October 2018 Monthly Running Challenge

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  • Elise4270
    Elise4270 Posts: 8,375 Member
    garygse wrote: »

    @Elise4270 Like the new avatar!

    Ta Gary. This month is for Dennis. (Like my "Ta"". I say it occasionally here/work and no one seems to have caught the addition to my international vocabulary, doh my Alex would have caught it if he were around.).

    Thanks @shanaber too for the mention.
  • Elise4270
    Elise4270 Posts: 8,375 Member
    edited October 2018
    AprilRN10 wrote: »
    I think everyone has great goals this month!

    Welcome to the newbies and those returning from hiatus

    I've been struggling hard-core since late August with my food intake and general work life balance. Most of you probably know I am a mom, night shift nurse, student, etc. I completed my master's degree and am now working on my post-master's certification. It is ridiculously hard. I am a full time student. I have all my school work to complete. I must travel for school frequently, and I see patients a full day in the clinic three days a week (for school, unpaid). Then I work night shift on Fri, Sat, and Sun night. Every Mon morning after work I take my daughter out for breakfast so we can have some time together before the week gets nuts. I run 5 days a week, and I aim to lift 2 days a week, but mostly I only get one in. I've had some snafus with my program, and it's triggered a ridiculous funk in my mood that I can't seem to shake. I am just TIRED of only work/school/family obligations. There is no time for anything really. I feel guilty when I run because I should be studying. We started eating out more because I couldn't make it to the store or manage to have enough time to cook a meal.It's a mess. I've jokingly said that I'm going to start studying naked so I can decrease my workload (laundry)!

    This isn't complaining. It's just venting. I miss when I had more time to be more active in here too. Like how in the heck do I find more time in a day?

    I am determined to not let this crap keep me down. I've got nine months to go. Maybe a year because I'm considering a break.

    Thoughts?

    Wow. You get all that done and maintain your grades? I made 3 semesters in grad school, driving 2 hours one way, TA'd there, drove back and taught night classes, newly divorced, 3 brats er lovely children and my grades slipped and i just threw in the towel and got a job. My car had no AC in the texas heat aslo...

    How much longer do you need to do this? If you've got the grades, a spouse, SO, and or parents, that can step in, i say ride it out. Dont feel guilty over running. You have to have time to decompress. I think without it you'd rightly implode.

    As for the kid time... I think you're on it. The time you do have is used wisely, you make it quality time. You're setting a great example for your kids.

    Can you, or do you need to consider an antidepressant for short tern use. I know a pill isnt the answer to everything, but given times of increased stress, they can really help (ugh sorry to be suggesting meds) but i have to take them occasionally to thwart that bad brain chemistry, when i cant deal and get stuck in the funk. Just a possibility.

    Should you, or could you drop anything to part-time? Can you back off anything just for 3-6 months?

    Once "out" (droped out) of grad school, i had loads of time and more earnings... So wish id have been able to stick out one more year for a master's. Just didnt work out.

    Good luck. Hope something shifts and and you find that balance.
  • juliet3455
    juliet3455 Posts: 3,015 Member
    @AprilRN10 Great comments from @PastorVincent in trying to support your studies and family balance.
    The two I keyed on were simpler meals and getting the kids and SO to take on some chores, Laundry and cleaning their rooms should be the first. Then they need to take on some cooking. Show them a meal plan for the week ( spaghetti & meatballs, Soup, Pizza Night, Crockpot Roast etc ) and send them shopping for the ingredients that aren't already in the house. This gets them out of the house for 1-2 hours and gives you some quiet study time. Also it provides the kids an important life lesson - they need to know how to budget, cook and clean for their future. One of my co-workers as soon as the kids turned 14 they had to make one evening meal a month ( not hotdogs ) this meant they had to find a recipe, confirm ingredients and learn how to do it. His middle daughter was home for the weekend from 2nd year nursing and said a big thanks to her parents in front of all the visiting friends for "teaching her how to live - ie budget, meal plan, cook, time management etc" she says the other 3 girls in her residence seem to live on PB & toast.
    PastorVincent wrote: »
    Do not think "Dinner must be big balanced meal" - that is for later when you are out of school. Think "Dinner must provide enough nutrition to keep everyone healthy"

    What chores can you push off onto your kid(s)? All kids, IMO, should be shouldering part of the burden of living. It trains them for real life.

    Personally, I would prioritize time with children as high up as I could. I have and will continue to skip runs/races/etc to spend time with my son. In addition I locked up every Saturday morning that he has been alive (he is 15 now) for father-son trips away from mom, school, xbox, and so on.
  • juliet3455
    juliet3455 Posts: 3,015 Member
    @AprilRN10 Didn't realize you were already getting good support from the family, Like you say it's temporary, which in itself is a life lesson for your daughter.
  • kgirlhart
    kgirlhart Posts: 5,152 Member
    October goal: 95 miles

    10/2: 5.5 miles

    5.2/95 miles completed

    I had a good run this morning. I went 5.2 miles. Summer just won't let go though. It was 71F which shouldn't be too bad, but the humidity was 99% and the dew point was 71 so the weather was still pretty unpleasant. But the run was good. I did see a loose dog at the park, so after running up a hill I turned around and went on the other side of the park and ended up running up the hill twice. I think it is a friendly dog, but I'm still not going to run up to a German Shepard that I don't really know. I would rather just take a detour.

    I have a question for anyone who uses the Garmin live tracking. I think maybe @sarahthes does. When you send someone access to your run does it send them a message or is it something they have to log into to see? I would like to send my husband the live tracking for my runs, but I usually leave for my run in the morning before he gets up and I don't want to wake him up. Plus he uses a fitbit and not a garmin so he doesn't have garmin connect.


    exercise.png




    2018 races:
    5/19/18: Run for 57th AHC Half Marathon - 2:43:59.7. - 2nd place AG
    10/6/18: Old Rip 5K Run
    11/10/18: Wags & Whiskers 5K
  • MobyCarp
    MobyCarp Posts: 2,927 Member
    @kgirlhart When I used Garmin live tracking, it sent emails with a link to see the tracking. I quit using it after a couple half marathons with spotty phone coverage; the live stuff didn't work where the phone couldn't get signal, and not being able to get signal was a big battery drain. But the people tracking me didn't need a Garmin, or Strava, or anything but email, a browser, and an internet connection.

    Wineglass wanted me to use the RaceJoy app. Reports from people who have used it were that it works well on that course and isn't a huge battery drain; but the only person I cared about being able to track me was running the half, and she just hung around the finish line to wait for me to get there.
  • kgirlhart
    kgirlhart Posts: 5,152 Member
    Thanks @MobyCarp !

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