Well, no. Not stops. But diminishes. For the past two years or so I've been running 30 - 35 miles per week over the course of 3 - 4 days per week. I have run almost exclusively after work because I am not a morning person. I sometimes adjusted my schedule around hanging out with friends, but it was never very hard.
Even in this easily managed period, I started to wonder: how long can I keep up this time commitment? Certainly not indefinitely...
Two months ago I started seeing someone. And I did the unthinkable: I blew off a few runs to hang with him. No, not ALL my runs. I've come in more or less on point with my mileage more weeks than I haven't. But I have a sneaking suspicion it'll happen again... and maybe not even entirely infrequently. (Just to clarify: he has never asked me to skip anything. It's my own decision to say I'm not busy.)
Now, this doesn't come down 100% on the head of the boy. We're dating, that's all. Heck, he's on vacation this week; when he gets back he may well inform me that he found his time away from me highly enjoyable and would I kindly remove myself from his universe permanently. It could be a self-solving problem. It's not impossible. But neither is it the point.
Because: six or seven hours dedicated to working out every week, plus a handful of ballet classes. That has been my M.O. for a very long time. And as much as it's worked for me in the past, I have to accept that it's unlikely to be sustainable forever. I mean, maybe things WILL work out with this guy; countless new time-sucking scenarios could stem from that. Or maybe I'll get a promotion or new job that's more demanding. Maybe I'll find myself unexpectedly caring for a sick relative, or needing to get a second job to make ends meet. I don't know. And I don't know what impact it will have on my training schedule.
Don't forget, you can follow us on Twitter @fairestrunofall. To see how our training is going, check out Jenn's dailymile here and Moon's dailymile here. If you have any questions for us, leave a comment or email us at fairestrunofall@gmail.com. See ya real soon!
I have had issues getting my running in due to puppy drama... never ending puppy drama lol I have been able to manage to pop a workout DVD in for 30 minutes each morning though and running when I can. It will all work out. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteAwwwwww. Puppy drama is the best kind of drama! I guess more cross-training is probably a good idea...
DeleteI'm officially slacking on running at the moment. But I'm also in the midst of some work stress and family drama, and basically all I want to do when I come home is go out with Markers (or stay in and cuddle with him and/or the cat). And I've kinda been forsaking my running for that, because I know while I need to keep running because I have EVERY RACE IN THE WORLD between the end of next month and mid-January, you gots to keep yourself sane when you can. I very firmly believe that. I also think now is pretty good slacking time, because, you know, the death heat of summer and all...
ReplyDeleteAgreed. And really, who WOULDN'T rather cuddle a kitty? (And a nice boy, I guess. But mostly a kitty.)
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