Hump Day Giveaway: A Burning Question
A not-yet-pregnant Deena and her bodyguards on a beautiful Mammoth day.
Another significant mother runner joined the tribe on Monday night: Deena Kastor, bronze medalist in the 2004 Olympics, and American record holder in the marathon and half-marathon, gave birth to Piper Bloom Kastor, a little girl who will likely be faster at age 2 than I’ve ever been in my life.
Deena has already pushed her body to the edge in the world’s hardest race, so she’s primed for motherhood, right? After all, there are some marked similarities between running and mothering:
Both simultaneously wipe me out and leave me enervated.
Both fill me with an immense sense of pride.
Both can feel impossible when I, unable to sleep, can’t stop thinking about them at 3 a.m.
Both have that never-ending air about them: there’s always another mile to run, and a mom’s journey is far from over when her kid hits 18. (To wit: I gave my mom a magnet that reads, “The first 40 years of parenting are the hardest.”)
Both allow very little privacy with respect to bathroom time.
Both require similar wardrobes: clothes that can hide stains, are durable and still show that you have a sliver of style left.
To that end, we’ve got a whopper of a giveaway today: Deena’s favorite outfit from Asics, her sponsor. As a skin cancer survivor, Deena is super diligent about protecting as much skin as she can. Her fave things these days include the Women’s Run II Everyday Cap, Favorite Long Sleeve, Thermopolis LT Capri and GEL-DS Trainer 16 .
The Women's Everyday II Run Cap. (Keeps her brow dry and her face shielded.)
Favorite Long Sleeve with UPF 50+. (I'm guessing she went up to a size medium at 9 months pregnant.)
The Thermopolis LT Capri. "She loves the soft, cashmere-like fabric," a source tells us. (Aren't we so People magazine?)
And a pair of the GEL-DS Trainer 16. (Another source tells us her sweet husband, Andrew, likes to make sure her shoes are untied and ready to go at the beginning of every run.)
So how can you be–0r at least look–like Deena? Give us another way that running and mothering are similar. If that stumps you, you can tell us how they’re vastly different instead.
Let us know how your miles and offspring are the same, and we’ll pick a random winner to outfit from head to foot in Asics. (Small print: outfit does not come with a guarantee of an Olympic medal.)
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P.S. The winner of the Sheex, last week’s special Valentine’s Day giveaway, is Janette. Random.org somehow knew that she’s at the time in her life when she needs extra temp regulation at night.
A good night’s sleep? I’ve forgotten what that is! Hot flashes every hour day and night for the last year or so have ruined my sleep. Those sheets would help a lot, I’m going to have to get me some of those. Hopefully this too shall pass,(and the sooner the better!) and a good night’s sleep of 8+ hours in a cool, dark room would be bliss (and no getting up to pee either).
Congrats, Janette! E-mail us at runmother at gmail dot com and we’ll get you–and your bed–set up.
another mother runner 
For me, running and mothering are vastly different. Running is when my mind shuts off and I enjoy the quiet. Being a mom is constant thinking, doing, taking care of others. My mind goes a thousand miles an hour all day with grocery lists, packing lunches, carpooling and on and on and on. Until I run: my only time of day when I don’t have to think about it all, because I’m only concentrating on moving forward!
I have found with both running and mothering, I get the most satisfaction when I let go. When I have faith in my son and/or my running abilities they always come through for me.
I think both running and mothering both require consistency in discipline. Parenting goes without saying, if your not consistent your kids will run all over you (no pun intended!) and with running, it takes a certain amount of discipline to get out the door on those mornings when it is freezing or sweltering hot!
Call me crazy, but to me running and being a mother are alike in that I always want just one more! I finish a marathon and think “that was hard, but it was GREAT! I’ll do just one more… then I’m done.” Same with my wee ones- when one turns about 18 months old I always think “we should have just one more… then I’ll be done”. We have three, so I’m thinking I’ll be doing a lot more “just one last marathons” than “just one last kids”!
For me running and mothering have become more the same since I started minimalist running. There is always preventative maintaince to do to keep me healthy. Now that focus goes to my feet, I am always using the blister stick on my feet and trying to stretch my feet better so I have a great run.
My first thought when reading this was tears. Both mothering and running brings tears. Tears of joy-when I run I can’t help but be happier-especially after finishing a marathon!-Being a mom of course my two boys bring my JOY everyday sometimes making me laugh until I cry! Tears of pain-running is pretty self explanitory…the pain of tiredness and furstration with mothering can cause some wet eyes. Tears of pride-running- when I finished my first marathon-(I am not a crier) the emotions that over came me when I crossed the finish line left me no choice but to let the tears flow. Mothering-I am so proud of my sons-when I see them-think of their story-(adopted from Haiti) see them being kind to others-telling me ‘Mommy do you know I love you?” I am so proud of them! And this tough mommy gets leaky eyes 😉
I think running is a lot like motherhood in that you set your sights on a goal or event, say a big big race with friends or helping your child prepare for a big test or concert or… Work hard towards it, seems like so many obstacles in the way sometimes, push forward…then the day is here & TADA!! You do it, together! Even if the road was tough along the way, it’s a huge accomplishment to share.
How is running and motherhood alike?
It’s hard work and takes dedication-some days you just may not “feel like it”-but you do it because you love it and no matter what comes along–the good, the bad, the ugly–you keep on going. And the rewards, though intangible are worth more than all the gold in the world!!
Similarities – some days they both kick your tail and exhaust you, other days the experience is like no other!
I love reading your posts on my phone while I’m warming up or cooling down on the treadmill! It gives me time to think of my response…
-Both running and being a mom take planning, practice and patience.
-Whether it’s a bad day with the kids or a bad run, you just have to let go.
-Both work better when you are fully present in the moment 🙂
Both give me a sense of accomplishment. Another long run down. I did it. And I did it faster than I did it last mile/ last week/last month. I homeschool my children so their academic success is something I directly contributed to. She scored well on that test. She aced her chemistry. He understands his math. It’s a pleasure to read what she writes in her papers. They are lovely children. I did well even though I have a long way to go.
Both require endurance and also the ability to see the big picture and not just that moment in time when things seem out-of-control.
A similarity between running and parenting? The saying “Nothing worth doing is easy” applies to both of them!
Well both require patience, but more than being similar, running and motherhood lend themselves to each other. I’ve learned to appreciate the time I have to go run, that I can be a mother and be Suzanne, and that I can conquer anything (I mean, really, how can I be afraid of 26.2 measly miles after squeezing 3 babies out of my, er, uh, out of me!).
Both mothering and running revolve around food for me. On a long tough run I think about what I’ll eat when I get home. On the mothering side it seems like I’m always in the process of either making or planning food and snacks for my family.
Running and my kids bring me equal amounts of driving me crazy. Just when I think I’ve got them figured out another challenge requires me to adjust my training/approach. On the other hand, both bring me intense joy and pride.
Both have brought me, simultaneously, to tears and laughter. Both have made me think- where’s the finish/is it bedtime yet? And, currently doing a training program for a half, I was looking at what’s in store this week and see gp’s- which made me think about how both sometimes require gentle pick-up’s too 😉
My favorite quote on motherhood is from Rosanne Barr: “I figure if my kids are alive at the end of the day, I’ve done my job” I feel the same about running: It may feel like I’m going to die, but at the end of the day, I know I did well.
I have an unconditional love for my children and running. Even though they may let me down here and there I never give up on either and love them no matter what!!
Both running and motherhood make 6:30 feel like sleeping in. And both require that I hit the ground running every morning. Pun intended.
Running and motherhood both require a tremendous amount of scheduling. Training for a race while making sure your kids get to gymnastics, volleyball, diving, swimming, track, etc, etc require precision down to the second.
Kids, like running, keep me on track.
Both running and mothering are teaching me to NOT compare myself to others. I can only be the best me that God created me to be. I try each day to be a better me than I was yesterday.
Both can frustrate you to no end but make you the happiest, too!
And sometimes you need a (small) break from both.
I’m always amazed at the parallels between mothering and running. Perhaps the biggest one for me, is that both challenge me to my core and force me to dig really deep to keep going. Mothering and running, when I feel energized and fabulous are both easy and enjoyable. Mothering and running when I’m mentally low, or physically challenged, make every moment challenging. The negative self-talk starts (I’m the worst mother or I totally suck at running), bringing me down even further, and so I must do my best to be gentle with myself so I can keep going. Because, in either case, I can’t quit (I really can’t stop being a mother, and though I could quit running, I know I would be in worse shape…physical and emotional, if I quit). So I must be gentle to myself and focus on changing my internal dialogue (“You’re just having a bad day. You’re a great mother…you’re a great runner and you’re just trying to achieve your best…today your best just happens to not be as good as yesterday’s but it’s still your best). After the rough patch, I am always glad I persevered and talked myself back up. The confidence and strength I get, when rising through mothering and running challenges, is worth all the struggles.
Both do “wonders” for my body! Pregnancy took away the flat tummy and firm bottom…running has brought them back!
They are both exhausting and require extreme effort to to well. The rewards of both are beyond measure, just in vastly different ways!
They are so similar on so many ways, many times as a Mom you want to quit to just give up, but you don’t you keep reading, teaching, discipline whatever that challenge is. Running is the same, windy, cold, hot, tired but you just keep going there is no giving up on YOURSELF. Running has made me a better Mom and being a Mom has made me a better runner.
Both can show you who you were meant to be in life….a runner and a mother! Showing you strength you never thought you had!
Running and mothering both require me to trust my gut and follow my heart.
How are running and mothering similar-
it’s a race, a journey, one where you cross the finish line over and over and continue to learn, every day, what it means to be a runner, a mother, a mother-runner. Some days you have it, some days you don’t; you just hope you have it more often than you don’t have it.
Like today. Headed out for a 15 mile run and then to my husband’s grandmother’s funeral with all three kids. I’m not sure what i’ll take away from both of these experiences, but I can bet they’re be similarly difficult, emotional, and cathartic.
For me running has a very straight forward training plan to achieving a goal, marathon, half, 5k whatever, just follow the plain. If you put in the effort your work will be rewarded come race time. With Motherhood there are no gurantees. There are many times I wish Motherhood came with a training plan, then I would know how I was doing. The lack of plan fills Motherhood with unexpected and sometimes frightening moments, will my kids be ok, will they grow up to be good human beings, am I raising a future monster?! But, like running, when you are just doing it for the simple pleasure it brings, come those amazing moments when, for just a few seconds you think, I’m doing ok, my kids are ok, life is ok! Running gives balance to Motherhood, the good, the bad and the ugly!
