Walks with Dog and Tots

I've taken to after-dinner walks with our dog and the kids. It's a win-win-win. The dog loves it, the kids love it, and I get to feel a little bit better about not running.

Have you ever pushed a double stroller and walked an eager dog up a hill? It is totally a workout.

I've started mapping out our walks, planning routes for future solo runs. Our new neighborhood is close to a relatively major road but it's a residential area so there are a lot of side streets. A lot better than walking in circles around our old neighborhood or driving to the trail for a walk.

It's a nice routine. The dog and the kids head to the front door after dinner, motivating me to get in some exercise even on days when I want nothing more than to sink into the sofa.

Finding Balance

countdown to race: 102 days

Life gets in the way of running and some times it feels like running gets in the way of life.

I'm (slowly) reading Run Like a Mother. The tagline says it all: How to Get Moving - and Not Lose Your Family, Job or Sanity. It's an incredibly motivating book and reminds me that it's important to incorporate running into your everyday life, not make running your life.

As we train for Rock the Parkway, Mark and I will be doing most of our runs separately. We are grateful to have both of our parents nearby, but we agree that the time we spend with our daughter - having dinner, playing, bath time and bedtime - isn't worth missing just so we can run together. We'll still run our Sunday long runs together, but mid-week runs will be solo.

How do you balance running, family, work and a social life?