Taking Time To Celebrate

I ran a half marathon last weekend. It wasn’t my first. It wasn’t my fastest. But it was probably the one I’m the most proud of. 

It was the first half marathon I’ve done since becoming a mom.

It’s not the physical feat that I’m most proud of, but yes, I feel good about that, too. After all, having two kids in two years, at the age of 39 and 41, sure does take a toll on your body. 

Rather, it is the mental commitment, the time management and relentless prioritization and, most importantly, the supportive partnership from Jeff that it took to get me across the finish line that makes me most proud.

I signed up for a half marathon at the end of last year, when I was formulating this year’s “big things” I wanted to celebrate at the end of 2018. I chose a half marathon because you really can’t just fake it. There’s no showing up without putting in the time and training. 

It meant I would need a plan. It meant I would need to run when I didn’t want to – when it was raining, or cold. Or when I felt like I just didn’t have time.

Let’s be real, I don’t “have time” to add half marathon training into my crazy life. I have two kids under four, a full-time Career (yes, capital C – as Laura Vanderkam says), a 70-mile roundtrip daily commute, a husband I like talking to and spending time with, parents and in-laws to see, a commitment to healthy cooking… and …and …and…  There is always something to do.

Like everything, it’s about making time.  It’s about getting my butt out of bed to squeeze in miles before the kiddos got up. It’s about strategizing with Jeff about how and when to fit in the training miles with all of the other must-do’s in our limited weekend hours. It’s about Jeff taking the girls grocery shopping so Momma can run. (Marry someone who wants you to achieve your goals, my friends.)

I guess, reflecting back on it, I’m most proud of making time for this. For me.

Since January, when I officially started my return to running, I’ve somehow found 43+ hours for running. That’s just over three hours a week. I’ve somehow squeezed in 71 runs and am now approaching the 275-mile mark. I’ve averaged 19 miles per week over an average of four runs a week.

In January, I certainly didn’t feel like I had an extra 43 hours for anything. 

On race day, Jeff and the girls cheered from the finish line. Lily ran to me with a big sign she had made. (It was a dinosaur, if you were wondering.) She hugged me. Sadie clapped. Both girls chowed down on post-race food. (I never realized how kid-friendly the post-race buffet can be – fruit snacks, bananas, granola bars.) Lily wore my medal proudly.

It was the best finish I’d had yet. Not in terms of time or how I felt (boy, those last two miles were hard!), but in terms of almost everything else.

Full transparency: I almost didn’t write this post. I felt like it could come off to be bragging or boastful. That’s certainly not my intent. If anything, I hope that stories like these can be motivating or inspiring. I know reflecting like this gives me extra motivation and reminds me what it possible when I commit to something fully. 

It reminds me that you don’t need to lose yourself entirely after becoming a mom. It reminds me that it’s okay – and good, in fact – to prioritize my own health, time and goals. 

This post is only partially about running. For you, it could be art or knitting or rock-climbing. Whatever makes you feel happy, fulfilled and proud.

In the final minutes of the audiobook I just finished this week, Kick Ass With Mel Robbins, she gave me the final push I needed to write this. She says, paraphrased, celebration is essential to a happy life. 

Take time to celebrate your accomplishments, large or small, together or to yourself. Just be sure to celebrate.