Wiping dripping noses! Its either mine during a run or the kids during a ski or a cold.
With both running and motherhood, I think, “Someday this will be a memory.” It is my mantra with much of life…the good and the bad. When I am running, and I can’t seem to get it together to finish, I think about how soon it will be over and how accomplished I will feel when it is. With motherhood, I often have that thought as well. I know that even on the bad days or as I try to get through the rough spots that that moment will be gone and nothing but a memory soon enough. That thought also helps me to cherish the good moments, because they, too, will be nothing but a memory but all too soon.
Both bring joy, especially when the child decided to start running with me. That lasted for about 5 minutes when he realized how much faster he was than I. Joy turned to pride after a few burning seconds of WHAT??????
Running and mothering coexist peacefully and each one makes the other more enjoyable. Also, whether it is running or my kiddos… one of them is always waking me up in the morning!
Both motherhood and running are things that I had always wanted to do, didn’t come easily to me, and have been worth the effort.
Both give me a sense of pride – being a mom & being a runner isn’t something everyone can do.
Some days I totally suck at both. But on the days when I don’t (suck, that is), it is totally worth those other days.
Hmm. I’d say that for me running and mothering can hurt like hell but make me smile at the same time. Literally during labor and delivery of both kids there was ridiculous pain and tons of smiles. And now when my seven year old – who is freakishly tall, almost my height and I’m 5’4″ – takes me out while we are playing soccer I have to smile through the pain. Or when my two year old whips one of those wooden blocks at me – got me in the lip the other day – I have to smile at her really (really) strong right arm! And with running, well it is such a joy to be out there that the pain doesn’t matter. My husband commented that during my last 5k I was smiling the entire time!
Both running and mothering help me get perspective on the rest of my life. And they’ve both proved to me that I can do ANYTHING, no matter how hard it is!
Running and motherhood are on the same level of insanity in my world. My non-married friends think I am crazy for having kids so young and my married friends think I’m crazy for running, especially in the wee hours of the morning!
Running and mothering have similar effects on me. Both make me feel whole.
Running and mothering are alike in a sense that regardless of the results/outcomes, you are still extremely proud! Your miles, time, children’s first handmade card, their attempt at breakfast….In the end…you are the winner for having these in your life.
Running and motherhood both require a ” be in the moment” mindset. If you are in the moment, you can enjoy both running and motherhood. The minute you start wishing you were doing something else, it gets a whole lot harder.
Running and mothering are constantly amaze me at what they bring to my life and how they change me. 4 years ago I didn’t have either in my life and now I cannot imagine my life without them
Motherhood and running are similar because both are hard work and take a lot of energy to get it done. They also have great rewards. For running, its the feeling of finishing another race, meeting new friends, and being healthier. For motherhood, it is my childrens love.
Mothering and running both test your endurance! Kids generally with push you to the edge as will a good run or a tough race. You really don’t know what you are made of until you are put to the test.
Both motherhood & running make me realize that I’m capable of so much more than I thought.
(Yeah Asics! I just bought myself two new pairs last night!)
Motherhood and running can leave me both physically and mentally exhausted! And I wouldn’t trade either for the world (motherhood and running, that is)!
both test me and make me feel stronger in the end.
Many similarities I can think of, but the greatest is the toll on your body (good and bad). As the mother of 4 boys, I’m constantly getting accidentally bumped and bruised in our daily rituals. Running too causes those painful and fabulous aches and pains. 🙂
In both cases of mothering and running many times you have to DIG DEEP to carry on…..its not all sunshine and roses but the end results are amazing!
Mothering and running both force me to constantly redefine myself.
Both can change your body in ways you never would have expected, for good (pregnancy glow, great running legs) and for bad (stretch marks, injuries).
Running and motherhood both cause an increase in exhaustion and appetite. And you have to be a little bit insane to do both. 🙂
Motherhood and Running – when you finish that monster run and /or you have made it through that “monster phase” – be it the ‘terrible two’s or puberty, you feel like you have conquered the world or at least that you could conquer the world for that moment!
As much as you sometimes want or need a break: you immediately miss them both when they are away! Great giveaway, thanks! Liz
It’s all about endurance. Whether it’s motherhood or running; every stage or obstacle will have a beginning and an end. This too shall pass.
Running primes you for motherhood (chasing kids-even the crawling ones, going beyond your perceived limitations, pushing through a wall), and motherhood primes you for running (chasing kids-even the crawling ones, going beyond your perceived limitations, pushing through a wall). Catch my drift? You become disciplined in each practice because the other can force you to go beyond what you think you are capable of doing, whether its pushing out one last mile or getting up for the umpteenth time in the night with a newborn or sick kiddo. When you learn how to push past the proverbial wall (running or mothering), that newly found discipline crosses over into other areas of your life.
Both require discipline, consistency, the ability to forgive myself and for Mommy to take care of herself. In my case, both eat in to my sleep time (kids and all their “stuff” at night, running in the morning). And mostly, I cannot imagine my life without either one.
Running and mothering both require you to be there for the long haul. But both are so worth it.
Training=pregnancy, the marathon itself=labor, crossing the finish line=birth, proudly showing off your medal=proudly showing off your newborn. The difference? I slept great the night after running a marathon!
Motherhood and running?
Both test my patience….force me to see beyond the moment I’m in….both bring self-doubt and tremendous satisfaction and pride…both have made me discover parts of myself I would not have otherwise known existed and I’m grateful for that!
Mothering a running are similar because some days are better than others! And they both compliment each other: I am a better mother because I run, and I am a better runner, because I run. 🙂
Both are humbling experiences…just when you think you know what you’re doing, something happens to take you down a notch.
Both running and being a mother have stretched me farther that I thought I could go and both make me want to stretch myself even farther.
Running and mothering… they both keep me grounded. Running helps me work out the kinks in my body and in my head. Mothering my two children helps me keep in the forefront of my mind what life is all about. For me life is not about winning the race, it’s about enjoying the flowers and some of the potholes along the way, and appreciating all of as a gift from above…
With mothering & running I put on those running shoes whether I’m headed out for a long Saturday run or simply to chase half dressed toddlers. When people meet our four active little ones a response we get often is, “Oh my, you must have to put on those running shoes to keep up with them!” And literally…we do! Life goes by SO incredibly fast with kids and mothering is definitley a vocation I signed up for knowing full well that it would be life in the fast lane!
Both take a lot of hard work, a lot of tears and sleepless nights… mothering is every night, running is just the night before a big race.
The good days for both running and motherhood are what keep me going through those really bad days…the hard run that never ends or the tantrums and sassy that just never seem to stop. Once you have an awesome run that leaves you wanting more or a love note from your six year old, it leaves you wanting more even through the tough times!
My running and my children both have the ability to make me well up in tears just by thinking about them a certain way! They are both a part of my journey through life and couldn’t imagine my life without running or my beautiful daughters!
I’m not a mother yet (20 weeks pregnant), so I can’t make a lot of comparisons. But I have realized that running and motherhood are alike because everyone will give you advice on how best to do it, but only you can find the right way for you!
For me, the biggest way in which running and motherhood are similar is that even though I dread, with a violent passion, the getting out of bed EARLY and doing the work required for each, I couldn’t get through my days without the rewards of both.
Motherhood and running are similar in that with neither do you see instant results…both are endurance events.
Motherhood and running are different to me in that motherhood is ALL about taking care of others, and running is all about taking care of myself. 🙂
Both require more patience than anything else you’ll encounter in your life!
How do running and motherhood relate?
JOY: There is nothing in the world like the incredible sense of joy that comes from seeing my little girl’s smile. There is also nothing like the sense of joy that is felt on days when this momma gets in her adrenaline-pumping run.
SATISFACTION AFTER PAIN: The satisfaction and pride that comes from seeing your little one for the first after the pain of a med-free childbirth, is truly amazing. The same holds true to post-partum recovery for a runner. I have never felt so satisfied as a runner, until finally enjoying runs again after pushing through the pain of initial post-partum runs!
MILESTONES: We all have them. As a mother it is exciting to see my daughter reach one of her many milestones. She works through frustration and sometimes yells during the process. Some milestones take a lot more practice and work than others, but with help and encouragement she is able to succeed. In running whether it’s reaching a pace goal, running the next race to set another personal best, or just being able to log those daily miles – there is satisfaction in accomplishing each one.
SACRIFICE: Moms sacrifice a lot for their kids. We trade date nights for outings at the zoos; we put the purchase of cute running outfits on hold in order to buy diapers and onsies; we spend more time researching healthy baby food recipes than we spend on making meals for ourselves. As runners, sometimes laundry, showers, coffee dates with girlfriends (etc.) are given up in order for the all-important, and necessary, run to be had.
APPRECIATING BALANCE: There will never be a more important or fulfilling task than being a mom, but finding and cherishing the time to run helps to make that task even more gratifying.
Running and mothering: one finish line leads to another!
**consistency** is key with both
Running and being a Mom are alike because it is easy to get caught up in either role and not enjoy the scenery along the way. We need to take in the whole picture and enjoy the trip without constantly saying “are we there yet?”.
Being a single mom, I find mothering is a very self-less role. However, I have also learned that taking time for myself (running!) makes me an even better mom.
Mothering and Running are the same because they both make me feel like I accomplished something wonderful.
They both involving working with bodily fluids….
Running and mothering both produce lots of bodily fluids…and usually at inopportune times…but being the great mamma’s that we are we DEAL WITH IT!
Both trains you to have patience and endurance.
Patience to answering the Why question for the 50th time. Patience on recovering from an injury when you head is just screaming for some endorphins.
Endurance to get through the day when you clean up one room, go onto the next, and the toddler follows you in tornado like capacity. Endurance to make it through all those long runs when training for your first marathon …. which is May 15th …. Lambeau field, baby!
The chaos of training for your first race is much like preparing and eventually caring for your first child. The second race, like the second child, is easier, but different (new goals for running, new personality challenges with the little one)…then (I am only a mom of 2 so I am going with this based on comments from other moms of 3 or more I know), once you add another race/kid it just becomes a way of life…
I was thinking the same thing as LeShawn! Body fluids aren’t so gross after you’ve had kids and become a runner. I’m comfortable peeing in a cornfield or behind a tree as are my boys.
Both make me amazed at what my body can do. I actually grew a human being in my tummy and then pushed it out of me??? I actually ran 13.1 miles????
As hard and mentally, physically, and emotionally draining as running & mothering can be ….. the rest days leave your heart yearning for more-like you have NO idea how people live without either!
