his way through runs, I’ve decided to train with him
but not race with him – that’s my balance. I go for long walks, chat with
him, and listen to his conversation about the dogs, the trees, the cars. And
that chatter is way more pleasant than the miles of screaming and crying
and dirty looks from other runners that come when I race with him.
How do you balance your
training with family time? With work?  Â
training with family time? With work?  Â
I’ve written on my blog about the guilt
that comes from balancing the MOM part with pretty much everything else.Â
If I go out for a run alone, am I telling my son that he’s not important?Â
If I take a photo gig that means I won’t see my son on a Saturday morning, will
he resent me for it? Lately, I’ve decided that adding myself to the priority
list matters a lot – eventually, it will teach my son that, while he is the
beat to my heart, I do have an identity outside of motherhood, an identity I’ve
spent decades finding. Â
that comes from balancing the MOM part with pretty much everything else.Â
If I go out for a run alone, am I telling my son that he’s not important?Â
If I take a photo gig that means I won’t see my son on a Saturday morning, will
he resent me for it? Lately, I’ve decided that adding myself to the priority
list matters a lot – eventually, it will teach my son that, while he is the
beat to my heart, I do have an identity outside of motherhood, an identity I’ve
spent decades finding. Â
I chose to become a teacher after a
career as a librarian because I knew I would need more time for a family and
for myself. I was going nuts being assigned to evening and weekend shifts. I
treated myself to giant Starbucks coffees and pastries to get through the day,
and my health suffered. While my days as a teacher are pretty much set in
stone, I can leave work by 3:30 and get 13 weeks a year of “unassigned”
time. I exercise, usually with my son, in the afternoon after work and
take care of any lingering classroom needs after he’s in bed. The guilt
(again!) started to get to me, and I thought my son didn’t like our walks, so I
skipped a few. He would go to the door and ask for the stroller and a walk,
though, and that recommitted me to walking with him. He likes our regular walks
as much as I do!Â
career as a librarian because I knew I would need more time for a family and
for myself. I was going nuts being assigned to evening and weekend shifts. I
treated myself to giant Starbucks coffees and pastries to get through the day,
and my health suffered. While my days as a teacher are pretty much set in
stone, I can leave work by 3:30 and get 13 weeks a year of “unassigned”
time. I exercise, usually with my son, in the afternoon after work and
take care of any lingering classroom needs after he’s in bed. The guilt
(again!) started to get to me, and I thought my son didn’t like our walks, so I
skipped a few. He would go to the door and ask for the stroller and a walk,
though, and that recommitted me to walking with him. He likes our regular walks
as much as I do!Â
In the past few months, more friends
have gotten into fitness as well, and I finally have regular jogging and
walking buddies. I get some adult chit-chat in along with exercise and letting
my son bee-bop around the track – taking the loneliness out of staying in shape
has also made me feel far more balanced.Â
have gotten into fitness as well, and I finally have regular jogging and
walking buddies. I get some adult chit-chat in along with exercise and letting
my son bee-bop around the track – taking the loneliness out of staying in shape
has also made me feel far more balanced.Â
Finally, I arrive at balance because of
one hugely important person: my husband. So…onto the next question.
one hugely important person: my husband. So…onto the next question.
Who is your biggest
supporter? Â
supporter? Â
While my parents and friends offer an
incredible support system, I could not maintain this balancing act without my
husband. The first two years of parenting have given me a profound appreciation
for the value of having a true partner. We keep each other sane,
we give each other time “off.” I take photographs or go running or have a
girls’ night. He plays guitar at church or has a poker night and knows exactly where to play online casinos to get the best gaming experience when he’s on his own. We also
share equally in all of the little details that go into raising a child.Â
My commitment to running means that my husband has to also take on whole or
half days with our son, and he does it happily, because he knows that a healthy
wife means a happy wife and a happy wife means a happy life for him.Â
incredible support system, I could not maintain this balancing act without my
husband. The first two years of parenting have given me a profound appreciation
for the value of having a true partner. We keep each other sane,
we give each other time “off.” I take photographs or go running or have a
girls’ night. He plays guitar at church or has a poker night and knows exactly where to play online casinos to get the best gaming experience when he’s on his own. We also
share equally in all of the little details that go into raising a child.Â
My commitment to running means that my husband has to also take on whole or
half days with our son, and he does it happily, because he knows that a healthy
wife means a happy wife and a happy wife means a happy life for him.Â
—
Thank you to Sarah for sharing this wonderful narrative of balancing running, work, and motherhood. It’s a tough gig. Us parents have our work cut out for us! Â
Follow Sarah:
Instagram: @roaringmamalion
Twitter: @runningmamalion
Roaring Mama Lion: http://roaringmamalion.blogspot.com
Sarah K. Pix (Professional Photography
Website): http://sarahkpix.blogspot.com/
Website): http://sarahkpix.blogspot.com/
—
How do YOU balance your life with exercise, running, or other training?
If you’re not a runner, what’s your sport of choice?
Any triathletes here? I’ve been trying to convince my husband to take the plunge. Words of wisdom?
