Altered Running Schedule

I have been exhausted.....

.....utterly and thoroughly 

 EXHAUSTED!!!

I took a few days off from running and everything else going on in the house this weekend. We had a massive snow storm here on the East Coast so it was a good excuse not to go anywhere. I even slept in until 7am for 3 days in a row! I am feeling completely new and ready to tackle the world!  

However,  I cannot help but to pause and reflect on how I bottomed out in the first place.

I always try to do too much. ALWAYS!!! The new year started with finishing up old projects, starting new ones and pledging to start a full exercise program. All this mixed with my day to day obligations as a mom to five itty, bitty ones and a wife to one amazing man. As well as regular house chores, meal preparation, homework tutoring, running to and fro for school, groceries, and activities, blogging, my business ..... not to mention early mornings and late nights trying to squeeze it all in  ..... has left me less than vibrant.

So how can I correct this? 

Hire a housekeeper, a nanny, a stand-in wife for a day or two per week? 

No thanks! This may work for some, but it's not for me .....( although I'm sure my husband may smirk about the latter .....)

I finally came to the conclusion that I just need to get better organized, start delegating more, taking on less and doing things less hastily. Good place to start, eh?

My daily observations have also lead me to believe that a lot of my exhaustion comes from stress. For example; Since I have started running, I start thinking about it as soon as I get up in the morning. Worrying about where I am going to find time in my day to run, and what I am going to have to sacrifice to get it done. This sound counter-active I know. Exercise is suppose to bring less stress to my life not more.  Activity for better health and a stronger body ..... right?

AND... I am EXTREMELY sore! The constant aching is tiring in itself. I know it will ease with time, but in the meantime ..... ouch!  My doctor suggested that I start off slower, and build towards a goal of a daily run. To schedule in more rest days to give my body time to repair.

So with this advice in mind, I decided to start with adjusting my new running schedule. I have altered the title to read my February Pledge to Run!!! rather than, my February Pledge to Run ..... Daily!!!

My husband rises early four days a week to go to CrossFit. So I am going to match his schedule and run in the early morning as well. I have never been a fan of exercise first thing as I love rising to fresh coffee and a quiet house. But if I still start my day at 5am as usual, I should be able to exercise, shower and still claim a quiet 30 minutes before the kids rise.

I really feel this small but significant adjustment will give me more time to complete my daily chores and projects. And rather than thinking about exercise all day, I will get it out of the way first thing and give my mind the freedom to think of other things ..... like my Spring wreath collection, landscaping plans, or a new paint colour for my living room!

Less stress, more time ..... sounds like a good plan .....

Cheers!