Setting Goals, Showing Up and Running This Race Called Motherhood

Last month I ran the Carlsbad Half Marathon, but I almost didn’t show up.  

After I turned 30 last September, I made a goal to run the San Diego Triple Crown of half marathons in 2018 (Carlsbad, La Jolla and AFC). I signed up several months ago, (while my son was a tiny baby) and decided this was just the goal I needed to accomplish in 2018.  

I’ve done a bunch of half marathons and even a full marathon, but not since having kids.  

I thought signing up would encourage me to exercise more. What really went down was that I chose an extra hour of sleep. Always. I chose cuddling in bed with our kiddos on the weekends instead of getting out for a jog first thing in the morning. I suppose I could have done both, but you know how life and time is, it doesn’t stop for anybody.

A couple weeks or so before the race, I decided I wasn’t going to run it after all. I was too tired. Too out of shape. Too over committing. I was just done. Then, a couple days before the race, something inside me stirred up a bunch of emotions. I couldn’t quite put together what I was feeling but I knew, I just absolutely knew I had to rethink my decision about quitting. I knew I didn’t want to be the person that sat around on the sidelines watching everyone else chase their dreams and goals. If I wasn’t moving forward, was I moving backward?  

I couldn’t handle that.

To me, motherhood is a lot like running a long-distance race. Some days you’re prepared, others you aren’t, and even when you think you’ve prepared enough, there’s no telling how the actual day will go down.  

Kids are like Mother Nature. They’re only so predictable. I feel the same way about running long distance races. Let’s say you train and prepare for months and then on the day of the race you get cramps in your legs and stomach to no end?  

This too applies for the day you give birth. You can only prepare so much, am I right ladies?  Motherhood is kind of like that. You just give it your best shot.

This half marathon was like a very important business meeting with myself. Why would I cancel on who should be the most important person in my life? If I don’t take myself seriously, why would others? There’s no way I would cancel a big meeting with a boss or an important figure. Why do that to myself? Literally a couple days before the race, I decided I was going to give it my best shot. I was going to show up.  

Showing up is half the battle and if you just show up, you’re more likely to accomplish what you started.   

(I definitely do not recommend running a long distance race without any prior running or training. I consider myself to be somewhat of a natural runner. My body has done this distance many, many times and I felt confident I could finish it, I just wasn’t sure how great I’d feel after. Luckily, all I felt was some soreness in my knees.)

At the end of the day, it was such an awesome day. I got to enjoy a gorgeous day outside exercising, feeling grateful that my body is capable of moving and appreciating that life is just one big meeting and you just have to show up. Motherhood is about committing to be the best you, so you can be the best mom to your kiddos. Showing up every single day with love and open arms and if you’re doing that, you’re pretty much crushing it.

Here’s to committing to ourselves and showing up.