Happy Friday! Since it’s the last Friday of the month, it’s time for Friday Five 2.0 meets April Runfessions — one of my favorite posts of the month! (Sidenote: how on earth is it already almost May?!) What will you runfess this month?
I runfess…
April Runfessions: Thoughts on Running and Mom’ing
1. I’ve been a little scatter-brained this month.
I actually can’t believe it’s already the April Runfessions. Which isn’t like me at all. I’m one of the most organized people I know. But all of a sudden racing, family stuff, coaching, and kid activities seem to be happening all at once. To say I’m a little discombobulated would be putting it politely. I’m hoping there’s some normalcy in my routine again soon. I need to get back to neutral and reset.
2. I wish I could have enjoyed my PR on Sunday a little more.
Now that I’m five days out, I’m definitely more satisfied which is a nice feeling. But those first few days were kind of a bummer because I was so disappointed about my IT bands. Looking back I can see the effort spelled out in my split paces, and I know I rocked the race.
3. I may or may not have avoided calling my chiropractor this week like I told him I would.
In my defense, I was banged up and a little emotionally raw. I bravely called on Wednesday and got in to see him under the agreement he would take it easy on me. (He did. But not that easy. I still left with some welts!)
4. In 2018, I’m going to dial back the distance running and focus on the 5K.
You heard it here first, folks. And it’s true. The 5K is my favorite race distance. Why I choose insane distances over my favorite, short distance race is beyond me. My body does better for 5Ks, my mind does better — it’s just a better overall fit. Plus not training for all these crazy long races will give me more time with my family…
Look at this dude. I need more time for school projects with this guy!
5. Speaking of my family, I’m starting to wish I had more time as “mom” for my kids.
I do really enjoy need time away from my kids, and I like working and being busy, but sometimes I feel like I’m being stretched too thin. I have big plans to streamline what I’m doing so I have enough time for everything and not just one or two things. It will make a big difference in the quality of time I spend with my little people. If I play my cards right it will help keep me sane, efficient, and present.
I technically have a race this weekend. I don’t know if I’m gonna do it, though. I’m still feeling the wrath of injury. I ran 3 miles on Thursday and everything felt fine, but I could tell later in the day that I’m most definitely still in recovery mode. Tbd on that one.
Have a lovely weekend, my friends. See you back here on Monday for a delicious Meatless Monday recipe!
xo
TALK TO ME!
What’s one fun thing you have planned for the weekend?
Do you ever find yourself crunched for time and/or possibly scatter-brained?
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64 Comments
I really thought that by not training for long races (or any races for that matter) that I would have all this extra free time- but Ive learned that it just gets filled up with other stuff anyway! I need to prioritize to get the things done that are important to me. 5k training sounds like a great plan, especially if thats your favorite distance. Have a great weekend and good luck if you do the race!
I know what you mean. Time totally gets eaten up by life! Boo. 😉
5Ks are my favorite. Short and sweet.
Do I ever not?! My big plan this weekend is a scary, hilly group bike ride. Hold me. Or push me up that hill!
Ah that does sound scary! You’ll have fun, though. 🙂
I agree, April flew by! The only thing planned this weekend is my daughters basketball and soccer games. Training for your favorite race distance sounds like a great idea.
Finding time to do everything has it’s challenges for sure and yes, I feel scatter-brained quite often!
Have a great weekend
Sounds like a fun weekend! Good luck to your daughter!
So scatterbrained! I’m running a marathon next week and I’m blaming it on that.
I think that’s legit. I’m usually a mess the week before a race. And apparently the week after a race, too. 😉
Have you tried Evernote? it might help you with keeping your brain organized. My husband swears by it. I will leave the 5ks to you…
Haha, not a 5K fan?
I haven’t tried Evernote. I’ll look into it, thanks!
Scatterbrained? Who me? I blame it on the RA. Supposedly RA fog is real. I’m going with that.
This was going to be the year of the 5k. Until my speed vanished…
Did it vanish for short distances, too? Or just long distance?
Scatter-brained? Crunched for time? Welcome to my reality LOL
I was a stay-at-home-mom until our last child was in school….no regrets at all. I cannot imagine training for races with little ones in my midst (fortunately I was not a runner back them), especially the time commitment that goes with the long distance races.
It’s hard being a momtrepreneur with little kids. I’m hoping to get a good base so that when they’re both in school I can do my thing and not have to find a “real” job. 😉 But it’s a struggle right now. And a delicate balancing act. And you’re a really great role model so I appreciate you saying no regrets!
