Time is (not) on my side

As I sat down to write this entry, I started wondering if I am only doing it because it’s been more than two weeks since I last wrote anything. I guess that may be true, but how can I expect to write about my training if I don’t write about my training? I guess sometimes it’s hard to find things to talk about.

Basically, training has been progressing but perhaps not as much as I would like. I know my training schedule is a bit ambitious. I’m trying to run three times a week, spin twice a week and do strength training twice a week. That’s seven days right there, and who actually has time to train seven days a week? (Okay, I’m sure some people out there can, but they are few and far between.) The kids are home all summer – no preschool, no daycare, no summer camps – and keeping them amused is a full time job! I am still working, although I have cut back on taking a lot of assignments this summer to spend time with the kids.

What’s basically happened is that I’m really only getting out to run twice a week, instead of three times. I am doing more strength training than before, so hopefully that will make a difference. This week, I’m moving my runs up to 26 minutes. It’s a 10-and-1 schedule: walk for one minute, run for 10, walk for one, run for 10 and walk for one. But this week, going up to 26 minutes, I add another two minutes of running and one minute of walking to the end of the run. I don’t anticipate it will make much of a difference, since my cardio is fairly strong after a year of spinning classes.

One thing that does concern me, though, is the difference between working out indoors and outside. I find running outside so much harder than working out indoors (whether spinning, in an aerobics class or on the treadmill). In fact, I often feel immediately out of breath on my runs and it makes me feel like I’m totally out of shape. It gets better as I keep running and by the end of my short runs, I feel like I could keep going. But the beginning! I always feel like I’ve never done any physical activity before in my life.

It could be that I’m starting off too strong and it takes me a while to find my pace. I’m really not sure, so at some point it would be good to run with a partner to test that. I think I can go to one of the Running Room’s weekly runs on Wednesday nights or Sunday mornings, but I’m not sure if I’m allowed. What I should really do is just call and find out if my online clinic allows me to join these runs. (Let’s add another thing to the list!)

The other thing that’s really stressing me out is time. Where will I find the time to do all this? I know that, starting in September, I just won’t have time to do this ambitious plan of three runs, two spinning classes and two muscle classes a week. In fact, I’m not even sure if I can stay at my gym, because I won’t be able to go to most of the classes. The kids are going to be in school on different days and their schedules mean I won’t be able to make it all the way across town to the gym in time for the classes. I want to start 10K training in the fall, so I know my runs are going to be a lot longer, taking up more time. Plus, my big work contract starts in September, adding another element.

I know it may be a bit early to start worrying about this, but I’m such a planner it’s hard not to start thinking about it. Do I join a different gym? We’ve been thinking about joining the Y as a family, but it’s awfully pricey and would the Y’s schedule be any different? Plus, I love some of the instructors at my gym and the kids love the daycare there. Chris has been going to that daycare since he was four months old. We’re just so comfortable there!

I think a big part of the problem is that I have to scale back my expectations. I can’t do it all, no matter what I think. It may be that as my runs get longer, I have to cut back in other areas. Go to only one spinning class a week. Buy some free weights and learn some exercises I can do at home for strength training. I can even look in to hiring a trainer (which I probably can’t afford!) to keep up with strength training. (I’d love to hire Sue, the instructor at my gym, but she’s so good I know I can’t afford her rates!)

I guess there are always options no matter which way I decide to go. I need to be open to all the different options and not so tied to my current ‘routine’ that I can’t make some changes. I’m not a person who does well with change, but I’m sure I can be more adaptable.

And there’s lots of time to think about it all. I purposely cut back on work this summer in the hope I could get my life, my schedule, our house and the kids organized before our lives change so drastically in September. Andrew starts kindergarten, Chris starts pre-school and I take on my biggest job yet. Yes, September is full of changes, so what’s one more?

But for now, it’s only July, and I can keep on my usual track. For the next two weeks, Andrew has swimming lessons at 11 a.m., so we’ve been going to the gym at 9 a.m., then heading out to swimming right after that. I also want to get the kids’ clothes organized this week, do a big cleaning of the house, fit in a playdate, do some work for the preschool, make a couple of trips to the park and get started on an article I’m writing for a corporate client. It sounds like a lot when I write it all out, but for me, it’s actually a quiet week!

As for workouts, the plan this week was the “sweat and sculpt” class this morning (for strength and cardio), the muscle class tomorrow morning, run 26 minutes tomorrow night, spinning on Wednesday, running on the treadmill on Thursday (no sitter, and Mike has hockey at 7, so I don’t have time to run outside), spinning Friday and running outside on Saturday.

Now I’m off to continue with this week’s chores. We were hoping to go for a long bike ride/walk when Chris gets up from his nap, but the rain doesn’t seem to be letting up. (Okay, it’s not just a walk… I have to get flyers printed for the preschool, so we’re going over to the UPS store to get that done. But if we walk, Andrew can ride his bike and will think it is great fun – although if it’s still raining, we’re out of luck!)

Happy trails…