A few days ago, I received a Twitter message from fellow runner Kirk Mahoney, who is currently writing a book. The question he asked was, "What is the biggest challenge that you're facing with your running right now?"
Well, that's easy. Right now it's summer in Texas and school is back in session.
Time and Heat.
These are not independent problems of one another. They work together. I have three kids that require rousing, feeding, dressing, and other general maintenence before we head out the door to drop Middle Kid off for school by 7:30 am. They also require similar maintenence in the evening, often times complicated by events such as Soccer Practice, Open House, PTA Meetings, and Gymboree Classes. While it might seem a no brainer: drop the kids all off, go home, and head out for a run. Or...head out in the evening, after everyone is in bed and the house is hushed.
By 8:30 in Texas, the sun is in full force, the ozone starts going to hell. Also, because it's summer, in Texas, one must run at, oh, 1 a.m. for it to have cooled any. This, I know, because on Tuesday night it seemed a glorious time for a 4.5 mile run. Yet, it was still 90 + degrees.
Therefore, today I decided that it was high time to multitask and make slight adjustments in order to squeeze in a run. There's time for 3 miles between dropping children off at school. If....I get Middle Kid out the door 5 minutes sooner and have Isla eat in The Bob. So today, for the first time, that's what we did.
Thankfully the kids cooperated. This probably won't happen again. Middle Kid was excited to walk with her girlfriends and bolted out the door promptly. Big Kid helped clean up.
The baby was able to eat her breakfast as I ran, enjoying the ability to watch for dogs, bunnies, and birds as she enjoyed her Spinach/Quinoa/Mango smoothie. I was feeling really awesome about this multitasking thing, until I got home...
And discovered that she'd squeezed a good part of her smoothie packet out...and into the deepest crevices of BOB. Ahh, the joys.
Despite the mess, and risking the odds that the children will cooperate again, I plan to do this routine every day. As a busy mom, you have to squeeze in the miles when and where ever you can.
How do you busy moms fit in your weekday runs?
