Sneaking out...

When I had two children, it was easier to make time to get out and run.  Work wasn't as demanding and I was able to find the time after work or on the weekends...  And when I really needed to get a run in and I had to, I would load the girls into the double jogger and we'd all head out.  Those were MUCH slower runs, but runs nonetheless. 

After my third, Callie, was born, it seemed to become more difficult to get out and not feel guilty about it.  I got a promotion at work, which meant more time in the office and working at night after everyone was in bed.  And it meant that once I got home, I needed to spend that time with the kids so that none of us felt cheated.  The result?  Running became a chore, and fitting a run in became more stressful than anything else.  And that was the opposite of what running was meant to be for me...  So after a lot of struggling and talking with Mike about the right game plan, it came down to what I swore in my twenties I would NEVER do.

I decided to get up at 5 AM to get my running in.  At first, it was a struggle.  That is just early!  But I found that waking up before everyone else allowed me to do what I wanted to without any guilt at all.  It's one of the best changes I've made.  I set my clothes out the night before and when I get up, I drag my tired self downstairs.  It takes me all of 10 minuntes to get out the door and it's just like when you're a teenager and you don't want your parents to hear you.  You tiptoe around, close doors as quietly as you can, tiptoe back and forth because you forgot your water bottle, then your visor, and finally the earbuds for your IPOD.  And then you finally step out (closing that front door ever-so-quietly) and there's fresh, quiet air waiting for you.  

Knowing that everyone is sleeping allows me to focus on me and me, alone.  It's probably the only time all week that I can do that.  I'm a mother at home and at work.  I'm always thinking about my babies, my husband, or my team.  Something I do is always about making things better for someone else.  But these hours before all of that begins is all about me...

Sometimes, I run with my best running buddy.  Sometimes, she sleeps in (she's got a newborn on her hands).  When it's just me, I either blast my IPOD or I just go without and let my mind coast.  It all depends on my mood. 

I will say this, though.  In this regard, running is just like sex to me.  No matter how much I don't want to do it at first, once I get going I'm into it.  And afterwards, I never think, "Damn, I wish I hadn't done that."  I'm always glad I did... ;-)