Comments on: Just run the mile you’re in

By: lauravanderkam

lauravanderkam — Tue, 03 Nov 2015 17:46:58 +0000

In reply to Karissa.

@Karissa – true. While I do believe in honoring the season of life you’re in, I also think that waiting for the perfect time is a recipe for waiting forever. There’s a lot you can do, even with little kids.

By: omdg

omdg — Tue, 03 Nov 2015 15:39:28 +0000

Yep, we’re definitely a 100+ couple. I work anywhere between 60 and 80 hours per week, and my husband works about 50, plus about 2 hours in the car each day commuting.

We make it work by having a live in au pair, housecleaner, and dog walker. We focus on doing “extra” stuff only when absolutely necessary and fitting the work into free chunks of time on the weekends. We’ve recently added back some activities (swimming 3x per week in the AM for my husband, me occasionally walking the dog for him), because we feel like things are a bit more under control on the work front. Oh, the other thing we do is minimize my commuting time. My husband is also always the one who takes the hit when someone has to stay home, say, for the new oven to be delivered. Mostly because I can’t miss work. Ever. Unless actively dying.

By: Mary Vanderkam

Mary Vanderkam — Tue, 03 Nov 2015 15:12:51 +0000

A very good mantra–and a great photo!

By: Karissa

Karissa — Tue, 03 Nov 2015 04:35:11 +0000

In reply to lauravanderkam.

I think the hardest part is “running the mile you are in” without it turning into the waiting game Dr. Seuss describes in “Oh, the Places You’ll Go”… waiting to be away from bottles, waiting for the last one to be done with diapers, waiting for the naptime “restriction” to end, etc.

By: lauravanderkam

lauravanderkam — Tue, 03 Nov 2015 01:45:23 +0000

In reply to Jessica. @Jessica - thanks! Just one foot in front of the other. One word in front of the other is how books get written too.

By: lauravanderkam

lauravanderkam — Tue, 03 Nov 2015 01:44:42 +0000

In reply to Ana. @Ana- yep. Walking a mile to my car after the race was not exactly a joyous experience. I can run 13.1 miles along the Schuylkill river trail if I want, and there are even porta-potties if I need that experience!

By: Jessica

Jessica — Mon, 02 Nov 2015 22:01:21 +0000

This is helpful. It’s so much more specific – and visual – than “be present where you are.”

By: Ana

Ana — Mon, 02 Nov 2015 21:32:35 +0000

Congrats on the race! I decided that I don’t really like races, for the reasons you mentioned above. Maybe if I was doing it with a group, it’d be worthwhile. (or if I was fast enough to really be in any kind of contention) Otherwise, I prefer to just run the long distance on my own time, count my run home as part of it, and get to shower & eat within 15 minutes!

By: Antonia

Antonia — Mon, 02 Nov 2015 20:14:06 +0000

Hi Laura,
We’re a 100 hour + couple. I run my own business + my husband has a 60 hour week. He negotiated a day at home on Wednesdays so with childcare, I have x3 full days + school hours the other two. I started using your idea to grab an early start over 1 1/2 years ago so 5.30 starts combined with 2-3 work evenings basically give me an extra day. I carve out 2-3 hours on a Sunday for time ON my business not IN it + planning and my husband manages homework/ sports stuff with our 7 + 8 year old. Messy merge but having a routine helps everyone xo

By: lauravanderkam

lauravanderkam — Mon, 02 Nov 2015 20:13:27 +0000

In reply to jane.

@Jane – I haven’t signed up. I’m feeling a wee bit ugh about races at the moment. I’ll probably get the bug again at some point. I love long runs, but there are a lot of additional transaction costs involved in races (what with the corrals, and porta-potties, parking woes, etc.)