To me running and motherhood are alike because just as each child is different from the other, each run is different. I find that I can run the same course and come up with a different result. I might have an awesome run or I might struggle. My children are the same as in they are all totally different. My oldest is Mr Sensitive, my 2nd is Mr. Toughguy and my youngest rules the roost 🙂
Both running and motherhood have pushed me beyond my own limits in my mind and have made me realize that I am capable of so much more than I imagined. I never thought I would or could homeschool, and here I am homeschooling my three boys. And I never thought I would be able to run a marathon and I am just weeks away from my first.
For me I think running and parenting can be very similar. I’m currently juggling a 10 month old and training for my first half. There are days where running is easy and carefree as is parenting and then there are other days that both are insanely frustrating. If I’m lucky those days will at least offset one another, easy run day with a frustrating parenting day, that’s how I can keep sane some days : )
Both running and parenting give you sore muscles! Hefting a cranky 2 year old around is no easy feat. And both parenting and running pile on the guilt. Missing a scheduled run and missing my sons school Valentines party because of work induce the same guilty feeling.
My kids and my running are alike in that they are all slow to start. They are slow out of their rooms in the morning as I am slow out of the starting gate, but by the end of the day they are performing their own negative splits; ending the day with more energy and positivity then they started with. Thats running for me; end strong and smiling (no, that’s not a grimace). : D
Running and mothering…the harder you push the better your rewards. If you just coast through running you never improve and if you coast through mothering your children will never improve. As both a mom and a teacher I have seen the direct result of “friend” parenting and it’s not pretty. In both areas you need to set high expectations, work your tail off to achieve your goal, and then set new, more challenging goals.
PERSEVERANCE! You have to have both to be a Mother. 🙂
LOVE my Asics!
Another way running and children are the same for me is that when I have been away from either of them for more then a couple days, I can’t wait to get back to them! (dont get me wrong, I enjoy a get away with my husband now and again, I am always glad to see my kids again)
Some days are hard, some days are easier. Sometimes I feel like I know what I am doing, and other days I have no clue. In the end it all works out.
In both running and mothering, your heart spends time living outside your body. Emotionally in the smiles and tears of your children and physically in the pounding “my heart is going to blow up” feel of interval work!
Despite the guilt of taking time for myself to run, running helps me teach my children (the six are really not all that young anymore, ranging from 26-16). I have taught them about setting goals, reaching goals, persistence and healthy living.
For me Running and Mothering are the pretty similar. They both make me:
1. sweat
2. cry
3. cheer
4. stay in bed
5. want a beer
6. proud
7. deserve a medal
I loved this. you nailed it.
For me, running and being a mom has taught me that I’m stronger than I thought, braver than I had hoped, I need less sleep than I ever imagined, and that a hat hides all sorts of mom/runner bad hair issues. Oh, and when all else fails, go out and run (for both me and the kiddos).
They bring both joy and insanity and quite possibly at the same time! Fun post!
The thing that comes to mind for me is that mothering and running both take endurance! For both, I have to keep putting one foot in front of the other—even when I don’t want to or think I can’t possibly do it.
Both leave you addicted and wanting more! (I have five little ones. ;))
Mothering and Running both make me realize I am tougher than I think.
Running and parenting are both the same because they are the most natural actions of the human body. Humans have been doing both since the beginning of time and we still continue to do these two things today! I am a barefoot runner, love my five fingers. When it comes to motherhood and running, if you ignore all of the the hype and “scientific studies” you can simply trust your instincts and go old school to get the best results. Running and my son are the 2 biggest loves in my life… I guess my husband is in that category too 🙂
Running is totally like motherhood: both have me somedays thinking I can’t do it (running with sore legs or taking care of a sick child), but at the end of the day (concurring the run and soothing the little one to rejuvenating rest), I know I’m in the right vocation and mentally recharged for the next day.
Running and mothering are both about routine. Stick to the routine and all is well – runs are run and potty-training remains on course. Get out of the routine and, well, it usually isn’t pretty – runs are skipped/training plans are forgotten and accidents happen, which results in more laundry and a cranky, wet two year old.
I am always working at becoming a “better” runner. Faster, stronger, more endurance, better form. I am also always striving to become a better mother. Kinder, more patient, more willing to listen. I never stop trying to better myself, as a runner AND a mother!
They both make you feel a bit drippy at times.
Childbirth. Running a half marathon. Two things I thought I could never do. Two things that require the support of my nearest and dearest but ultimately can only be accomplished by myself. Two things that I’m so proud of!
Both running and motherhood bring out emotions and feelings you never thought you had.
Sandi
I’ve been comparing my first half marathon to the two natural births that I’ve had.
Ignore this. My real post is farther down. oops!
Mothering is like running in that as a mother, I do things that never in a million years I thought I would do:
Mother in me: Get on a stage and sing with my daughter (because she wants me to).
Runner in me: Run a marathon, a 10k trail run, a sub 8 min mile.
Mothering is like running in that I say things I never thought I would say:
Mother in me: “Because I said so.” “If [insert friend’s name] jumped off a bridge, would you?”
Runner in me: “I only did 8 miles today.” “The 10k trail run sounds fun, let’s do that!”
They’re also similar in that no matter how much I love them both, I HATE having to wake up early to do both.
Running and being a mom both push me to my limits but are incredibly rewarding. But I tell you, nothing is better than seeing my little girl cheering for me at the finish line and holding crayon drawn pictures of congratulations for me. Totally trumps any swag or medal!
Running and mothering both push me to the max but the rewards are so overwhelming that I can’t help but not love it. Even when it hurts so bad like losing a child, it is still the best thing that ever happened to me.
I won’t be a mother until late summer, so I am really not sure right now. I imagine somedays are easier than others, depending on weather and mood!
okay, oops. Didn’t mean to do that. I’ve had given birth to two boys, both naturally, and I am about 7 weeks into training for my first half-marathon.
I’ve found that my upcoming race is like giving birth in these ways:
I know that my body is capable of reaching the finish line, but it’s gonna hurt.
The more prepared I am, the more confidant I’ll feel on the big day.
I know that it’s going to be one of the hardest days of my life, but equally rewarding.
When I tell people what I’m planning to do, the response I often get is “you’re crazy”…….ya. Crazy like a fox.
Like having a baby, I know that participating in the longest run of my life is going to change me forever.
I’ve equated training for and completing a marathon to pregnancy and childbirth. Days where you think you can’t handle the aches and pains of “training”. And then during childbirth/marathon there are points where you don’t think you can go any further but you know you have no “choice”. At the end of labor you get a baby. At the end of a marathon you get a medal.
Running and kids start the same way-“Who am I kidding thinking I can do this?!(taking care of a baby on no sleep vs. a Long distance run)
and end the same way-“That wasn’t so bad, I didn’t think I would make it out alive but I did!!”
Both running and motherhood have taught me that I am awesome. (That’s my running mantra. 🙂 When I ran my first race, I never thought I could run the entire time. (A whopping 3.1 miles!) Now I know I can do that and so much more. With motherhood, I never thought that I could push that kid out with no pain medicine. But I did it and felt awesome for doing it and I keep having that feeling of wonderment when I see my kids learning and mastering something that I have taught them.
Some day’s they’re both a test of/testament to my endurance. Other days they’re both all about how fast we can make it somewhere (to the bath room if nothing else).
I have grown children, ages 27 and 30. So, I should be a champ at endurance running. Just taking the next step again and again. I look back and see the flat smooth runs and the uphills that you can’t quite see the top yet. But we do make the top and we do enjoy those flats!
they both make you want MORE sleep.
and both make your boobs disapear.
How are running & mothering similar?
“Good days and bad days” — I’ll sometimes have great runs or great-mom-days, then others will be not-so-great, and there’s really no rhyme or reason. Both have “Ups & Downs”! 🙂
Both running and motherhood require years of determination and energy. But when the run is over and your child goes away to college you think, “Wow. That was soooooo worth it. And I wish I could do it all again.”
Perhaps long term goals that I set for an upcoming race is similar to raising my children in that I set long term goals as a parent to parent my kiddos. Otherwise I use my runs to keep me sane, which I guess helps me parent my long term goals without going insane!
Running and motherhood are the same because they are both about trial and error. In motherhood, you need to find a parenting style that fits you and your children (and you might have different styles for different kids). You sometimes things work and sometimes they don’t. But you don’t know until you try. Running is the same way. No two people train exactly the same way. You might thrive on high mileage or fewer more intense efforts. But you never know what is going to work until you test it out. In both cases, you make mistakes along the way, but you end up wiser because of it.
how are running and mothering alike? i find that both non-mothers and non-runners think i’m NUTS when i talk about the joys of either. whether it’s completing a long run before work or spending a weekend fighting with/crying over/comforting one of my kids, non-participants just don’t see the joy.
Running and motherhood have so much in common! Energy, determination, “the fight through it” you sometimes have to do and also, the simple joy of something wonderful! They also both mean so much to different people and everyone attacks them in different ways.
Both can provide you with the most emense sense of pride, joy and hapiness you did not even know was possible!
With a newborn…sometimes you just find your self pacing/doing the mom wiggle…just keep moving.
With running…sometimes the run is rough…just keep moving.
Both are completely addicting! My week doesn’t feel complete without at least 3 runs accomplished and my day doesn’t feel complete without some time with my son!
Both leave me out of breath and needing a good relaxing soak at the end of the day!
Running my first marathon was like giving birth to my first child. It was so painful, yet the pain was somehow forgotten, and then I wanted to do it again. Why would I want to repeat something painful?
running and mothering are huge challenges to me. Of course, the blessings are huge but I have to push beyond myself and have had to since the beginning of both in my life. Almost 10 years for mothering and 1 for running.
Both Motherhood and Running require the ability to laugh if you pee on yourself (pregnant or otherwise) and knowing that there are going to be a lot of bad hair days…sweaty running hat hair, and the I don’t know the last time I washed my hair days.
they’re exhausting. sometimes you think you’ve done everything right and it still doesn’t turn out like you want. other days you’re just going and somehow it works. at the end of the day, you do your best and push through and are rewarded at the end
Both running and mothering require persistence. Mothering that at some point they will learn the lessons I try and teach them and running that if I continue to do it I will continue to improve.
Some days you wake up feeling like you want to spend the day on the couch with the afghan your mother made for you and a good book, but you won’t get much mothering or running done. Other days you wake up feeling like you have enough energy to mother like no other and still do a long run with the kiddies napping in the jogging stroller. Ultimately it doesn’t matter what you wake up feeling like. You mother and you run.
both are something that you will build strength in over time.
also – both require extreme patience :)!
