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T-Rex Runner: The Work/Run Balance

When work and life get in the way of running, sometimes compromises must be made.

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If you read my blog or follow me on Instagram, you know that I have a rather unusual job. I’m an environmental planner. While I will not bore you with an explanation of what that is, I often have to go out into “the field” as part of my job, sometimes for a week at a time. That means I’m trekking through wetlands and forests for 8-10 hours a day, which can be pretty exhausting. Add in the fact that I’m staying out of town and away from home, and you have a recipe for disaster when it comes to marathon training!

Normally, I spend 1-2 hours per weekday working out. That’s not really possible when I’m on the road, so I have to prioritize, compromise, and occasionally concede:

  1. Prioritize: I make sure that if I have the time or energy to work out at all, I’m running. Everything else is a bonus. I do many types of workouts when I’m home, but during marathon training, running is the most important.
  2. Compromise: If I have 7 miles on the schedule but only 40 minutes to run, I’m going to just run as much as I can during those 40 minutes. I don’t consider the run a failure because I didn’t get all 7 miles in. I also don’t just throw my hands in the air and say “screw it” and not run at all just because it won’t match my training plan. A few miles are better than none.
  3. Concede: Some days, between working and traveling and everything else, I just simply don’t have the time or energy to work out. If I can barely keep my eyes open at dinner, I probably don’t really need to get that 3 mile run or online barre workout in.

Ultimately, I sometimes have to remind myself that as much as I love it, running is not my job, and neither is working out. Work , sanity, and yes, even sleep sometimes have to come first. As you can see from the photo above, fashion obviously has not made the list.

These Runners Were Not Prepared to Love Non-Alcoholic Beer

L. Renee Blount and Outside TV host Pat Parnell posted up at a popular trailhead, handed out free Athletic Brewing craft non-alcoholic beer, and then recorded runners’ live reactions. Want to find out what all the hype’s about? Click here to discover a world without compromise.

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