Before the halfie, I wrote a post listing some high intensity runs that only require a maximum of 30 minutes but can improve strength and speed.
While short bursts of interval training or hill sprints are great for the time poor, long slow distance (LSD) runs are also important in a runner’s training regime.
It all depends on how much endurance your training your body to handle.
During half marathon training, a weekly commitment of an LSD run – with a gradual increase from 30 minutes to 2 hours – is mandatory.
But really, who’s got that luxury of time?
Over the long weekend, I was determined to fit in an 8km run.
With a dose of creative thinking and working out a few negotiations with certain stakeholders (ie Mr Surfer), I’ve pleasantly discovered it can be done.
Here’s how to fit in a long run with your family in tow.
- The day before I mapped out my run and based on previous runs and result times, figured how long it would take me.
- Picking out where the 8km would be, I told Mr Surfer of my intentions and thus started the typical husband/wife negotiations. I told him he could sleep in while I did breakfast duties, on the condition that he and the twinions meet me at the 8km landmark.
- Pack a bag with a change of warm, comfortable clothes (including shoes), towel, hairbrush, face moisturizer (especially when running in the dry winter wind), a quick easy carb filled snack like a protein bar or in my case, medjool dates, a full bottle of water and most importantly, DEODORANT.
- Morning of the run, have a light breakfast (piece of whole grain toast with peanut butter or almond spread) and a small cup of black coffee.
- By the time Mr Surfer had woken up, the twinions had eaten breakfast, I was in my running gear and out the door I ran.
- Voila! Roughly 50 minutes later and just 300 metres away from the destination and in perfect timing my beloved family turned up!
- As I had my packed bag with clothes and snacks waiting for me in the car, we decided that a family outing was next on the agenda. Off we went to jump around on the trampolines at Flip Out. While not glamorous, there, in the comforts of their public toilets, I got changed (and showered myself with lots of deodorant). It was a fine interim solution until I got home to have a relaxing hot shower.
So, there we have it: a win-win situation where I get a chance to clear my headspace but doesn’t eat up much time from the family.
There was a time in my life when running was simply an obligatory activity to “keep me fit”. I knew physically it was good for me but my heart (or my head wasn’t in it). So, finding excuses not to do it was just too easy. Saying I was too busy looking after my family was a frequent one.
But it’s been the past year or so, it’s necessary for mental health. When those snarky, crabby Mama moods start lurking, I have no one else to blame but myself because I know the endorphin fix from running can rectify all of that.
We can make our own choices. We all know that.
Sometimes though, it’s not about picking from the obvious options that are conveniently placed in front of you; it’s choosing the ones you’ve created for yourself.
How do you make time to clear headspace? Most importantly, have you ever forgotten to wear deodorant?
Joining Essentially Jess for IBOT
