How do you make yours runs a priority? (Read 960 times)

I am trying to get more consistent with my runs. I would like to get at least 20 miles a week but end up with much less. I always get my long run but let life get in the way of my mid week runs. I am a SAHM to a 4yr old who just started school part-time and an 8yr old,so it would seem this would be much easier. This is what happens. DH or my best friend who wants me to babysit calls "what's on your agenda today?' My answer is always " oh I just have to run" How can I make myself say I'm running and then I can help you. I cannot run early because I have to get the kid's out the door and running at 5am is not my style. I can do short run's after dinner but I don't have alot of gas left if you know what I mean. I feel selfish saying I can't help you I have to run today. Any advise.

There's something I know someone else had made note of not long ago. When one flies with children they are instructed to ALWAYS apply their oxygen mask BEFORE applying masks to their kids in the event of an emergency landing. The reason being that if the parent is incapacitated, then there is no hope of the small kids properly applying their own masks and everyone in the family is put at risk. This goes for a parent's health, too. Take care of your health first and foremost and the rest falls into place. Running will give you better overall health and energy, which will make caring for your family that much easier. AND running or any exercise has the added benefit of helping relieve the stresses of parenting.

There's something I know someone else had made note of not long ago. When one flies with children they are instructed to ALWAYS apply their oxygen mask BEFORE applying masks to their kids in the event of an emergency landing. The reason being that if the parent is incapacitated, then there is no hope of the small kids properly applying their own masks and everyone in the family is put at risk. This goes for a parent's health, too. Take care of your health first and foremost and the rest falls into place. Running will give you better overall health and energy, which will make caring for your family that much easier. AND running or any exercise has the added benefit of helping relieve the stresses of parenting.

This is really good way of looking at it. Women normally give way too much and especially to their children. I cant answer for other people, but in my house, everyone knows that when I get home from work in the evening that I am going straight to the bed room, changing to my running stuff and going out for my run....at first my wife or kids would want something or want me to do something but now they all know that Im going to get my run in...so now they will ask me things like 'after you are back can we>>>>>> or what ever'....so if you can figure out a time that works for you and LITERALLY PUT YOUR STUFF ON AND GO - PERIOD (No questions asked) and then resume life....everyone will quickly adjust..... Its not always easy...but you can do it if you put your foot down on this one...

I have a 4 and 7 year old (my oldest is 22, so he's not too much trouble right now!) and i work full time, as does my husband. Honestly, if I didn't run early, it would be harder. My husband goes to the gym MWF so I have to get the kids out the door those days. At least one of those days, I"m out the door by 5 to be back home before he leaves for the gym at 6:15. T/Th I meet my running group at 6 am, so I get up and out and my husband deals with the kids. Sat am long runs are sacrosanct, and I rarely reschedule -- my husband's on his own for a few hours and we just schedule our weekends knowing that. Sometimes I flex a little -- if there are 2 different soccer games and he can't do both, I'll run earlier to be back in time, or I'll run from home rather than driving and meeting a group, and very rarely I'll switch my long run to Sunday if needed. Or I'll recruit my mother-in-law ... Sundays we go to the gym together and leave the kids at my mother-in-law's. : ) Running just has to take precedence over almost everything else. I'll say that once you get used to early morning runs, they are really great. You just have to make them happen. I will almost never run later in the day, but sometimes I persuade myself that I might go to the gym at lunch or after work. I frequently find that I end up missing the workout. Also, and this isn't great for, umm, marital relations, but I'll sometimes sleep in my running bra and shorts. Somehow, getting that bra on at 5 am seems too damn hard, but if all I have to do is put on a shirt and shoes and brush my teeth, getting started is easier We also set the coffee pot to brew automatically so that I smell coffee when I wake up and can have a little cup before I head out. If this helps, one of the best things about running for me is that my kids take it for granted that mamas run. My little guy will say things like "is that motocycle going EVEN FASTER THAN MAMA?" as if I'm the standard by which speed is measured (which is especially hilarious given my hard-won mid-pack status.) good luck with finding what works!

