When you work for a school - whether on the staff or faculty side - you know these first weeks back in school are just as crazy for the adults as it is for the kids and their families. Getting everything organized and ready for the students, planning events for the families, nailing down curriculum and programming, etc… These days I’m putting in long hours at school and dedicating a number of hours outside of school to school-related work. But I’m also marathon training - or trying to - and fitting that in can be a challenge. (Eek!! The marathon is exactly a month away today!! OCTOBER 7!!)
To make sure I get my runs in I do one of two things:
One: Get Up and Get Running Early.
This morning, for instance, I woke up at 4am so that I could get in a 60-minute run and be in the shower getting ready for the rest of my day by 5:30.
Yes. It is brutally early.
No. I don’t always want to be up at this time.
Yes. It is really hard to get up and going, but it is totally worth it.
To make sure I’m successful in an early morning workout I lay out everything I will need the night before. That way I don’t need to think about what to wear. I don’t need to be digging in drawers for running shorts or a pair of socks.
And when that alarm goes off, I try not to think about it or debate whether I could maybe do a run later. I get up, get dressed, and get it done.
Most days I am exhausted by the time the end of the day rolls around. That mental tiredness has me also feeling physically tired and unmotivated to actually get that run in. If I have any hope of actually accomplishing the run after a long school day I need to bring my gym bag into school and change before I get in my car at the end of the day. That little habit of changing at school rather than doing so at the gym or at home, makes me so much more likely to actually accomplish the workout.
I pack my bag the night before with everything I’ll need - running shorts, a t-shirt, socks, shoes, headphones, etc… as the weather begins to drop I’ll also pack a long-sleeved track jacket and/or track pants for the chilly drive.
Again, setting it all up the night before and then changing at school takes a lot of the guess work out of the process. I don’t need to think, I just need to change and do.
If you are balancing a new routine thanks to the school year - whether you’re a student, teacher, administrator or Mom trying to juggle the kiddies - how are you finding time in your schedule to get your workout in?
This is a sponsored post. All opinions are my own.
