Well, I’m finally going to throw my hat into a “Take it and Run Thursday” topic. Each week the good people over at Runner’s Lounge put forth a topic and people in the running/blogging community offer their insight on the subject. It’s always a good resource for tips and tricks from runners of all levels. That’s something I like about Runner’s Lounge and blogging… it’s REAL people putting forth their successes and struggles. Okay, magazine articles are written by real people… but it’s not the same.
Anyway… back to the subject: Time and Balance
It can often be difficult to figure out how to squeeze seconds out of your day to fit in a workout. But it’s also important to not become the running nazi that has no life beyond the run either. Here are some things that work for me.
1. Schedule
Probably the most important thing for me is to create a running schedule that helps me know what my plans are for the week. That usually means that I am deciding upon what time of day I will run in addition to just specifying the days I will run. This is good because it gives me a chance to look at how I’m balancing strength and flexibility training into my running life as well and make certain I am balancing my efforts.
2. Flexibility
Wow… that’s a switch from the first step… but it’s something I’ve found important. Life is going to happen. You’ll have appointments or events to attend. It’s also important to remember to nurture your friendships and family relationships and not become so obsessed with getting your run in that you neglect those vital connections that all people need. Just remember that if something comes up, you can take a moment and assess your schedule to find a new place to get in a run… or even *GASP* miss the run on occasion.
3. Recognize Your Needs
I love running with my friends. I get to spend time with people that make me feel good about myself and have fun. (see item #2 – it’s important!) When I run with them, there are often times that I push myself beyond what is completely comfortable. That’s awesome, since that helps me improve. But there are also times where I just need to take it easy, go at my own pace and be in my own head. Different days may call for different running needs, it’s important to allow yourself to figure out what you need for your own mental and physical health!
What about you, what tricks do you have for finding time for fitness?
Jill Will Run 
Yes, recognizing your needs is a good one!
I agree with creating a schedule. This is the best way for me to keep a balance between work, family and friends and running.
hii Jill!
this is great! not being the ‘running nazi’ is definitley important! it’s allll about balance 🙂
and I love your ‘about’ section and the 100-days challenge! to me it seems like something ‘fun’ (? ha, challenging may be a more appropriate word) to do in between training for races!
The 100 Day/100 Run challenge has turned out to be exactly that…
challenging. I started it and pulled a glute/hamstring shortly into it… I
kept running for a while, but that was foolish. As soon as I gave up the
concept and gave myself a week of rest, the muscles were able to heal. I
keep toying with the idea again, but I just read a pretty compelling article
in RW about rest and am rethinking the plan.
i’m all about a schedule! even though i don’t always follow it to a T (esp with no goal race in the near future), it helps keep me on track for a least a decent-mileage week.
i have to just “get over it” and do it. going for a run isn’t always something i look forward to when i’d rather chill out and relax instead, but i know i’ll feel guilty (most days) when i haven’t. i don’t always want to run in the morning, but if i know that’s the only time i’ll have then i just gotta make myself get up early and do it. i’m not a kid anymore, gotta be an adult. that’s my current reasoning/push out the door anyway. 🙂
I used to do that – miss times with friends, because I was so worried about not being able to run every night. That’s part of the reason why I switched to running in the morning – that’s my trick for trying to achieve balance. I’ve noticed that sometimes now my workouts are shorter than they used to be in the evening, but it’s how I try to achieve some balance, and spend more time with my husband.