50 Miles as a Mother Runner

These past four weeks I made my way up past the 50 miles a week mark and… I’m tired.

I knew starting a build in the summer would bring its challenges, camp schedules, co-workers taking extended vacations, the HEAT. Everything combined creating a roller coaster of miles, timing, and the question of when and how to rest best.

50 miles isn’t an easy thing to tackle. I run 6 days a week to give myself a full day of rest at least once a week; that’s roughly 8.5 miles a day which takes me a little over an hour. Finding an hour early in the day can be particularly challenging depending on when my husband is leaving for work, what the kid’s camp schedule is, and how my work day is shaping up. It means I can rarely drive somewhere because that tacks on too much time and if I wait until the evening to knock out the miles it means tired legs, body, and mind not ideal for quality work.

AND not all mile are meant to be, but…

I also need community, I need to be running with people at least once or twice a week to help with my mental fortitude and ability to continue to push myself forward. It’s a necessity. AND it’s hard with kids and a family and a job and a renovation going on at my house.

I was hoping to start hopping my way to 60 miles and maybe even closer to 70, but we just aren’t there yet. My shin is already starting to tell me to tread lightly. The stress of it all means lower mileage until the irregular rhythms of summer and carrying a heavier workload resolve. AND as I told some of my running partners on Friday there will be weeks come school season that my kids are just going to need me more, and I need to be ready to push pause on training when that happens.

AND I am very blessed to be in a place I can carry these goals, dreams, and priorities in the way I think is best. Not everyone has the same opportunity. So in the midst of the hard and the challenge I am still very thankful. Grateful that God gave me this endurance ability, grateful for the family I have, grateful for the community and beauty I get to surround myself with.

So I continue to push forward, to honor my body and gifts to the glory of God, and see where it takes us along the way.