I don’t have time to do much beyond work, family and running. If I tried any more fitness or training work I would need to carry a picture of my family with me to try and remember them.
That said my training doesn’t impact family time no more than an hour or so on a Sunday morning when I’m out on 20+ mile long runs. All the rest of my running is done early around 5:30/6am and I’m often back before anyone is awake. That works for me.
Admittedly, 8 hours sleep, tea in bed and a copy of the daily newspaper before getting up also works, but that just isn’t going to happen!!
So I stick with it as things are. I get about 6 hours sleep a night, sometimes less, rarely more. Do I feel more would be better? Hell yes, but I can manage with what I get. Even with two little rugrats alongside the two older kids. My youngest two are blond the waking up every night phase meaning that sleep is usually uninterrupted for me, and my wife also gets quality sleep too.
I have a lot to be grateful for in having a wife that realises running is an important part of what makes me the person I now am. That’s a different person to what existed before. But in a good way. I hope …
So time is short, but so many people say that running just isn’t enough. To be the best you can you have to put in strength sessions, go to the gym, ride the Himalayas, lift atlas stones etc. But there’s precious little chance of finding the time to do that – but does it matter…
In addition to running 5/6 or 7 times a week and hitting 50-80Km a week, I commute 3-4 hours a day 5 days a week to work. in this I ride a bike 5Km 4 days a week to and from the station. Not enough to qualify for a place on the GB cycling team and Sir Chris Hoy has little to worry about – but I pedal a bit!
My only other activity I feel I have the time for is immediately post run most days I throw 50 press ups in and every night I do the same with 50 sit-ups. Not sure any of that helps but it’s helped I think with some core strength. This takes about 4 or 5 minutes each day I run 3 minutes on days I don’t. I can fit that in OK.
So do I feel I need to do more? I generally think I need to be able to do more – of anything, but I’m realistic. Anything more will mean less sleep and that’s going to hurt!
I’ll stick with this. I feel I’ve built a good core running capability, two marathons done and feeling pleased with my first ultra training.
That’ll do I think. I need to keep some sense of life outside running and I also need to make that balance across all aspects of my life. I have supportive family, though they think I’m mad!! 🤷♂️. I enjoy my running time and my solitude that it brings.
Most of all, I enjoy being the person I have become. I’ve found a way to be a better person and a better person to be with.
Things happen for a reason, whatever that might be and however that might be influenced. I was meant to move into running when I hit 40, and the world was meant to change as a result. I don’t know the whole reason for why, that will only become clearer over the months and years ahead! But for now, I plan to enjoy what I do, the training I can manage and the benefits that brings. I’ll shrug off the idea that I could do a whole catalogue of other things to make me a better runner, I do enough for me, and I’m sure a lot of people feel the same. Find a happy place, explore and experience it and then determine where to go. Listen to yourself and make the choices right for you, not just a decision because an article says it’s the best thing for you to do!
Ridgewayrunner.com
Ridgeway Runner 
Liked the captions for your pictures – really funny! 🙂
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Thanks very kind 😁
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