Motherhood, Wifely Duties and Time Management

"How the hell do you find time to workout?" or "Ain't nobody got time for that!" are the two biggest responses I get when I tell them I do 5ks/10ks, gym workouts and yoga on top of all my motherhood and wifely duties.

First off, I'm a stay at home mom. I have been for the past 4 years. There are some days where I'm completely swamped and some days when I have free time to take a bath or a nap. Most days my schedule is full, but it's not something I can't handle. There are days where I choose to take a nap versus folding the laundry. There are days where I choose to make the kids chicken nuggets for dinner versus giving them a well balanced vitamin filled dinner because I'm just simply too tired.

It's about picking and choosing what's most important to you at that time.

Going for a 30 minute run, or watching a Big Bang Theory rerun? Cleaning the kitchen, or going 1 hour of yoga?

For me, those TV reruns and the dirty house can WAIT. The dishes will still be dirty when I get back from the gym and those TV shows are not going to change my life for the positive. If something is important enough to you, you realize that other things in your life can wait. 

The morning time is the best time for me to go to the gym and run or do yoga. I get dressed in my gym clothes, I drop my son off at school, and then I take my daughter with me to the gym. The gym I go to has a daycare and this was essential for me! I used to go to a gym that didn't have a day care and it was extremely difficult to get a good routine going. I would have to wait around for my husband to get home from work to watch the kids, but by then it was 6pm and I had to cook dinner and at that hour in the evening, I just didn't feel like going anymore. I didn't feel like I had any control over my life and what I wanted to accomplish.

My whole point is, TAKE CONTROL. Be your own motivator. If you can't afford a gym, go to bed early and run in the morning before your partner has to go to work(or before you have to go to work). Just get up and go! Start your day off with a mindset of 'I will focus on me and what I need' and work your chores, friends and family around that. 

If a friend of mine wants to come over and see me, they're gonna have to wait until I'm done with my morning workout at the gym, and because I have good, supportive friends, they understand that. 

If what you want to accomplish is important enough for you, you will find the time. It may take a few trial and errors, but just...keep...going!

My First 5k: Dash Of Hope

The first run I ever did was called the Dash Of Hope 5k. It was in September 2013. 

When I first signed up for this, I didn't think it would be that difficult. I thought I would be a little slower of a runner than I was in High School, but I trusted my body to carry me to the finish line. I was wrong. I tried running for the first time in years about a week before this run, and I couldn't get to the end of my block without stopping. I couldn't believe it! I felt awful. I couldn't believe how out of shape I had become. 

When I talk about how I've become "out of shape", I'm talking about the feeling in my body, not my outward appearance. When I ran for the first time, I felt heavy. Slow. Tired. Unhealthy. This is how I felt. Others will always feel differently because everyone is different, but I did NOT feel good.

I was determined to keep going. I just wanted to get to half a mile without stopping. That was my first goal. I didn't have a gym membership at the time so I just ran around a couple blocks in my neighborhood. I had some hand-me-down running shoes and no sports bra. I was wearing my everyday one. I didn't care. I just ran. The second day I ran, I woke up sore but I was able to get twice as far as the day before. It still wasn't very far, but I knew my body was reacting positively to the new changes I was making for it.  This knowledge is what helped me pushed myself to keep going until I got to 1 mile.

On race day, I was so proud of myself in my race shirt and bib that was provided to me for registering, but I was super nervous. I just did not want to come in last! Everyone there was super nice and even though I felt a bit self conscious about my body(because I didn't look like most of the runners there), no one else seemed to notice. It was just a day that everyone came together to support a cause. And run. Everyone was there to support each other. There were no judgments. There was no hate. 

During my race I stopped a bunch of times. I can't remember how many times now, but I remember it was quite a few. I couldn't get a great pace, and I think that was because I had my phone with headphones and music and that helped to push myself, but I was hurting. My leg muscles hurt. My feet hurt. I was sweating(and I hated sweating at the time). My hair was a hot mess. People kept passing me. I didn't feel like I was doing that great of a job... until I saw the finish line just around the corner. 

It was the home stretch! I ran as fast as I could! I wanted to finish strong! My timing was about 47 minutes. I had finished in under an hour, and I was happy.

After the 3.1 mile run, the longest distance I had ever ran, I decided I wanted to keep running more. It started to become a slow addiction! It was such a good feeling. My body started feeling better. I wasn't as tired during the day. My sleep was better. I wanted to start eating better. It seemed like a great start for me.

It was my little Dash of Hope.

Who The Hell Is This?

"Who the hell is this?"

It wouldn't surprise me if you were thinking that right about now. You have no idea who I am(and if you do, you're about to learn something new) and you're probably wondering how the hell do I add something to your life by having you read this. 

Well. here's the thing. I can't guarantee that this blog will change your life. I can't guarantee that you'll find me entertaining. But what I can promise you is a glimpse into my life as a stay at home mom of 2 who is living in a world where my size 14 is looked down upon, who also has a very demanding husband's schedule to work around so I can go running! 

This blog will offer you a little bit of everything. It'll make you laugh. It'll make you cry. It'll get you inspired. It'll make you feel that there is someone else in this cruel world who knows somewhat of what you're going through, and if I can't relate, I'm here to listen. I'm a very good listener. ;)

With all this being said, I hope you enjoy my future posts! Please feel free to contact me through my Facebook page if you have any questions or comments. :-*

*Jessy*