You guys have had some questions about why I’m doing this whole running thing. I mean not just going out for a run to get active, but signing myself up for races, sticking to training plans, and all that jazz.
And I don’t blame you. With two kids under three, a business (or two) that I run from home, and all that goes along with life, adding anything to my list of commitments at this exact moment seems a little bit (or a lotta bit) crazy.
So, when I started getting questions like ‘why are you doing this right now?’ and ‘is running part of your post-partum weight loss/fitness plan?’ It made me pause for a moment. I did some real thinking about it… and here’s what I know:
I’ve never enjoyed running before. In fact, I used to actively dislike it. I mean I would run to increase my fitness as part of a training program for other sports I was playing, but the actual act of running was a chore.
But guys, the tides have turned. Because I really ENJOY it now.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s still hard to find the time to make it happen. And sometimes it means running very late at night or really early in the morning. But I like it. And when it comes right down to it, I think I know why.
As I’ve grown, and especially since I’ve had kids, I’ve come to terms with the fact that I’ve always been a bit of an introvert.
If you know me IRL, and are currently saying “whaaaaaat?!”, let me explain. I don’t mean an introvert in the classic sense – because I love meeting new people, I enjoy talking with just about anyone I meet, and being in a room with or speaking in front of a group of strangers is quite comfortable for me – I love to chat! But I’m an Introvert in terms of where I draw my energy from. I need time alone to recharge. Really alone. Like just with myself, with no background noise.
I’m not going to shock anyone when I say that as a work-at-home mom that has two babes home with me, alone time is HARD to find. Because these days not event the bathroom is sacred. I have a baby with me at all times, and when I don’t, it’s usually after bedtime when my husband and I are connecting and talking about our day (for the record this is also time I also view as very, very important).
So, that alone time… not so easy right?! Long gone are the days when I’m start to feel a little wiped, and I’d set aside an afternoon to relax with a book by myself, take an extra long bath, or opt out of a party to find that alone time. Those were my go-to’s BK (before kids).
Well, guess what? Insert running here. That’s what running has become for me. It’s time in my day when I don’t speak to anyone. I don’t even listen to any music while I run. I just breathe and think. And sometimes I think about breathing. I get some of my most productive thinking done while I’m running, because it’s quiet, just-me, alone time. Time that’s so very hard to come by these days.
So, while I love the fitness benefits that come along with running, and I love the goal-oriented training that comes along with signing up for races (I have a not-so-subtle competitive nature that craves a good goal to crush). I even love the positive example it’s setting for the kids. But those aren’t the real reasons that I run.
I run to be alone. So I can recharge, refuel, and feel ready to take on the day.
