Written by Kara Manzelli
Welcome to Back to School season! As a teacher and a mother of school age kids, this is always my busiest time of year. Kids schedules change, sports and afterschool activities begin, there’s school open house night and homework to help with, and all of the driving around! My care free days of Summer have made way for nights and weekends of grading and preparing for classes. So how do I fit in running with everything else going on?! I definitely struggle to find a balance, but there are 3 things that I am going to focus on for this Back to School Season:
Consistency- I usually run 4 days a week. I like to run the same 4 days because then I know I build in the multitude of kids activities and appointments around that schedule. Monday is my rest day, so doctor and dentist appointments it is! When my kids were younger, I did most of my runs on the treadmill because that kept me running without needing child care. When I build running into my weekly schedule, I’m much more likely to stay consistent and not skip a day due to an overburdened schedule.
Flexibility- This may seem to be the opposite of consistency, but I know that I’m going to need to allow myself some flexibility. This might mean doing a 3 mile run instead of the 7 miles I was planning on because that’s what my schedule will allow. In the Summer I like to run in the morning, but I switch to the afternoon during the school year because I know I won’t wake up early enough to run before work. Coach Steve likes to say that our training plans are written in pencil. I’m not the best at following that advice, but it acknowledges that everyone’s schedule is different and we can be flexible based on our current situations.
Prioritizing Club Runs- Now that my kids don’t want me around as much (except when they need money or a ride!), I’m taking advantage of getting myself to club runs on the weekend. Reconnecting with everyone on the weekend is a great destressor and is something that I look forward to during the week.
Happy Back to School and back to Fall running! I hope everyone is able to find their balance!
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