I read sometime somewhere (who'd remember) something about always being able to make time to run. Ie. if you have time to watch TV, you had time to go for a run. If you have time to sit down and read, you have time to run. But it isn't always that simple. Sometimes that TV watching is during that 25 minutes I have between other commitments. And maybe I had time to run for 20 minutes but what I do not have time for is dressing or cleaning up afterwards to be somewhere. Some of us cannot just go on in our running clothes. Mine will be soaked, and this time if year I am FREEZING cold with wet hair and a chill from the outside. I have to change, dry off, get dressed in warm and dry, and ideally get coffee ;) Or Tea.
It's winter in NS. That means it gets dark by about 5 pm, and doesnt get light again until after 7 am. I dont mind the dark but with the icy roads and snowbanks making the roads super skinny, it's realistically not always safe to run. So my running time coincides with my working time, and unless I can steal away a bit of time to run, I am stuck with dark. Then I need to drive, find some lit sidewalks, and hope I dont hit ice. Its all good, most days it works out ok.
I do find that I will think in the morning "ok I can do this at this time, or that at that time, or one more at another time". If I dont get this or that at the right time, Im out of luck for the day. I generally do not leave my runs to the end, in case I run out of time. Because sometimes I can redistribute and throw a run in, and other times I cannot.
Monday was my day off. And although the plan was for Cross training, I didn't. Friday is my day off but Friday will be my cross training day and Monday is day off now because at least for the next 12 weeks I am going to be in class from 9 until 5, on my feet teaching, no time for a run. Ah yes, there is that window between 12 and 1 that is open for a run. I suppose I could and someone who is really dedicated would take that window. That is where I would usually sit down for a few minutes, have a lunch, answer emails, see students, and clear my head before 2 very lnog and busy lab periods in the afternoon. So generally I wont run, and by evening Im a wreck, tired, cranky, too many people, too much noise. I could do something else in the evening but I likely wont. Lets be honest.
Tuesday was full of windows. I had a few minutes in the morning but rather than run I showered and went to work. I had a couple of hours of lab, a meeting, and had to pick up Annika by 2. That doesnt leave a lot of time to run AND get ready for people. I brought snowshoes and we went snowshoeing while we waited for the other kids to get out of school. 1.5 miles on some groomed and some not groomed trails :):) After picking up the other kids and going home, rather than run I did some housework, picking up at home; I planned to run in the evening (in town) while the family was at a meeting. Except that after a tired meltdown 2 someones decided not to go to the meeting. I had hoped to maybe salvage a run after their father came home but I was tired and it was late and I dont always settle well after evening exercise so again, I didnt do it. Whoops.
Wednesday was Back At it day. Already a day off of week 2!! 8 km on the plan became pretty 8.8 km as I did a loop from work after labs were over. Not many windows on a Wednesday although better than Monday. There is an hour between classes, an hour lunch, and last lab ends at 3. So 3 windows, 2 short and 1 longer. I did the longer and then went straight home. Wednesday night was DryLand training for Holly's hockey team, and I put them through some very intense exercises. Did not get much for myself tho. It was fun!
Thursday was warmer but a little yuckier wetter weather. Hoped to go snowshoeing but ended up running in my noon window ;) not quite 5 km in the little time we had to go, but it was better than nothing. Only 5 km on the schedule so close enough.
Friday is cross train day but an opportunity came up to run with a couple of other people so I took it! I needed another run day anyway! One person could not make it but I went with Lavinia and she took it easy on me but helped me increase my pace a bit for much of the run. i used a teensy window between a meeting and a lab to get that run in; actually having time to properly change and comb my hair ;) 8 km in about 49 minutes with some stop light waits. Its all good.
So where are my windows going to be put for other stuff? I can see getting very tired of being this "active" on my running plan but I have other stuff as well! I am going to be working on biking (bike trainer is ready) and swimming a bit for a summer triathlon....need windows for all that! I also like hockey (cross training?) and snowshoeing (season is short), and skiing (its been ages) and and there is once a week soccer games on Sunday (long run day/hockey day ugh). So time become very tight unless I start using some of these little bitty windows of time, or cut something out (sleep?)
Now I have some evening stuff going on before I can climb into bed for some much needed rest!
2 comments:
I know that if you've got time to watch TV you've got time for a run. And that's fine to say that in theory but in practice it doesn't always pan out. I always have the energy to watch TV but not always to run. That's why I have to get up really early to carve out a bit of time that's designated for running or it just doesn't get done. And, honestly, if it's not done before 7am at the moment it's just way too hot.
Yeah sometimes I just need that few minutes to sit down :P been "doing" stuff all day; need a few minutes. But I can't at the moment gets up earlier to run; it won't work. Too cold too dark, no one else to get thhe kids ready for school. To some people excuses, but to me, reality. Hard to get up earlier to run when kids are alone and as it is I'm getting up at 6 and I'm exhausted; January and February are harsh!!!
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