I can totally see why you want to focus on shorter distance running next year. I’m actually wondering if I should stop doing marathons after this year. I’ll just have to see how the training cycle goes this year.
5Ks are way more fun. And so much less painful on the IT bands. I love long runs so I will definitely keep those in the rotation but I’m a much better faster runner.
I’m always looking for more time in my schedule to also spend with my family. Although I definitely need a break every now and then, I thoroughly enjoy all of the precious moments that I get to enjoy seeing my son grow up.
I really do like my alone time. But I also like sharing memories with them. 🙂 I want them to remember the fun stuff — making cookies, school projects, reading stories — and not “mom running.” I’d rather be a role model than a boring memory!
Time is something I think we all are searching for. It’s impossible to do it all. I think scatter brained becomes a way of life, the product of too much multi-tasking and not enough focusing. How to fix that? I wish I could tell you. I still struggle even though my kids are long grown up.
Debbie, this is not reassuring! I was hoping I would get a grip on this craziness. Guess I should just buckle up for the ride!
Scatterbrained? That’s me!!! Just wait until you’re my age…it’s gets worse.
Yes, I love 5Ks – over in less than a half hour and you have the whole day for other things. And training…so much less time-consuming.
Yes, exactly! I love a good 5K. And they’re so fun, too.
All moms need a little more time to ourselves and that does not make us bad moms. In fact, it makes us better moms. Even just taking a bath by myself when my kids were young was a fabulous escape.
I absolutely agree. I have friends that feel guilty or sad when they go out for moms’ nights. I for one am very excited for a mom night!
I wasn’t scatterbrained, but April was quite a busy month for me at work with financial reports due throughout the month. I’m just as surprised we’re almost in May, but that means I’m done with the big push this month and won’t have another push until July. Of course, May is my race month, eeeek!
How exciting! I love race month. 🙂 Not particularly race week, though. That’s when I get all nervous and stuff.
I’ve been so busy that “scatterbrained” should be my middle name. I blame my new job.
I runfess that I’ve been enjoying not racing as much this year!
There’s something to be said for taking it easy with the races, no? I’m looking forward to my remaining races this year but definitely excited for a new challenge next year.
I’m also really organised but the last few days I have felt quite overwhelmed with balancing everything. I love that I have started running and training but sometimes I can’t shake of that guilty feeling that it takes up time I used to have with my kids.
Definitely don’t feel guilty that you’re running and training. It’s a good thing. You’re setting a good example for your kids, you’re doing something healthy for yourself, and you’re getting some “you” time.
The 5k distance is my fave as well. Plus I’m most competitive at them. But I’ve got this World Marathon Majors thing in my craw, so I keep plugging along. If I thought April was a busy mess, May is going to be MAYhem here.
Your May will definitely be busy! That takes a lot of planning!!
5Ks are super fun. I’m also very competitive at them, too. I unfortunately run the 5Ks that have the fastest people in my area, though, so I never win. 😉 Maybe someday. Lol! It’s my goal to run 5Ks faster and faster. Some people have BQ dreams. I have 5K dreams.
I also have a race I’m probably not running this weekend. I have other races coming up that are far more important to me, so risk injury doesn’t sound like a great idea.
I personally love the half distance. Mainly because running fast hurts 😉
That’s exactly where I’m at — I have other races that are more important. It will be a tough pill to swallow if I take the DNS but I’d rather play it safe now than suffer for it later.
Running fast is amazing. 🙂
I thin 5Ks are a great race to do more of. Training for one does not take that much time and 5ks are so plentiful all year round so you’ll have tons to choose from!
My thoughts exactly! Short and sweet.
I really enjoy shorter races as well. 10ks are my favorite even though I’m not that speedy. Utah will most likely be my only half this year as I just don’t enjoy the time commitment for the training. I’ve enjoyed all the cross training I’ve been doing lately and the higher mileage takes me away from that.
As to that precious little boy of yours…. my three boys are 16 and older and I’ll tell you that it seems like just yesterday they were in grade school. So take time with them now and enjoy every moment!😍
That’s what I keep telling myself — time is going to fly (it already is!) so I want to enjoy it with them while I can, and create awesome memories with them while I can. <3
I'm not a great 10k racer. I have no idea how to pace myself for that distance. And I'm terrible at cross training so running's my jam. 🙂
I hear you on feeling scatterbrained – this month I really feel like I’ve been a little all over the place! I think it’s great that you’ve made the decision to dial back and focus on 5Ks. I sometimes feel like we runners get all caught up in the long distances only – personally, I’m starting to feel like my body would just enjoy shorter and mid-distances.