That point of exhaustion when you think you can’t go any further, in motherhood by some miracle you make it another 36 hours and in running you make it that last .2 miles.
Having your first baby is like training for your first race. You might question your abilities and falter a little. Definitely with both you gain confidence and knowledge as time goes on.
Running and being a mother share the prize for simultaneously being the biggest source of pride and failure.
An easy way that running and motherhood are NOT alike: Motherhood/pregnancy had me busting out of my old pants. Busting my butt while running got me back into my old pants!
Both require pantyliners and kegels 🙂
I’m one of those crazies who, just after finishing a marathon or giving birth, says, “Well, when’s the next one?” Running and mothering both make me tired, make me stronger, and make me proud of what this body can do.
Running & motherhood both require an extreme amount of work, each with a payoff SO WORTH THE EFFORT!
Both require effort
Both comes with milestones
Both make me feel very proud
Both can also make me feel like crap! 🙂
The biggest difference for me: one is LOUD and one comes with SILENCE
Running and motherhood: the older my kids get, the longer my runs are. : )
P.S. That Deena is TINY!
This is a great question! Similarities between running and motherhood:
1. I don’t always want to do it, but I’m always happy I did it.
2. It hurts and feels good at the same time.
3. Like labor, as soon as it’s over, you feel like you could do it all over again.
Sarah
Uberlibrariana
For me running is very different from mothering. When mothering you have to be alert and on que at all times – and for me that usually means high strung, schedule, structure – when I run I can let all of that GO! For me it is the most freeing and relaxing thing I can do for myself! It’s the best mood stabilizer out there (not that I have tried any other… ha ha). I DESPERATELY need a new pair of asics! Crossing fingers and toes!
Um, they both can involve unintentional urination and vomiting (TMI?!)
LOL!
Even though you sometimes dread them, they (almost) always make you feel better – that is if you *run* or *mother* long enough. 🙂
For me, running and motherhood are very much the same – really hard work but wonderfully rewarding!
Similar in that there’s always more to be done… the training/effort is never finished. Whether its getting back out there for another run or spending more time with the kiddo (I have a 7-year old).
How running and mothering are similar? I used to think I could only handle two at a time (miles and kids) – but I think I’m getting ready to step out of my comfort zone!
It may not be the most direct answer to the question, but any number of times in a tough hill or track workout I have told myself, “you’ve had two babies, you can get through this!”
With both mothering and running there are many times when I am just too tired and don’t wanna do. one. more. thing. Then I do (go for a run or put on my happy face and help with the math homework). I am always grateful I did. Every. single. time.
Running and mothering are similiar in that they both push you beyond what you thought you could endure and are more rewarding than you could have possibly imagined.
Running and mothering are the same in that:
1–you can’t sweat the small stuff–keep the big picture in mind–it’s all that really counts.
2–some days are slow–same getting teenagers out of bed and on to school on time
3–heart sinking disappointment (think knee injury before a planned race and/or your child not getting the part in the play they SO wanted) and bursting pride come with both (finishing that race and/or watching your child on stage in any part).
4–both can be dirty, messy, and exhausting
5–you wouldn’t dream of giving either up!
You just have to get up everyday and DO IT. Some days are rewarding and energizing, others take everything you’ve got and exhaust you.
Running and mothering…2 things that leave me stumped. Why am I always getting injured and why don’t my kids listen to me?
I think that running and being a mom are similar in that you can’t be lazy to do either of these things well. Both require diligence and consistency.
Running and motherhood both keep you sleep deprived, especially when you are waiting up for teenagers and have an early morning run the next day!
With both running and mothering, sometimes I feel like I just do *not* have the energy. Sometimes just the thought of getting off the couch to go for a run or go play batman or buzz lightyear feels like enough to do me in. But then when I do, I am always so glad I did. I end up feeling happier, energized, and fulfilled.
They are both to blame for my incontinence. And also, they are both completely worth it- even when the last thing I want to do is get out of bed and go for a run or refill a bottle.
I would have to say that motherhood -especially early motherhood and running are similar because there are always questions/concerns about bodily functions…
Having 4 kids and running marathons both elicit the “You’re crazy.” statement from friends and co-workers.
They both also require me to remind myself, multiple times a week, that I don’t have to be the best, I don’t have to be perfect — that “good enough” and trying constantly to be better is the most we can ask of anyone.
I have two boys, so both leave me needing a shower and an ice pack. Neither leave me looking pretty.
With both my children and my running, when I have been away from either for more than a few days (as when the kids are with their dad), the first 10-15 minutes are the most difficult. I wonder if I’ll remember how to do this…and then I find my groove again. And remember how much I love the pure satisfaction I get from both.
Running and Motherhood are similar in so many ways. Mostly importantly because at the end of the day, despite that they are both a lot of work, they make me smile and feel confidant and happy.
running and mothering are the same in a couple of ways.
1. with running it just takes putting one foot in front of the other over and over again to get it done. Same with mothering. You just have to keep going, even repeating the same thing over and over again to get through the day.
2. some days with running you have a plan before you head out the door and some days you just go out and run. Same with mothering. Some days you have a plan for the whole day and other days you just fly by the seat of your pants.
Some days its uphill, some days its downhill and you are flying.
Both running and mothering are humbling. I can’t usually run as fast or as far as I imagine in my dreams of running. I can’t usually be as patient and understanding as I imagine in my dreams of motherhood. Both allow me to look at myself with humility and work on the things I want to improve.
Since I run 90% of the time with 2 tiny short people in the jogger, running is all about HEART for me. My motivation to run intitially came from wanting a healthier heart (heart disease runs in my family) so I’ll be around longer for my kiddos. Once I caught the “running bug”, I fell in LOVE with the adventure, the freedom, the aches and pains, the sweat and the huge sense of accomplishment. I could chase after my 1 and 3 year olds without getting winded, that felt incredible. I LOVE that running has made me a better Mommy for my sweet little ones. My HEART swells with pride each step I take during a race, since I know the ones I love will be there to greet me at the finish. 🙂
Running and mothering? During the really tough times, mile 22 or the seventeenth time your infant wakes up in the middle of the night, it is all about mental perseverance. Don’t give up!
Both are MUCH easier with friends! Sharing mothering and running stories/moments help you see that you are not alone (or crazy!).
Becoming a mother and becoming a runner have both made me feel powerful, amazing, whole and part of the best clubs on earth (including RLAM :)). On the flip side both mothering and running have made me feel fear, self doubt, pain, challenge, and exhaustion. When it comes down to it, though, I honestly couldn’t be the mother I try to be without running and I wouldn’t have the drive to run without being a mother.
They are similar in that I’m glad I did something that I wasn’t really wanting to do (from fishing poo out of the bath to running 5 miles in 15 degree temps.)
Oh yeah, one more…Everyone puts a happy face on parenting and running (it’s so rewarding being a Mommy and that race made me feel fantastic) when in reality it’s HARD AS HELL!!!! 🙂
Running is like mothering in that just when you think you’re getting nowhere (running — with distance, speed, etc; mothering — with STTN, potty training, learning ABCs, etc), you suddenly have a breakthrough that leaves you exhilarated and realizing that your hard work really IS paying off! ❤
Motherhood is like a sprint and a marathon – at the same time.
Being a mother sounds easy enough when it is just an idea. Running a marathon seems easy until you actually start doing it. Running takes a daily schedule and dedication to be successful. Every mother needs a schedule and there is no turning back once that baby pops out. Motherhood is for life. Once you start, the running addiction is for life. Raising kids is expensive. Buying running gear is expensive. As a mother I love my kiddos to death. For all of our sanity I love running to death!
being a mom is like running a race. it’s the end result that matters the most (finishing/raising good kids) though the process to get there may be a bit unorthodox.
Running and children both need new shoes several times a year.
Hilarious and true!!
While there are many days I don’t want to get out of bed to be a mother or a runner, I’m never sorry that I get up and do both.
Another way they are similar is that it doesn’t matter how hard you worked–or ran–yesterday: in order to maintain a smoothly-running household and well-rested, healthy kids–or to maintain your fitness level, you have to put in another day’s work–or another workout.
(And on how they’re different: at least when I run, I get rest days!)
My kids are older (17yr and 21yrs) and they got their running bug from me! Part of being a mother is being a good role model in all parts of life. My kids have a healthy habit which I hope will last them all their lives.
Both involve blood, sweat, and tears. Tears of aches and pains, tears of joy.
At the end of the day both kids and running leave me thinking about what I could have done better that day and what I’m going to do differently the next day to be the best I can be!
I run FOR my kids. Not only do those runs in the dark hours of the early morning keep me sane, they also show my kids that staying healthy is a part of life, just like showering or going to school. I don’t want them to fall into the pathetic statistics of obese children, they WILL be healthy, energetic boys…like it or not:) When I lose motivation I just think of seeing them cheering me on at the marathon finish and it keep me moving. Two great joys in life, motherhood and running.
Both have a tendency to make me wake up far earlier than I otherwise would.
Kids are like running – messy, dirty, exhausting and worth every moment.
Guilt: at times our body and mind need a break from both running and mothering, and yet the overwhelming guilt associated with even considering such thoughts often keeps us going far longer and harder than we should. And when that happens, everyone suffers.
I’ve found that running is similar to parenting in that it’s a labor of love. I never thought I would be either a runner or a mother, but they are both the hardest and most worth while things in my life!
Running is for me and me alone. Mothering is for me and for my kids.
I find I run best at night–about 7:30pm when the homework is done, the dinner dishes are piled in the kitchen, I’m home from work and I NEED to FLEE!
I figure it’s not a bad thing to want to run away as long as you come back.
Some days I think, “If only mothering was 26.2 miles, and there was a large crowd cheering me on for my mothering skills, with an ice bath and long nap afterwards.” Wouldn’t that be something?
Running and motherhood bring me the greatest feeling of accomplishment, joy and amazement. My daughters are both grown and out of the house. One is the most amazing wife and mother. The other has found a way to combine her passion for life with her career. Both have turned out to be independent,well grounded young women with such giving spirits. I’m so proud and grateful that they have turned out so well even with the mistakes we all make as mothers. My running life is much the same. Every milestone I reach is an obstacle I never thought I could get over. As I look back I am amazed at how far I’ve come in spite of the number of times I quit or doubted it. Both are also a life long journey that I look forward traveling.
