A Momma Training for a 5K

closely resembles a circus act. It's full of juggling, improvising, and swinging from place to place. Remember how I made that turkey day pledge? Yes, it was insane. I realize that now. But let me just give you a brief run down of my first week of training. The weather was nice the first couple of days so I was able to take Little One with me in the jogging stroller. She loves it, thank goodness. My two older children joined me the first day. It was nice to have the distraction as we huffed and puffed up and down hills. The first week was just walking 30 minutes, which was very doable. The first 10 minutes were challenging, but after that we got our stride.
On my fourth day of working out the weather took a drastic turn. Yes, I realize it is winter, but I've been spoiled by decent weather so far. I bundled up Little One and by the time we got to the end of the street I realized that my child would be a human Popsicle after 30 minutes so I returned home, frustrated. It was starting to get dark and hubby was working on the shower remodel(I will have to share this adventure with you later). Not willing to give up I decided to run up and down my stairs for my workout. After 4 trips Little One was screaming at the bottom of the stairs for me. So I scooped her up and carried her up and down the stairs with me until I feared in my exhaustion I would drop her. That was the end of that day's workout.
On the fifth day I went for my walk, but hadn't had a chance to eat a substantial breakfast and by the time I reached the top of my first hill my stomach was growling so loud I knew I wasn't going to have the energy to run my first 1 minute stretch. Now, 1 minute may not seem like much, but just let me tell you for this old gal it's enough to kill me. Anyway, we returned home and I vowed to try again later in the day after the errands and household chores were complete. Later that day I tried again, but I had to stay close to home since my oldest was playing at a neighbor's and I wanted to stay in sight. We managed to pick up a neighbors terrier who ran under my feet and right in front of the stroller the whole time as Little One screeched "See, See" anytime the dog was out of her sight. Frustrated I tried to run down our street as Little One, Soph and doggie played but as I ran past the neighbors house Em came running toward me screaming "Mom, wait, Mom!!" I looked at my stopwatch, I'd only been running 20 seconds (really it felt like 20 minutes). I tried to put up my hand asking her to wait a second. This signal is lost on all my children. I think they just believe I'm waving my hands around for fun, because they always continue to seek my attention. Finally, lacking 30 seconds of my run, I stop and ask what the dear child wants. "Can I stay a few more minutes?" she asks. Deep sigh, I shake my head yes and ending my workout try to wrangle the terrier back to his house.
I miss a couple of days due to weather and then beg my husband to meet me at our exercise center after work. Soph has a swim lesson and I bring hubby's and the girls swimsuits so all can swim while I workout. After wrestling with an anxious Little One at the club for 30 minutes hubby calls to say he's not going to make it. Urggh. Now I have to go into the pool with the kids, but guess what I have no swimsuit. So I put on my sports bra, my husbands speedo (which is the kind that goes to your knee, not bikini!) and a t-shirt. Pouting I get into the pool with my kids.
We are in the shallow training pool and as I pout I hear the voice of my Great Aunt Alma Lou saying, "Honey, when life gives you lemons you just got to make some of that sweet lemonade!"
Okay, so I don't have a great aunt, but I heard that voice never less.
So I scoop up Little One and pushing her in front of me in the 3 1/2 feet water I start to walk back and forth the length of the pool. Little One giggles happily and as we reach each end of the pool I lift her out to the side where she eagerly jumps to me and then we walk to the other end and repeat. Then I run a few laps. Surely, I get extra points for dragging my Little One along with me and then walking against the resistance of the water.
After 30 minutes everyone has had their fun and it's time to change and get home for supper.
So after a week of training I realize it is not going to be the easiest. Luckily, as all of us moms know, we have to interject a little bit of creativity into everything we do when kids are underfoot.
I'll let you know if it doesn't kill me!