You read my mind. I feel like I got swept up in marathon-mania and now I’m kind of over it. I have two goal marathons this year, though, so once those are under my belt I’ll be happy to focus on 5Ks.
My main reason for taking a break from running a marathon last year because of the time factor plus having the stamina to keep with my kids. They’re still young (3 and 6) and when I decided I wanted to run NYC in 2014 I felt that I was stretched thin. This is also why I’m currently having the dilemma with the desire to becoming a ‘fitpreneur’ with offering services as a coach (focusing more on overall health and behavior change) because I know it will take some time away from my kids. So I’m torn but I’m actually planning to attend a Ladypreneur seminar which I think involves many mothers whom I can ask how they balance/divide their time between family and business. So I feel ya! And thanks for runfessing about it 🙂
My kids are about the same age (4 and 7) so I obviously totally relate to what you’re going through. I feel like right now I have a decent balance with coaching, training, and being a mom. Blogging is kind of the question mark. I love writing and blogging. But there have been times that it made me more tired or questioned my sanity!
Finding a balance is so hard, isn’t it?!
I love a fun 5K! I will never train for a marathon but I have enjoyed the distances in between. I admire you moms who get it all done. The kids are only little once- enjoy it!
Oh I don’t get it all done… not by a long shot! But thank you for saying so! 🙂
The marathon is an interesting (?) distance. It turns out it’s really, really far. I do enjoy the training, though, for whatever that’s worth.
Keep on feeling better, and don’t push yourself! If you do the race, remember to take it easy!
Yes, for sure. I’m still unsure if I’m running it or not. If I do, I’ll definitely be taking it slow.
I know what you mean about feeling stretched thin. I’ve been working since August and it took me a long time to get the job as a fitness instructor. I waited until all three children were in school to go back to work and wow has it been a tough school year! The 5k is probably my favorite distance too!
Ah that’s good to know… So what you’re saying is life *doesn’t* get easier when they’re all in school…?
This weekend I’m going to the Climate March here in H-town.
Oh nice! Sounds like a good event.
Why is it so hard to focus on 5ks? I told myself that this year would be the year of the 5k, and I have yet to run one ! I think those medals keep calling my name, and that half marathon FOMO is 100% real!!
Good luck with the change of focus on distance!
I hope your IT band is healing well!
There is never enough time to mother!! I keep telling myself that my little guy is growing up so quickly and to focus on his needs… other things can wait, right?
FOMO is definitely real! But 5Ks are amazing…
Other things *can* wait, for sure. But it’s hard to focus on that during the day in/day out of parenting. It’s easy to get caught up in “life” and to also be frustrated as a mom. I have to remind myself that I want my kids to have great memories of me when they’re my age. It helps keep me on track.
I love 5Ks but ever since I started running longer distances they just aren’t my focus. Maybe that will change in the future.
I need a break from longer distances. 5Ks are my chance to break free! 🙂
I hear ya about being stretched too thin. I’ve given up on certain this so I could not be so busy and spend more time with my girls. At the same time, I need me time and running is that for me. It doesn’t matter what distance I do but I agree the 5k takes far less training time then other distances. I think that’s what is keeping me from ever doing a marathon.
I always said I would never do a marathon. Because running 26.2 miles is ridiculous. But now I’ve run two and I’m training for two more so… I’m ridiculous. 🙂
Parenting is hard! A very delicate balance for sure.
I feel like I could have written this post! I mean, outside if the IT injuries and recent PR, that is! But the momin’ part — so me! I seem to be in constant guilt mode about not getting to spend enough time with my daughters. It feels like crazy times, but also that time is just moving too quickly!
Right?! I’m glad I’m not alone. I mean, not that it’s good that others are having the struggle, but it makes it feel less awful that I’m struggling. 🙂
I want to be there for my kids but I need to keep my sanity in check, too. I just remind myself that I want them to have good memories of me when I’m long gone.
Congratulations on your PR, that is awesome! I am going to scale back my distance next year too in hopes of becoming faster!!
Thanks, Angela! I hope I can continue the PR streak this season. It’s been a goal for this year!
I always feel like I have too many things going on…been trying to streamline things too, though I’m not sure it’s working, haha! Focusing on the 5K sounds awesome! I would have never guessed that it was your favorite distance. I hope your IT band feels better!
5Ks are super fun! I don’t even bother with pacing because it’s so short. Love them!
I am always a a scatter brain! Wish I could be more organized! Changing up the distance that you are racing will be a good change! I am doing that too and will be focusing on more halfs!
Fun! I think change is good. Keeps the legs (and brain) fresh!