They can both be sheer bliss at the right moments – usually when you least expect it! I’ve found I’ve had to let up on controlling & planning all the time with both & just roll with it. So far both have turned out very well (knock on wood!).
Both running and mothering require schedules. If I don’t plan my run in advance it won’t get done. If I don’t preplan for my training and races they won’t happen. My kids’ school and activity schedules also require careful planning to keep us all from overscheduling and going insane! It all requires a finely tuned and synched electronic calendar.
Well, when I started running, before my knee surgery, I experienced a sense of high….like I was flying, on cloud nine and just in total bliss! With mothering, I am happy to say I felt those same emotions, when my daughters say something out of the blue that is marvelous, or they do something extraordinary that just simply makes my day. Running and Mothering are both activities that in the long run produce wonderful results, when tended to in a consistent and optimistic manner!
I never thought about it until now!
Running and Motherhood: You can always be better at each of them, and sometimes you’re better than you think at them!
Both involve pain AND huge rewards!
Both can certainly test your limits!
You make milestones for yourself to hit — a longer distance to run, potty training your kid — and when you hit them you get to wallow in the pride for just a short time before looking for the next milestone.
The fact that a blip on the baby monitor and hum of a quiet car right beside you can jump start your heart back into reality from your happy place!
Both have the potential to make me feel like a million dollars- there is nothing better than being greeted by happy kids coming in from a good run.
Running & motherhood: They are both a little easier to deal with when you have your iPod on. (Totally kidding, but it’s the first thing that popped into my head!)
My hips bothered me during pregnancy and now my hips bother me when I run!
Both motherhood & running bring new challenges every day. Getting through the challenges & having that sense of accomplishment is an awesome feeling.
Running and motherhood ARE very similar in ways. To do either well, you must first and foremost take care of yourself. And you are always able to do more of either than you ever thought possible!!
Running and mothering….both sometimes feel like they will last FOREVER, and both sometimes seem to be over in a flash.
I think running & motherhood are alike because they cause/allow you to do things you never thought you would or could. Hold out your hands to catch a child’s puke, run for two hours, hold a screaming baby while they get their shots, sign up for a marathon, hold a kid accountable for their actions, rest when you’re injured, read a bedtime story AGAIN when all you want to do is have a hot bath & a glass of wine…. If you told me that I would do any of these things before I had kids, I would have scoffed, but motherhood & running have made me strong enough for the tough stuff. And I’m eternally grateful for both.
Running and being a mother – they both take a lot of work but are worth it.
Running and mothering are performed better if you’ve had a good night’s sleep.
Preparing for motherhood is like preparing for a race. You lay out all you think you need for the big day. You read, read, and read some more so you “know it all”. You have scary dreams about what could go wrong and hopefully doesn’t. You have a plan in your head and hopefully it comes true. Most of all, the effort involved in both are super rewarding!!
Training for a half marathon is only slightly less difficult than preparing for delivery 🙂
They are both hard, but worth the effort (not very original I know!).
Mothering and running both make you a stronger person. On the morning of my first marathon, I felt a lot like I did when I was going into labor for the first time — I knew it was going to be a huge physical challenge, but my life would be so much richer for the experience.
Both require me to be fueled and caffeinated (which is probably related to the fact that I’ve given up a LOT of sleep for both activities!). Both have also helped me stretch, grow, and shine more than I ever thought possible.
“I didn’t say it would be easy, I said it would be worth it”
~Unknown
For me running and mothering are opposites: running is all about me, mothering is all about my family. And I need both!
My offspring and miles are the same right now in one simple way: nonexistant. Running and I are having a rocky relationship right now, and I don’t have any kids, yet. I hope to remedy both soon.
I think that with running and with being a mom, some days are easy breezy and some days are anything but. On the Easy Breezy days everything seems easy, natural, and fun and you feel like you were meant to do this. Then there are days when every step, or every moment is an effort. It’s a struggle to keep going and you question why in the world you are doing what you are doing. Hopefully the easy breezy days come along more often than the other days.
running helps me be the best mom i can be. having the “break” to go out and workout, even if it’s 430am
For me, the similarity between running and mothering is that I’m never sure if I’m doing either “right.” Stride too long? Right preschool? Should I do more strength training? Should I be concerned with the 6th grader’s choice of friends? Both seem to be easier when I stop overthinking!
Both cause me to wake up much earlier than I would like and deal with more puke than I would like, however they are both a huge reflection of what it is to be me.
My girls are still very young (2.5 and 8), but so far, motherhood to me feels a lot like a long run: with both of my girls, the first few months (miles) were the hardest, once I get past that, it’s a really nice, long cruise. Sure, some miles seem longer, harder, more beautiful or more effortless than others, but once I’m warmed up, it’s mostly smooth sailing.
Love that woman!
In my opinion mothering and running go hand in hand! But for me they are the same in the sense that both are incredibly challenging at times. They are hard! I mother my children with a passion, it’s what I do. It’s who I am. Like mothering I run with a passion, I do it and it’s a part of me, something I do out of joy.
Mothering and running are alike in there are days where I just don’t want to put my miles in or frustrated up to my ears with the kids, but at the end of the day after the miles are done and the kids are in bed I look back and think I wouldn’t change a thing. I love them both
For me, the great way they are similar is that I feel awesome when they are going well. The feedback I get on a good day carries me through the bad days. The unfortunate way they they are similar is that they are both stinking hard and take effort. No coasting for this running mama…well, not often enough. Congrats to Deena and her family…such an awesome time in life those first few months (again, hard, but worth the work…much like a well run race).
Running and motherhood are alike for me in that both are SO hard for me, but SO worth it in the end! 🙂
the kids drive me to run and the running drives me to the kids. each are a great relief for the other. they are complimentary.
ALL FOR!
Running and motherhood are alike in that the most unpleasant moments you live through make the very best stories later. Like the time I had to do number two in a ditch during a 14-miler. Or the time my mom and I, feeding the twins at 3:30 a.m. and giddy from the cumulative lack of sleep, exhorted my hungry tiny son to “Sleep! Please!” and then burst into peals of manic laughter in what was supposed to be the quiet nursery.
BTW, I don’t think wearing Deena’s clothes will be enough to make me look like her, but I’d love to try it! :^)
They both result in the feeling of accomplishment at the end…of a good run, of a good day. A good run and a good day with your kids is something to be proud of!
Even when a run is really hard you forgot how hard it was when you are ready for your next one. Sounds like labor and delivery to me – but so worth it!
Running=labor.
I found my first marathon to be very similar to childbirth. The first 18 miles weren’t as difficult as I thought, but when the real pain started, there was no turning back.
Miles 24 through 26 were just like the transition phase. You feel numb, in pain, but determined to make it to the end for the many rewards that follow. I was thinking about childbirth for the last six miles of the race, because it was the only thing I could think of that compared to what I was feeling. Indeed, I burst into tears when I crossed the finish line, just as I had when each of my three son’s was born.
Both mean that I wear the same outfit day in and day out. Everyone notices, but are polite enough not to comment… often. 🙂
Running and being a mom….Being a mom makes me nuts some days. Running helps me regain my sanity. I am forever wishing to run away from home (and do many days) but I always manage to find my way back home. …..just like a boomerang. Running and motherhood require sacrifice and dedication but provide limitless joy and great rewards!
With both running and mothering, I’ve found they both require endurance to get through the long days and rest to get ready for the next!
They are both – by far – the most challenging and rewarding things I have experienced! I just have one, but a toddler is smarter and quicker than I ever thought which certainly presents some challenges… but at the end of the day, when he’s tired and just wants to snuggle… or when he makes himself laugh and then makes me laugh out loud because his laugh is so cute… or when he blows me a kiss for no reason… it’s the most rewarding!! I just started running a year ago and remember the first morning I “ran” less than a mile. I haven’t had an “easy” run yet but whether 3 miles or 10, the rewarding feeling of knowing I started my day off with a run hasn’t gotten old!
They’re both exasperating and exhausting, but so rewarding!
Running and mothering makes me feel so exhausted and so exhilerated all at once.
Both running and mothering are the hardest and best things I’ve ever done in my life!
Both mothering and running bring joy and pride. They both can bring you to your knees. At the end of the day, I wouldn’t change either experience.
they take planning and often course changing! i have had to switch to “barefoot” running in order to run at all. it took a long time to get used to the new style, but at least i can still run!
Running and mothering are very much the same. I put so much effort into both and reap the rewards. I usually feel guilty about both at times but always feel better about doing them both! I would never give up either and feel that they both keep me going! I love being a Mother and am a better one becuase I am a RUNNER!
You’re probably a better runner because you’re a mother too. I think some of the lessons I’ve learned from being a mother help me to perservere and not give up.
As the years go by, each gets more important to me. I was married almost 10 years before my first child was born, and now I can’t imagine not being a mom. In much the same way, I hated running when I was younger, and was in my 40’s when I ran my first 5K, but now I can’t imagine my life without it.
The only times that I have “happy cried” were at the birth at my two children and finishing my first marathon. I knew the months of preparation was worth it.
Both are just like a marathon, it isn’t about the sprint to the finish, but the long run to the end.
In both running and parenting, there are days where I feel like a rockstar, and others when I’m not even sure why I try…
I am a new visitor and funny enough have been reflecting on this very question the last couple of weeks as I begin training for my next marathon. For me it was the similarities between marathoning and labour, but here are my $0.02:
– You spend months and months preparing for the big event.
– Some employ coaches to help them get through it.
– You have to stay hydrated during and are ravenously hungry afterward.
– Once you start, you can’t really stop until you’re finished.
– You know it’s probably going to hurt, but only once you are actually doing it do you remember just how painful it really can be.
– It sometimes takes drugs to help you finish. And you may be left with an injury or two.
– Once you cross the finish line you (almost) forget everything that has happened in the hours before.
– You’re part of a club that no one can take away from you – mommy or marathoner.
My personal goal is to run a marathon after having each one of my children, but before I get pregnant with the next. I did this with my first daughter, and now, after having my second daughter 10 months ago, have set my sights on my next race at the end of May. 🙂
Running and mothering are the same in that some days your feel like you are the best, on top of the world, a superhero(mom) and other days, mostly due to lack of sleep, they both feel like a job from which you can’t wait to resign…or you are hoping for a lay off!
For me running and being a mom are alike because I never want it to end. I want to be able to wake up everyday and know that I get to go for a run and be a mom all day long.
Healing powers! I know when I’m feeling down or frustrated or upset that a good run will help to clear mind and lift my spirits. Likewise, a well timed hug or “I love you” from one of my children will brighten any dark day.
