Just one more thing
| March 8, 2017 | Posted by Melinda under Being Mom, Mel's Life |
Let me tell you the difference between running/blogging/riding prior to having a kid-let and after.
It’s not the amount of time or energy I have.
It’s how much closer I am to that “one last thing” that results in me getting nothing done.
Anything that happens out of the ordinary pushes me back to the land of “just keep swimming just keep swimming just keep swimming….”.
- Toddler sick with some sort of explosive vomiting thing? no running or pony time for you!
- Allergies/headcold to be determined (with now well-toddler rearranging the house and only occasionally having poop explosions all over the carseat which means chasing the naked toddler through empty loading dock where I’m trying to submit blood samples BECAUSE I’M WORKING AND SHE CAN’T GO TO DAYCARE until she isn’t, you know, puking)? No running since last week and a screeching halt to the good thing I had going with regular strength training in the evenings.
- Sick husband or crappy weather or any other relatively minor inconvenience? No blog posts.
As a parent with a young child my capacity to *deal with shit* and still get *my shit* done is dramatically reduced. Which means a lot less consistency than I’m used to both here on the blog and in my riding and running. The most similar thing I can compare it to is being in vet school clinics.
I learned my lessons well in during clinical year (although perhaps not the ones they wanted to teach): I had to do while the doing was good, and sit and bide my time when it all went to shit.
I could argue that the last year, because I continued to take that lesson to heart, has been more productive for me than any season in the last 6 years, even as a parent.
Here’s what I’m better at now as a parent than I was a single endurance rider a decade ago:
- I’m a lot better (and have a lot more practice) climbing back on the wagon when things settle (for the moment).
- I have a greater appreciation for not waiting until the perfect time and instead doing something at a “good” time.
So, as I’m sitting here as obstacle after obstacle is being thrown in the way of my training and every week has “just one thing” I still refuse to let go of my optimism. I just need to keep my chin up, be patient, and wait for the right moment. Unlike a decade ago it doesn’t take me months to “get going” again – it just takes a small window of opportunity.
Sing it, Sistah. I try to churn out a blog post each week, even if it’s short or dumb. Sometimes even that is too much, and I DON’T have a toddler, sick or otherwise!
So, I think you’re doing great.