I couldn't help but glance at your log. If you log is accurate, you are virtually asking for an injury. Your long runs consistently compose >70% of your total weekly mileage. That's bad news. Without a good base of weekday miles, your weekend runs might end up hurting you. I believe the general rule of thumb is that your long run shouldn't be much more than 1/3 of your total weekly mileage, with the notable exception being certain marathon training. As to your original question "How do you make your runs a priority?" I'm not sure you're really asking this question. I find it rather difficult to believe that you truly do not know how to make something a priority. It's really not that hard, just commit to doing it. It seems to me like your friend and husband commonly use you as a kind of "on-demand" service provider. You have trouble running consistently because these people keep calling and asking you to do something "right now", thus creating a highly variable schedule for you. Variable schedules are pretty hard to plan around (by definition). This, quite frankly, is bullsh*t. Just because you don't have a job does not mean that you should be on-call to these people. If I were you, I'd force people to start scheduling things with me. Sure, you can still help out "right now" on the rare emergency, but you should try to end the days of "I'll call you at 9, you'll be here by 10". I think you'll find that if you have more of a set schedule, fitting in your weekday runs will be, not seem, much easier. ***Disclaimer: This is just my $0.02. I don't know you. I'm not married to your husband. I don't know your friend and I've never met your kids. The above is just what I think from having read a short description you submitted to an interweb message board. Your mileage may vary.

At the risk of sounding overly simplistic, there is no magic trick to it. You schedule the run, and don't leave it an option to not do it. If other stuff comes up, you either schedule around the run or find another time the same day for the run before electing to move it. People who can't stay consistent just haven't made the mental committment that running is a priority that must be done. It used to be a top priority for me, and I ran 10-13 times per week and rarely moved or skipped a run. Now I'm at a different point in my life, and while I still run 5-8 times per week I simply don't prioritize it as high; at least twice a week I skip a planned run to play with my kid. But it keeps me healthy, and in the long run that's good for my kid as is her growing up seeing mommy and daddy working out and thinking that's normal.

I am trying to get more consistent with my runs. I would like to get at least 20 miles a week but end up with much less. I always get my long run but let life get in the way of my mid week runs. I am a SAHM to a 4yr old who just started school part-time and an 8yr old,so it would seem this would be much easier. This is what happens. DH or my best friend who wants me to babysit calls "what's on your agenda today?' My answer is always " oh I just have to run" How can I make myself say I'm running and then I can help you. I cannot run early because I have to get the kid's out the door and running at 5am is not my style. I can do short run's after dinner but I don't have alot of gas left if you know what I mean. I feel selfish saying I can't help you I have to run today. Any advise.

Have you thought of talking to your friend (and DH) asking for her help? Honesty is almost always the best policy. You could invite the friend over and tell her your goals and how you struggle with helping her while trying to meet your goals. If she is a good friend she will appreciate your honest, direct approach. You also might drag out a calendar and say something like, "I can help one/two/or whatever time(s) this week, when do you need the help the most? You have the right to manage your time as much as any working mom. It is after all, your life! It is very hard to take charge of your time when you are a stay-at-home mom. However, if you master it, you will find great peace. I have finally trained my family and friends to respect my time. The way I have done this is by communicating exactly when I am available and not available to them. Good luck to you! You can do this! Keep us posted on your progress.

Everyone has given you great advice! I feel as if I'm "on-call" a lot, too, especially since my three kids are all in sports, and DH needs me for our home-based business. But as everybody has said, my runs are FIRST on my schedule - I know on Sunday exactly when I will be running that week. I had to drop out of a weekly small group for women at my church because it was interfering with my running. They keep asking me to come back, but I can't do it! I've decided I AM going to be "selfish" in this area, and that's that. Good luck! I know how challenging it is, but it's worth it.