Practice, both mothering and running needs it. The more you practice, the better you become, at both!
Mothering and running are both hard, wonderful and you have not to forget to breathe.
I started running because I have kids. As my friend and I were trying to find an activity to do that we could socialize and the kids could stroll. Walking seemed perfect, then we got bored with walking and started running instead. Have been running ever since!
running and mothering are similar because BOTH will be part of me forever.
i love them both, but they can both frustrate me like no other….. (currently suffering from an injury & mothering a toddler, can you tell?)
Both running and mothering leave me high: oxytocin and endorphins.
My running and my kids both feel like work at times and make me tired but give me moments of great joy and a sense of accomplishment.
Both motherhood and running require patience: patience with yourself – that you are just as good as you are at any given moment in time!
I always love my children, but at certain points of certain days, I may not always “like” them. Same with running. I love running, but there have definitely been portions or even whole runs that I didn’t like.
It’s all about patience for me. Having patience when with my children (and having much more after I run). Having patience when trying to reach a running goal. Or, currently, having patience while recovering from a nagging achilles tendonitis that won’t go away. The best part is the feeling I have when I return home from a run, and how I’m so much happier and patient as a mother.
Whether its an early morning run or my little nugget whose an early riser…I always feel much better after facing both head on.
I think both running and mothering are hard. You need to be motivated and have energy to do both and there are some good days and some bad days. But, if you work hard at it, they both pay off in the end!
Running and mothering both take patience, diligence, planning, and the ability to (try) not be so hard on yourself.
Both make me proud and have taught me so much about myself.
Running and mothering-this week they both equal staying in. A sick child and an injury-both require loving care. Otherwise a roller coaster of patience, determination, exhaustion, exhilaration, tears both of sadness and joy! I wouldn’t trade either of them.
I agree with many others: running and mothering requires endurance and strength. They both also have ups and downs. While in the downs, if you focus too much on the negative pain/conflict/drama, you lose sight of the reward at the end. Yet while in the ups, it’s so important to remember and treasure those short moments of glee/excitement/confidence so that you keep going further!
Let’s see, running and being a mother are alike because both can make you feel incredible accomplished and incompetent at the same time..LOL
As a mom, you can think you are doing alright, and then get smacked in the face with your failures…the same thing goes for running, you can be pushing it at a great pace in a 10K, only to have an 8 year old fly by you half way through..and you never catch him again!
It becomes a talking point, a conversation starter… If you’re a parent at your child’s school, conversation begins. If someone asks me about parenthood, I let them know how much I love being a mom! If someone asks me about running, as in the fact that they’re thinking about starting, I blather on for quite some time. 🙂 Both fill me with pride, as you mentioned, also, and mental toughness. 🙂
Both can feel like an uphill battle at times where you just have to soldier on and keep going forward. And then at times you feel like you have hit your stride and everything just feels right and perfect.
For me, running and mothering are two things that make me a better person. I never knew the amount of stress my body could handle until I gave birth sans drugs and I never realized that I could actually push my body to do things like run 6.4 miles. Both bring me enjoyment and at times are extremely difficult.
Running and motherhood are things that define me. I am a runner. I am a mother. They both are a source of great pride for me and they are constantly teaching me things about the person I am.
I have to be intentional with both. My kids are 18 (and about to join the marines) and 16 (a girl full of hormones, need I say more?). I have to MAKE time to spend with my kids-working about their busy lives (and mine) just like I have to MAKE time to run. I have to think about what is best for my kids not just what might feel good (sometimes I have to allow them to reap the consequences of their own behaviors) just like I have to think about what is going to be best for my body–I might not feel like getting up at 4:15am to get my workout in, but it has to be done then…I might not feel like running up that freaking hill, but I know it will make me stronger in the long run. More often than not, I have to keep my eyes on the long term as opposed to the current moment…but I can’t lose sight that this moment might be all I have. Finally…I love my kids and I love running. I can’t imagine a life without either. 😀
Sometimes with both motherhood and running, I find myself asking “Why did I do this?” or “what sane person would do this on purupose?!”, but also with both of them, I never fail to reach a point where I wouldn’t have it any other way.
For me, a new mother, being a runner and being mother are similar in that I am always striving to do my best at both. I constantly read articles and blogs about how to get better (ie: run faster, run farther) at running; how to do the best for my child as a mother; and definitely how on earth to balance these two, time consuming things!!
I have to force myself to do both sometimes, but ultimately they are both worth it. Though running never smears butt paste all over itself, the bedroom, the dresser, the rug and the bed!
Just when I think I’ve got it conquered, a new twist enters the picture. (a round of shin splints, a possible case of dyslexia, a cold/rainy/too early morning, youngest child decides not to brush hair, etc. etc.)
Consistency…they both require it and thrive off of it. and I totally agree with the exhausting part…but one begets the other, even if I am totally wiped out with mothering…I can always find a tiny sliver of energy to get out there and run! And a after a good hard run, a little ones hug is the best energizer!
They both require minimal equipment but mostly your will to do them.
Both are intimidating, slightly insane and immeasurably more possible when I focus on moving rather than thinking.
Being a mother is like running because even when I feel I’ve met the point of complete exhaustion, I surprise myself and continue on.
Seems at times that running and parenting are much alike. For instance, at the very beginning of a long run or the beginning of a long evening at home with the whole herd…that there is no way I am going to get through it and frankly I just feel like quitting. But I don’t, I keep going, I put one foot in front of the other, cook the dinner, find the missing action figure, break up the fights, run the baths, find matching pajamas, read the stories and get them all to sleep and exactly like finishing that long run I was dreading I feel a wonderful sense of accomplishment and joy at the end!
Running and Mothering: Both require blood sweat and tears, but when you look back at pictures of “the big day” only the sweet memories and pride remain.
Mothering and running are different for me. I get to be alone when I run; running is a selfish activity for me. Mothering is totally selfless (yet VERY gratifying!).
In mothering and running, I have to take care of myself first (getting rest, taking care of injuries, using “nap/rest” time for my kids to give myself a break) or I am no good to anyone.
Pregnancy and childbirth run a parallel road to training for and running a race. You prepare for months with equal parts giddy anticipation and fear and then the day of you are excited, scared, in pain, queasy, have moments of complete self-doubt and then BAM you’re done, over the moon happy and holding a prize! You ache and recover while the memory of the pain already starts to fade and you plan your next child/race. We moms can do ANYTHING!
running and mothering can give you the best high
but both can also give you the most pain.
I never stop being a mother, even for a second. And even on the days I don’t run, I am still a runner. I love feeling a little sore- it helps me remember that even though I can’t fit in a run today, I am still a runner. And my kids make sure I never forget I am a mother.
Being a mother and running are similar in that both often require you to get up at ungodly hours of the morning.
everyday is a chance to do better than you did the day before
Running and mothering are very different – running I can do in blissful loneliness!
I often have to count to 10 to get through it (running *and* mothering). 😉
Honestly, they can both be painful for me! Some days, the running comes naturally, and it feels great, and I think “why doesn’t it always feel like this?!” Mothering is the same for me. Some days I think the same thing! And then there are the days where every single step I take my brain is saying “STOP IT!!! WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?!?!” As are some of my mothering days. Maybe it’s this way because I stay at home with my girls???
Either way, both running and mothering can be beautiful, and painful. Sometimes at the same time.
They both make me cry, keep me up at night, and bring me endless buckets of joy.
Running and mothering allow you to lose yourself in different ways. (I am going on four hours of sleep today. That is the best I can do right now!)
When you’re sick or injured, the pressure’s on to persevere through and not slow down.
Running and mothering both give me a euphoric feeling of awesomeness!
Full of ups and downs (unless you run on a track) and leaves you exhausted but with a great feeling of accomplishment!
Mothering and running similarities start when it ALL begins. You start training/parenting and have NO clue if you are doing things right… you hit your first small bump or runny nose, and you are calling everyone with past experience for advice… Once you get a hang of YOUR style; you go full force into it, even though there are those days that you don’t want to go out and run/mother… Once you do, you are so happy you did! I love them both and they complement each other by helping me be the best at both – what a great learning experience and teaching tool, rolled up into one 🙂
For me running and mothering are the same because they are both exhausting, but more rewarding than anything else. 🙂
Each day you watch your children grow……each mile you do you know you’ve grown stronger.
For so many reasons, they are different. I could make a list a mile long on the differences, and how they have affected me. I thing the real similarity for me, is that they make me feel empowered. Running and being a mother can push you to limits that you never really imagined before…and they teach you to adapt. There is also definitely a parallel between how one makes me better at the other!
That and, I never knew how often I’d have to replace shoes until I had kids…and started running long distances!!
I am a VERY NEW runner and the one thing that plays over and over in my mind is… “one foot in front of the other. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other.”
As a single parent of two teenage boys (one of whom was diagnosed with a significant mental illness at a young age), I find myself saying those very words when the parenting journey seems all consuming and never-ending!
Motherhood and running are similar in that in the day to day training you don’t always feel like you are making progress, but eventually you can look back and compare to where you are and you can see the improvements and the growth. So even though you wonder if it is making a difference with the time and effort you are putting in, you know it does.
Running is like mothering in the sense that when you are out there on the road there is no turning back because it is a rough day. You push through the voice in your head that tells you “I can’t” and listen to the wind as it tells you to “just keep going”. Running is full of rewards and full of set backs, but in the end you embrace it because you love it. The same goes for being a mother. The road hugs you just as your children do, even on the tough days.
Running helps me appreciate the beauty outdoors, the strength of my body, and the peacefulness once I’ve finished. Motherhood (love) is deep in my heart just as running is.
For me, they are the same because I keep on wanting more. When I finished my first 10k, I went home and signed up for another one. After I had my daughter, within 6 months, I was ready to try for #2.
Chasing 2 toddlers definitely helps keep me in shape, just like running.
Both are exhausting and exhilarating, but mothering renews your heart the way running does your mind. And when mothering makes you lose your mind going for a run can help you get it back again.
Mothering, like running, is absolutely unpredictable and never boring!
Motherhood and running can go from wonderful to draining back to wonderful in under five minutes. A little mistep on a run or a bump in the training road can leave you feeling less than confident, just like a comment from a child or a teacher about the child, or worse-another parent- can leave you feeling like the farthest thing from mother of the year.
🙂
No one could have told me how hard either one was to start from scratch (and even if they had and did, I went ahead and did both anyhow!) or how great it would feel to accomplish milestones in each.
Mothering IS a marathon. You go into it altertantly thinking you’re ready for this and panicing that you need more time. Just when you think you’ve hit you’re stride, there’s an unexpected hill. At the end you are both filled with pride, and completly exhausted.
