Becomming a Runner 5K What?

Five Thousand What?

 
I recently have decided to address my bucket list.  On that list is completing a 5K and Half Marathon, though I am no where near ready! After fully recovering from my mini-strokes last Spring I spent a lot of time reflecting on my health, preventative care, and what I want to accomplish while living.  I thought about my kids and husband and the activities I want to do with them and then I started looking at my bucket list.  A friend of mine posted on her Facebook page about and opportunity that would help me accomplish something daunting like a 5k run! It looked fun and I decided no better time than the present.  Signing up for that opportunity would make it official and provide me the motivation and accountability to exercise and put my money where my mouth is. 
 
I signed up for the Dirty Girl (mud run obstacle course) for June of 2014.  One year.  One year away would give me enough time to get it together, exercise, feel good about it and stop saying I don't have time.  Time! Time! Time! Make time! Being a full time working mother of two young boys is a lot of work.  That is an understatement.  It is a juggling act, balancing act, to invest time in the kids, providing them opportunities for growth, creating family time, carting them around to appointments, games, swim lessons etc., along with your own career goals, day care needs, date nights (the few they are) and your own hobbies and desires for life.  Time is a hot commodity any mother (or father) know. 
 
So I registered for the Dirty Girl and felt good about it. Of course nervous because I've never experienced that type of event before. I felt good though, that I am reconnecting with girl-friends and family members through this process too.  A few months went by and I kept talking about it but not taking any action.  Ugh.. Put your money where you mouth is.. Really! Recently in August on a whim I decided that I needed to register for something closer in timeline than June 2014, so I registered for the Color Vibe 5K in Salem, Oregon.  My sister decided to run it as well. OMG right around the corner!  I began to run.
 
What was a 5K I knew it was less than a half marathon in terms of miles. I knew it was somewhere around 3. 8 some odd miles, but 5K seemed more like five thousand miles. It is super daunting.  In fact I was talking to someone about it the other day and they were like so I hear your are running a half marathon?" Immediately I corrected them indicating that I am no where near ready to run all of THOSE miles but getting ready for a 5K.
 

NO EXCUSES

I found a place and a time to begin my training and began.  Now it is consistency, maintaining a schedule to complete the task I have before me and not making excuses.  I am still battling schedules like my full time work that sometimes eats up my early afternoon and evenings with meetings, my son's swim lessons, dinner on the table by 5:30 or 6 pm and time playing with my kids as well as my current obligations to my son's school as the Vice President of the Parent Club.   No excuses is my mantra.
 

Inspiration

 
I have found inspiration from many people to address my bucket list and this specific event (these events).  Many of my friends in my community are into running, some just completed Portland to Coast, other friends have been runners for years, and then there is the realization that life is too short not to complete or attempt to complete (no matter how good, fast or slow you are) activities that intrigue you.  I am realistic about my own goals for both 5K's that I am running and my motivation is to feel good about myself, show my kids how to be healthy and proud about what you like to do and know that you can do anything you put your mind to it. 
 
I run for many reasons. I run for life, accomplishment, pride, self awareness, my kids, my husband and most of all for myself! I am important!

Oh Boy Oh Boy!

Raising Two Boys

Recently I read an article someone posted on my Facebook feed that was written by a mommy blogger titled, "Sibling Roughhousing: The Benefits of the Wrestling Ring".  It was a great read for me because I myself am raising two boys (five and 21 months, who acts like the five year old).  Each of them have their distinct personalities and they are fun to watch. However, I too find myself wanting to protect and deter my kids from this kind of play. Boundaries and rules are good so that mayhem does not ensue. 

But after reading this article my beliefs around structure, boundaries and rules hasn't changed but my understanding of the roughhouse play and need for it has grown.  I was watching my two boys engage in running laps through our kitchen, dining room and living room (a perfect running track if you will) and caught myself grimacing when they began to tug, pull and take each other down.  Both laughing and smiling of course, taking turns and egging each other on.  I watched and watched, even took some video.  They WERE okay, they WERE playing, they WERE communicating and they WERE being boys.  At one point I did remind them that the tile floor would hurt should either of them tackle each other and or fall on it.  Though that only deterred them from continuing to engage in this kind of play.

I am the oldest of three in my family. I have one sister and one brother, both who are younger.  My sister is three years younger and my brother eleven years younger.  We did not have this kind of play growing up.  My sister and I played with dolls, toys, played outside, imaginary games, rode bikes, played sports and created games.  I was much older than my brother so got little play time with him except for the weekends and evenings as I was in school most of his growing up years.  My husband however has an older brother and sister, he is the youngest of three.  His approach to our boys IS more physical, daring and includes a TON of roughhouse play.  Neither of us is wrong in our play with the kids but in my mind provides a balance for them.

If you are a parent of a boy I would encourage you to read this article I am referencing.  It is a great article, allowed me to engage in my own self reflection and understand being a parent of BOYS.  Isn't it the best!