I Don’t Have Time To Run Right Now – Making Time To Run
This post is part of the 31 Excuses To Not Run series, where I asked 31 friends to give me their excuses. 31 excuses for 31 days – you have an excuse for every day of the month. And now you have a little motivation and some ideas on how to get past those excuses.
I don’t have time to run right now – Ryan
Finding time to run isn’t easy, especially with your busy schedule and other family events going on. If you’re a parent, finding the time to run can be even more difficult. A lot of the feedback that I received when I asked runners about making time for a run was around prioritizing their schedule for a run and making running a quality activity rather than worrying about how many times per week you are running. Preparation before the next day is important – laying out your clothes and shoes gives you one less thing to do the next day. Plus, you literally have your running gear staring at you the next morning, if you don’t run, you’ll have to put it back away and the running gods will be angry.
I asked 3 marathoners to give me ideas on how to find more time to run and this is what they said:
Use Your Time Wisely
Brianne – she’s a distance runner that runs a 2:30 marathon and she’s also a mom and wife with 2 girls at home. With school and life events, Brianne has to balance her marathon training with life through better time management. Meals are planned out and clothing is laid out in the morning. When you have time to plan, you do. The secret is to make time during calmer parts of your day when you have the time to plan ahead, so that you can make more time throughout the day.
Realize That Running Matters For You – It’s a priority
Deena – a Runner and Olympian tells us that running is such an important part of her schedule that she makes sure to prioritize it ahead of other things. Use your running time to think about how to manage your day better and use the mental space to get things done. Also your body releases endorphins and dopamine, so you will be happier and in a better mood during the rest of your day.
Set A Goal and Stick To It
Tim – How do you manage to run while being a physical therapist? Setting goals is a big part of the equation – if you set a goal to be able to run 3x per week or a longer goal of running your first 5k, then you can build strategies to help you stick to the goal. Gamify it so that you can see your progress.
Ok Parents, so how do you find time to run with a toddler?
When Time is short – if you need to make 15-20 minute runs part of your day, do it. Breaking up your day into 2 or 3 different run segments is OK and it’s better than not doing anything. If you need a jogging stroller, go get one. Laura Hudson suggests that a jogging stroller is the perfect way to get your cardio in while providing your little one with an adventure for the day. Typically by the end of the run, you’ll have a sleeping kid.
When is the best time to run?
The afternoon has it’s advantages as being the best time to run. Research has shown that the time of day really doesn’t matter, it’s more about what your body can handle and the mental strength that you can apply to a run. Your body will adapt to the schedule that you decide on. Some people use the morning for a workout because their body needs to be stretched and they need a little bit of energy flowing for the day. Personally, I can’t do morning runs, I’d rather run in the afternoon because it takes me a while to wake up and my muscles need some time to warm up. I also know that hormone levels can be important to your workout time, your body produces more testosterone (the ingredient needed for muscle growth and strength) during the afternoon.
Beginning Running Frequency
If you are just getting going in your journey of running, you may be wondering how often should beginners run? A beginning runner should start off slow and work their way up to more frequency and longer runs. A 20 to 30 minute run per session that will take you between 2 to 4 miles is perfect. Do this 2-4 times per week and you will find that your stamina and body strength starts to improve. If your goal is to loose weight, then running 30 minutes per day will offset about 300 calories, so you can adjust your calorie intake based on that figure.
Running Sucks…and sometimes you just have to make time for the things that are important to you.