Both leave me with this burning question: How can I do better? How can I improve?
and
I must constantly remind myself for both to relax and enjoy every minute of it, because it will all be over much too quickly!
They both can involve extreme pain and joy beyond description.
For me, running and being a mother help me to be a better “me”. I’m constantly struggling with all I have to do in a day (like all moms!) – on top of being PTA President, part-time employee, part-time caregiver to grandma, wife and mother to two beautiful girls, I really love to be able to call myself a runner! I realize that even on days when I may have failed miserably at some of the above (yelling at the kids for no reason, forgetting deadlines, walking up that stupid hill I promised myself I would run!), the title Mom and Runner are the two titles I’m most proud of. They are both the two constants in my life that have truly defined me and that I truly cherish.
In both running and mothering I’ve found “Trial and Error” apply.
When you put 110% into each, they are exhausting, exhilarating and rewarding!
There’s nothing like seeing your child for the first time at birth after hours and hours labor pains and seeing the marathon Finish sign after 26.2 long grueling miles. I cried at both milestones.
I could write a whole essay about how running and mothering are similar! When I trained for my first marathon last year, people would say, “Wow… a marathon! Isn’t that 26 miles? That’s quite an effort – good for you!” And even without having run that distance before, I would grin and say, “Actually being a mom is the real marathon. That effort never ends.” Running the marathon has only reinforced that viewpoint — being out there on your own for 4+ hours is easy by comparison! Yes, there are many parallels between mothering and long-distance running. Both require endurance, commitment, mental toughness, physical stamina, the ability to keep going even when you don’t feel so great, hidden surprises, amazing highs and incredible lows. Both are a labor of love. With both, you give it your all. You have to be able to keep going despite whatever is thrown your way. You don’t quit. You do it because, at the end of the day, you love it. You can’t imagine your life without it. They are perfect complements, in my mind. 🙂
Some days you come up short, some days you are at your best, but at the end of everyday your proud to be both.
Running, like mothering, challenges you in incredible ways you never dreamed imaginable. When you give it all you’ve got sometimes you may fall short but sometimes you may surprise yourself with a fresh understanding of your unique gifts and abilities.
Running and mothering are alike in that they both keep you on your feet. They are both hard, painful, rewarding, and irreplaceable. There are no medals for being a mother-but we do it anyhow!
Both require endurance. Also, you have to realize that every day isn’t going to be great. Some days with the kids you feel like the best mother in the world, some days you just want to make it to bed time; some times you feel like you could run forever, some days you just want to make it one more mile.
Both running and mothering make me feel like i am a part of a hidden tribe…. Even though I am often alone in the process.
How is running like mothering/parenting? Well, neither one was “easy” from the start but both are immensely rewarding now. Both require investments of time and effort in order to reap the rewards.
Both can be so frustrating and so rewarding — at the same time!
For me Motherhood & Running are similar at times because for me being a SAHM is a challenge at time to keep my kids interested or have the keep their focus at the task at hand and the same happens w/me as a new runner sometimes I am doing about to do a run I find myself going over to do something else but no matter what just as I tell my kids give it a chance wait and see you’ll be able to finish that new puzzle or enjoy that new movie or that project so for each run I think the same as my kids were thinking and in the end you know what I am that much better because I got through it and accomplished something I thought I couldn’t. Now I have my kids cheering me on w/each run as I do for them when they are doing a project! It feels amazing to bring these 2 worlds together
Mothering and running are both the most difficult thing in the world, yet the most rewarding.
They both require the ultimate sacrifice yet produce the ultimate reward!
For me they are alike in that they don’t come easy…I had a difficult time getting pregnant and I had to work through a lot of emotions to get me through the infertility process…running, doesn’t come easy to me either. I was always the kid who would try to run but then give up b/c it was too hard and painful for me to push through. I learned to push through both the pain of infertility and got my daughter as a result and I learned to push through the pain of running (physical AND mental)…and I got a sub-4:30 marathon finish out of it!
Running and mothering are alike for me in that they are both things I really love, I do them both for personal joy, they are mostly enjoyable but sometimes frustrating and both make me wash ALOT of clothes.
Motherhood and running are both painful, but in a good way 😉
How is running like motherhood? Both can make you feel totally inadequate, awkward and slow. And both give you a sense of accomplishment that nothing else can provide.
Running and mothering are the same because it takes everything in you, hurts and can take a long time (it’s not a sprint), but in the end leaves you with the most satisfaction that you will ever feel.
they both make you smell bad. 🙂
Running and mothering are different : when I run I can be ALONE with my thoughts! I love them both, don’t get me wrong, but alone time is soooooo precious! 🙂
With running and mothering you are always wondering “if I tried a little bit harder could I do a little bit better”
They both give me a guilt trip if I ignore them!
How is mothering like running? Both are tough and sometimes unforgiving! But both give awesome rewards that you never thought you would see: a mouthed “thank you mom” from the NFL sidelines or some chiseled quads you cant help but show off!
they both wear you out but keep you going at the same time
I don’t differentiate much between running and parenting–in one I’m running for myself, the other I’m running after others. Either way my feet see a lot of miles every day!
It’s quite simple, really. Both running and mothering change your soul. Once you experience them, you’ll never be the same again.
Both are:
1: Challenging
2: Rewarding
3: Fulfilling
4: Sometimes impossible
5: Some days you don’t want to do either
6: Makes you a SUPER MOM
Yay! What a cool giveaway! I would say mothering and running are alike in the feeling of pride when something goes well, but also the ability to overome the hard times!
Both can leave you physically exhausted, but emotionally recharged!
They both make you reach milestones and goals that you never thought possible. The first 5K is like getting your child to sleep through the night, the first 10K like getting them through the first day of kindergarten, the first marathon is like getting them safetly and happily through high school. Each little step gets us one step closer to the ultimate goal.
Running and mothering are the same in that if you dont run or if you dont have kids you will never understand how special they are. People who dont do either would assume that both are punishment. We know that isnt the case
Both running and mothering have made me stronger and happier and have filled my life with more awesome moments than I ever would have dreamed.
Running and motherhood are both about mind strength and endurance (it’s all in your head) The more you practice, stretch and strength train the better the performance!
They both make me tired and give me energy.
Running and motherhood both make you a little bit crazy – and they both keep you grounded at the same time.
Both transfor your body, your soul, your mental state, your stamina, and the way you describe yourself. You become a mom, and you become a runner. You wake up one more time for a 2 am feeding, when you think you can’t do any more, the same you push to run that last mile, when you think your legs cannot give another step. Both instances make you stronger emotionally. They both show you you are the only only that can set limits for yourself. You are able to to one more push to have your baby in your arms. You are able to run those last 100 yards to finish and cross that finish line (even if that is the door of your house). You do it for love, to your kids, and to yourself… And it transforms your soul because once you become a mother, you can and never will stop being one. Once you are a runner and feel that thrill when you are doing your shoe laces to go out for a run, feel the wind in your face and experience the satisfaction of completing a goal you set for yourself, running your own race, you can never look back. Once a mom, always a mom. Once a runner, always a runner.
Plus, in both cases, you are allowed to eat what you want 🙂
One foot in front of the other – when all else fails when running and in motherhood, keep it simple. Put one foot in front of the other and just keep moving. As quickly as it becomes hard, stressful, and exhausting, it becomes easy, rewarding, and fulfilling.
At first thought, I deemed them very different from each other – along the lines of what others have said about running being something for me, for my health and well-being, and mothering being about taking care of those I love so much. But then I thought more about how mothering and running, because I have such passion for both, require so much of me — in a good way! I want to be the very best mom I can be (I fall short, a lot, and that’s OK, I just keep moving forward) and I want to be the very best runner I can be (I fall short…that’s OK, I just keep moving forward). In other words, it takes *all* I’ve got — I need to be game on — if I want to be the very best version of myself, as a mother and a runner. And I love that. As challenging as it can be to be my best self, there’s no other way I’d want to live.
I think running & being a mother are the same in that it takes a lot of work & effort to be good at both of them. To be good at both you have to always give it your best – but when you fail your kids will always still be there for you & so will your running shoes!
For me, mothering and running are alike in that they are both things that I don’t ever want to not be able to do. (That sentence sounds awkward, but hopefully you get the point!) I love being my boys Momma, and I love being a runner! I hope I can be both for a LONG, LONG, LONG time! 🙂
For me, running and mothering have one enormous, yet simple thing in common: they both have changed the heart and soul of who I am. I can’t ever go back to the person I was before I was a mother. I can’t ever go back to the person I was before I became a runner. And in both cases, I don’t want to. 🙂
Since I started running just three months after I became a mother, they are very similar in my eyes, yet they both take up different amounts of time. Both are things that I crave. Both are things that have changed my body and my spirit. Both are things that have taught me about myself, test my limits and bring me the utmost joy. I honestly can’t imagine how I lived so long without both of these things in my life, but now that I have them both, I plan to enjoy them both until my last moments.
*being a mother and running like one fill me with such frustration sometimes that I have to stop for a bit, breathe, and take a small (walk) break. Other mothers and other runners innately know that frustration, and understand and sympathize.
*being a mother and running like one fill me with such joy that is often unexplainable to non-mothers or non-runners. Other mothers and other runners innately know that joy, and understand. And sympathize.
🙂
Running and raising kids: They are often the hardest things you will ever do but you love them both so much, you don’t know what you’d do without them!
I think both mothering and running share the immense effort that has to be put forth on a daily basis, but with both, it is always worth it at the end of the day. Sure things could be easier if I skip my run, or if I only had myself to take care of, but then I’d be missing out on so much that I wouldn’t trade for the world 🙂
Good question. Just today, I had a thought that I could only share with other running mamas. As I rinsed out my fuel belt bottles and washed the spouts I was reminded of how carefully I did the same with my pumping bottles. The care and ritual seemed similar for whatever reason at that time. I could go on and on and on, but I’ll leave it with that. Peace.
To be good at either (running or motherhood) you have to keep on keeping on even when the going gets tough, the hill gets steep, you want to give up, and it starts to pour. In both you have to keep striving for better even if you don’t/can’t think you can dig one more ounce out of yourself. You also get to celebrate victories big and small, gain maturity and wisdom from both and well at the end of a long day, they both make your feet hurt.
Running and mothering go hand in hand for me since both require me to get up at some un-God like hour in the morning, both are relatively thankless until you’ve been doing them for some time and after 18 years – the commitment doesn’t end.
