Midweek Motivation!

How did Wednesday creep up on me already?!? I had a great run with my running group earlier this week and we talked a lot about excuses. Most of us in the group are Moms, and many of us are working Moms and I'm telling you, if there was ever a group of people who were entitled to make excuses for not doing things, it's us! The fact that it can sometimes take us an hour to find 5 minutes to go to the bathroom uninterrupted is evidence enough. However, as moms, we also have a keenly refined "Excuse BS" detector. We know almost immediately when an excuse our children (or husband) gives us for why they can't do something is full of baloney. "The dog ate my homework" might be the classic example, but we also know all about "My friends don't have to do the dishes" or "I thought [insert sibling’s name] was going to do it", and the ever popular "I don't know how to replace the toilet paper roll". But how good are you at knowing when your OWN excuse for not doing something is full of BS? "I don't have time" is a fall back many of us use, but if you really stop to think about it...you DO have time, you just have to make running and exercise a priority for that time.

I don't love getting up at 5am to go running...but you know what....some days, that's when I can make time to do it. Some Saturdays, I struggle to justify taking time away from family to go for a run, but I also know that if I don't, I'm likely to spend my time with them regretting that I didn't go out and get it done, which is doing them a disservice anyway. But, there are the days were you really just don't have time....and that's okay. Excuses are acceptable if you can really look at them and know they are true. I mean, if I witnessed the dog eating my kids' homework, I wouldn't let them beat themselves up about it, things happen. Just don't buy into the easy ones, don't believe everything you say because often "I don't have time" really means "I don't want to make the time" and that excuse will never hold water!

Happy Wednesday Runners!

Midweek Motivation: You Crazy!

Yesterday I read an article that made me laugh out loud. It was about how watching people compete in Ironman Wisconsin made the author get motivated to do some fairly mundane things (you can read it here). I think it struck a chord with me because I used to be him. I went to UMD for college and every year I would sit on the race course at Grandma's Marathon with a bunch of friends, drinking beer, cheering for the runners, and saying "Man, those people are crazy! But, I guess if they can run a marathon, I can probably do my laundry today".

Yesterday I was in the gym talking to one of our personal trainers. Anyone taking one look at this guy would think he is the most fit person on the planet....all ripply muscles, constantly holding a protein shake, doesn't own a shirt with sleeves, you know the type. We were talking about my half Ironman and all the running I did this summer (because...I'm a runner...what else would I talk about) and he says to me "You endurance athletes are crazy! I could never work out like that" Here is a guy who literally could be on the cover of a health magazine, admiring MY workout plan (plus, he called me an "endurance athlete"...bonus pride). It serves as a good reminder that no matter how "little" you think you do, no matter how "slow" you run, no matter that you "just" did a half marathon...someone out there thinks you are crazy because you are a runner. Someone else is looking at you in awe, being inspired by the fact that you have the courage to lace up your shoes and get out there and run! I've come a long way since my days of sitting on the side of Superior street, beer in hand, marveling at the marathoners, thinking they were super-human for voluntarily running 26.2 miles. So next time you think about how far you have to go in your training...just think about how far you've come and how many people out there wish they were crazy like you!

Midweek Motivation!

It's been so long since I sat down to write up a midweek motivation that I actually had a tough time trying to land on one theme. The past six weeks have been crazy for me in pretty much every aspect of my life...if I put it on paper, this is what it looks like:

• Days I've been at work: 42 out of the last 45
• Average hours per day I worked: 12.5
• Miles swam: 4.25
• Miles biked: 99.5
• Miles ran: 70.2
• Trips requiring an airplane: 1

Things I've accomplished in the past 6 weeks:
-Did a Half Ironman
-Got third place in my last triathlon
-Paced a Half Marathon
-Hosted two national championships at work
-Helped hire my new boss
-Planned our staff retreat
-Managed to find all my kids' school supplies at ONE Target
-Went rock climbing and mountain biking with my family
-Went to the State Fair and ate everything I wanted
-Cleaned my house (like REALLY cleaned it)
-Successfully got both kids on the school bus yesterday

Number of times I complained about not having enough time to get anything done: 1,342,956

Am I tired...YES
Do I feel awesome about myself and what I've been able to accomplish despite the million times I griped about not being able to do anything: HELL YES!

We all try so hard to achieve balance in our lives, to find that perfect mix of work, family, and me time. Well, I'm here to tell you, that is a MYTH. Balance doesn't look like three perfectly aligned scales filled with rainbows and sunshine. Balance is dirty, balance is frustrating, balance is EXHAUSTING! Balance is whatever we can make it be, working too much, exercising too little, finding time in our day to sit and read to our kids, finding a minute in your week to lock yourself in the bathroom for some quiet time...whatever your balance looks like, embrace it for what it is. Your crazy life will be harder than it is now, and it will be easier than it is now, but it's your life...breed success from being completely exhausted by living your life. Deal with the hard times now and reap the rewards they will bring later. It's okay to complain about not having time to do what you want to do, but be sure to reflect back on all you HAVE done and be proud of that.