How Do You Find Time to Run?

I asked my running buddy Christina to guest blog this week. She has some awesome tips on finding the time to run. She is one of the busiest people I know, and if she can do it, we can all do it! Read on for her great advice...

Greetings and Salutations!   I’m Christina, one of Kim’s running buddies and guest blogging for Kim this week. As a career working Mom of 3 boys ages 7 and under, a dog and a supportive hubs, I am often asked, “How do you find time to run?” 

I’m really the same as everyone else with the same 24 hours in the day. My secret is that I’m organized. I’m not crazy organized like Monica was on Friends, but I have a plan and I stick to it. I also have a plan B and C if plan A fails me. I’m this way at the office and I’m this way at home. I even meal plan for the week. I know what’s for breakfast tomorrow before we have dinner; I know what’s for dinner tomorrow before I go to bed. I spend one Saturday a month food shopping and making freezer meals. Who has time to food shop and cook?  

I even plan out my workouts for the week. My goal is boot camp 3 days a week and to run 15 miles per week (if I’m not training for something big like the Nike Half Marathon). I know what days of the week I will do boot camp and what days I will run. I also have an extra catch-all day planed for when life messes up my plan.  

Christina and her family at Nike Women's Half Marathon

I was not a runner before I had kids. I had a lot of "me time" back then and was never in need of a positive healthy outlet for my stress. Today, I need to reconnect with me, and to find 1 hour where I can do something just for me. What I have grown to realize is that I started running for me, but I keep running for those around me. Running makes me a better teammate at the office, a better Mom, a better wife…friend, sister, daughter… I run and my spirit is lifted. I run and I can figure out how to solve the problem of the day. I run and show my boys an example of a woman who is strong and takes care of herself. I run and I show my boys that you have to practice something to become better at it. I run and I teach my boys that sometimes you work hard and you don’t come in first. I run and teach my boys that winning isn't everything; showing up and doing hard work is important. I run to remember that having a goal and achieving it is a victory.

All great reasons to run, but where do I find the time? I make the time and I look for breaks in my schedule to find the time. My boys have activities after school and on the weekends but I coordinate those activities with my run schedule. I run while my oldest is at CCD. I run the soccer fields while he’s a soccer practice. I run when my son is at PT and OT each week. It takes too long to drop off and pick up for these activities, so I stay and I run in the parking lot or around the business park or around the block. Then on the weekends, I wake up the same time as I do during the week, and I meet my friend Kim and others for run club. I get in my long run while the boys are home getting dressed and eating breakfast, and I’m home before anyone needs a ride to a practice or party or lesson.  

We all can find the time, if we go looking for the time in our daily schedules.  It’s about  being  prepared and ready to spend the time on what YOU want.