Where do you find the time to RUN?





Is this how you feel before a run or a workout?

"But, I don't wanna and you can't make me!!!"

 

I have a lot of people that ask me:  Where in the world do you find the time to run?  And most of the time I don't have an answer for them.  I could say something insightful like "You have to Make Time" (how many times have you heard someone say that), or "Its all about priorities" (making the person sound like they have their life perfectly put together because they are so good at prioritizing and you're not).  Or, they have suggestions like "I just get up in the morning before everyone else does" (there are many times I go to bed late, or get up multiple times a night with the children, so me running at 5 a.m. certainly falls under NO WAY category), or "Find a running buddy to keep you accountable" (I can barely coordinate MY schedule let alone someone else's).  Now, I am not ripping on any of these reasons, and if any of them have personally helped you, more power to you.  I think it boils down to the very simplest answer: You have to be a master at multi-tasking!

 

Usually while I am getting ready to run, I am cleaning the house, getting the kids their lunch quick, finishing any dairy work on the computer, trying to finish a phone conference, drinking that last little bit of coffee thinking it will actually give me energy to run, whatever.  But, my trick is this:  Get your running clothes on, and don't take them off until you run!  Sounds stupid doesn't it?  Well, this is one of my tricks and it seems to work.  Sometimes I run around the house for 10 minutes before I can get on the treadmill, sometimes it is 5 hours.  But I can only remember one time that I have all my running stuff on (including my shoes) and I DIDN'T run...and it was just recently (my husband is still giving me a hard time about it).  But, multi-tasking isn't just before the run, but DURING the run!  Before the run, I have strategically got the boys sippy cups ready, laid out toys and books, put a kids show on t.v, and had them all go to the bathroom.  Then, once I am actually on the treadmill, I hoped that I had remembered everything so I can have 30 minutes of uninterrupted running (how often do you think that happens?).   While running, I always end up screwing with the remote trying to change the channels or the volume, or one child decided that NOW he has to go to the bathroom.  REALLY?

 

The simple thing is, just find your motivation.  This is Andrews:

:

(He loves a cold beer after a hard day at the farm or after a hard workout, this day he didn't even get off the treadmill first!  But, hey, at least he ran.)

 

Or maybe something like this is your motivation:

( This certainly is my favorite!  I love to do a hard run, and then soak in a super hot bath afterwards. This is the two culprits that always get in the bath after me.)

 

Now, some of you might be asking, after all that, is it even worth it?  I guarantee you, running will change your life (or working out in general).  The hardest part sometimes is just to start.  But not just start, but stay started.  Find whatever works for you, and give yourself a break.  Some weeks I run consistently and some weeks I have a sporadic schedule.  But, the important thing is that I did it and I am proud of myself.  So, where do I find the time to run?  I don't think I find the time, I think it finds me.