~ Ann ~
Both require mental toughness, a sense of humor, and dedication…
Oh and yeah, lots of drinks. The mothering drink of choice while my twins were transitioning to beds was Stella. The running drink of choice is G2 and chocolate milk.
Some days as both a runner and mom are fartleks, some hill repeats and all days are speed work!
Both require extensive cross training….
Both mutter “Do I have to? ” at 5AM when the alarm rings. Both are always happy they did when the day is done.
Running and motherhood have taught me patience. Both give me so much joy in life and frustrations at the same time. Running and motherhood define who I am, and I cannot imagine life without having both.
They are alike in that while you are in the midst of the hardest part of both of them – the hardest run, when you didn’t get enough sleep, or the toughest day, when the kids won’t listen and you just need some quiet time – all you can think about is “Please, please let this part be over. Get it done.” And then, when it is, as you sit on the floor reflecting about that trying time, you feel good, strong, and capable of most anything. And you realize just how much in love with them you are.
Running and motherhood are two things I could absolutely not live without. They are two things I miss when I’m not around them. They are two things that both exhaust and energize me. They are two things without which I would not be the same person. They are two things that those who don’t have in their lives don’t understand. They are two sometimes frustrating and expensive challenges that leave me scratching my head wondering, “Why the heck do I do this again??”. But most of all, they are two things that define me… I am a mother and I am a runner. And for those two things I am immensely grateful.
Both mothering and running have become something I cannot imagine my life without. What more can I say… Life IS Good!
I feel like being a mother and running go hand in hand. Both are difficult yet enjoyable and rewarding. They both transfer over to each other. Being a runner helps keep me sane to be a better mother, showing my son a lesson on how to set goals and attain them and if you fall down you get right back up and try again. Some days I don’t feel like I did the best I could as a mother, when that happens I look at what I didn’t think I did right and I try to do better.
Greatest accomplishments and greatest frustrations come from both. Not to mention the crazy bathroom issues that accompany both. Both giving birth and running distances have caused a sense of urgency unknown in the natural world!
When you give birth for the first time, you are reborn as a mother, and a new part of your soul is born. The same is true when you become a runner. In mothering and in running, you are constantly amazed by your ability to just do the things you never could have imagined yourself doing, simply because you are faced with them and they have to be done. Seeing either your children or your runs blossom into the next stage, the next level, can leave you bursting with pride and wiping away tears of joy. As a mother and as a runner, there is pain, sleeplessness, anxiety, a relinquishment of certain freedoms, but yo
Motherhood and running are the hardest things I have ever done, but they both have unbelievable rewards that you can’t put into words until you have experienced them first hand.
Running and mothering take patience beyond your perceived ability. I never thought I wanted a child but my patience increased 10-fold when she was born. The same with running. I never thought I would stick with something so hard for so long but perseverance is my friend that pushes me through mile after mile.
Aside from the obvious comparisons of mothering being a marathon and not a sprint, Mothering is like running because the reward far outweighs the difficulty. Even when it’s hard and I feel like I just want to give up I know if I keep going and I stay on course just over this hill or around that corner is an awesome reward that makes it all worthwhile.
Both are things that define me as a woman at this stage in my life. I am a mother of three, a runner and a doctor and the first two are things I can’t live without. I could find another way to earn money and be fulfilled, but without my kids and my running (and Christ) I would lose my identity!
I agree with the many similarities between running and motherhood for me. However, there is one huge distinction between the two (for me). Although I ALWAYS thought I’d be a mom, I never EVER in a million years thought I’d be a runner!
Both bring out the best in me. Running relaxes me, clears my head and gives me energy. Kids make me smile, make me laugh and warm my heart.
They both…keep you running!
Running and my kids are similar in that they pull at the heart strings. Running strengthens my heart to give me the ability to be there for my kids. My kids are my heart running around with arms and legs, falling down, getting up again, finding their passions.
Running and Motherhood are two of the most exhausting and rewarding things I’ve ever done and I couldn’t be prouder to call myself a mom and a runner.
To me, running and mothering are alike in so many ways. Both require huge sacrifices. Both push you to your limit. Both make you feel like you can do anything!
I cannot give up even if I feel I must, as if all is lost and I’ve got nothing left, I have to keep going. Sometimes, in both running and mothering, this a reassuring feeling (I have the strength), and sometimes it makes me want to cry.
Well to start both make me think of my husband! 🙂 My daughter has her daddy’s eyes and running is when I think of how much I love my husband and want to be with him well into my 90s. Additionally both keep me fit, make me lose sleep, and can be a royal pain in the butt which I wouldn’t trade for second!
When I’m not running I’m usually talking about it. When I’m not with my kids I’m usually talking about them too!
How both are alike – some days it’s wonderful, and you wish those days could just go on forever. Other days you feel like you wonder if you will ever make any progress. But you push on, because you know that in the end it’s worth it.
(I thought of this while cleaning the kids’ bathroom, guess which thought occurred to me then, ha ha.)
I run to get away from mothering. LOL!
well, for me they both push me beyond the limits of anything I thought possible. Oh yeah, and They drain my energy.
Running and mothering? They are both things in my life that I look back and say, “what did I do before I had kids?” or “how did I spend my time before I ran?”. They are both such constants in my life now that I can’t remember what life was like without them!
Different…mommyhood=micromanaging and always being on. Running takes me like I am-same asphalt, same cross country, same everything- no matter if I’m happy, hurried, relaxed, or heavy legged- running is my constant…after a long day of feeling like an orchestra director slash circus clown, I’m going to take a shower and get ready to do it all again tomorrow!!
Being a mom and a runner…both have me insecure and feeling inadequate, like I’ll never be as good as the other gal, but every little step I take in both endeavors empowers to realize the potential I have always had within, and how I have the power to harness it through my own strength, will, and even a little genetics from my own mother.
They both make you search for bathrooms in precarious places. No I am NOT talking about a parking garage OR beside a nasty porta potty. 😉
Running and motherhood are: fun, frustrating, empowering, painful, meaningful, hectic, mood-lifting, challenging, but most of all–worth. every. step.
In both running and motherhood, sometimes the most boring moments are the most meaningful.
Wow! I can think of a million similarities between running and motherhood. After all, they both leave me speechless…er, I mean out of breath. And, in the end, it all comes down to my ability to mentally push through that last hour…that last mile, proving to myself that–no matter what–I can do it!
Everything that is worth doing is worth doing well. That goes for running and being a mother. That being said, they both have off days where you are not on your game. They both are harder than they look but so worth it. They both take time to do well and the ability to look forward at long term goals and be in the present. I am sure there are so many other reasons too.
Mothering is like running in that sometimes it’s your greatest reward and sometimes it sucks. It isn’t alaways easy and you don’t always see immediate results, but you know that with consistant hard work and love, it will all be worth it in the end. In the end my health will be my reward for the hard work of running, and the smile on my son’s face is my reward for mothering…I LOVE BOTH.
Running and mothering- Both take patience, make you smile, make you cry, see you at your worst, greet you at your best. Both are constants in life and become a part of the fiber of who you are. And both, when given love, effort, your time and all you got, both provide tangible evidence of your strength and a visible display of inner beauty and hope.
The hugs of my sons, the hugs of my Asics–they both greet me with the promise of a new day and recharge my soul.
Wow! Apparently motherhood and running are very similar, judging from the number of comments this post generated. I think motherhood and running are similar in that I both love and not-so-love them both sometimes. I love my children to death and would gladly give my life to protect either of them but sometimes I wish they’d go live with someone else for a minute (or a month – depending on the day) and then I DO miss them terribly when they are away from me (just to be clear – never for a month or because I sent them away). The same with running – I wish I wasn’t going to go running or that I could take a minute (or a month) longer to sleep when that alarm goes off at 5:40 am but then if I DON’T go running – I miss it and can’t wait to get on my shoes and go. Plus – motherhood and running make you weird things – like not eat certain foods when you’re pregnant, go to Target at 8:45 pm to get that perfect shirt for the class performance the next day or get up in the dark, wet, cold winter to go running with an equally weird bunch of moms.
Both running and motherhood need determination – being a newbie runner feels a lot like when I was a newbie mother (almost 3 years ago). Worried I’d never make it, hoping I would and looking back and thinking wow – though that is not yet there for the running part!
Would love to win – the sunlight down here is killer and so it would be great to be kitted out properly.
To me they are alike. There are some days when you just want to hit the alarm, but you know you have to just get up and face it. Both are extremely rewarding when I just jump in.
Running is like giving birth – hell while you’re doing it (sometimes), with a terrific end result! Running is like mothering: you try over and over to get your kids to listen, and finally, one day, they surprise the heck out of you and actually demonstrate that they heard you. And in the same way, you try over and over to get form, pace, good vibes, feeling strong, and the kids being dropped off at the pool to align for an epic run – and just like with the kids, said alignment happens when you least expect it. Both give you an afterglow that can last for days!
How is running like mothering? Just when I think I’ve got it figured out, something will happen to throw me for a loop.
Motherhood is like one BIG LONG RUN! You just keep putting one foot in front of the other and at the end of the run (or when the kids eventually leave home) you feel thankful that it’s finally over and sad that it went by so quickly…
Running and mothering can both be VERY hard but also VERY rewarding.
They’re similar in the fact that some days are great and some are aweful, but in both cases, we just keep going and hoping for the GREAT days!
Running and motherhood are challenging and frightening, but also exhilarating and rewarding! They have both taught me that I am stronger than I ever imagined I could be, and that I can accomplish great things! And they both bring incredible joy into my life.
Running is like mothering because although I like to think I’m the one in charge in both areas, the reality is that both running AND mothering are teaching me more about myself than I ever could have imagined.
I’m a new runner and a not-so-new mom (although my oldest is only 4). I think that running IS like mothering because even when I’m exhausted and feel like I can’t go on, doing something fun renews my stick-to-it-ive-ness. (so I dig deep and go for a run…I feel better! Like I can take on the world. When I feel like I can’t go on as a mom (or nothing I do is right), I dig deep – do a craft with my son…cuddle with my baby girl…just DO something to change my attitude — I feel better! Like I’m a super mom.)
A similarity with running and being a mother is that both take alot of hard work, dedication, sweat and tears, and you can never be sure of the outcome. There are variables that you just can’t control.
Mothering came easy to me, running does not. Mothering has prepared me to become a runner by learning how to be dedicated, patient and to have a sense of humor.
In my case, they are both something that came into my life at around 40! I had my first child at 39, the second at 41, and started running at 43. Oh how I wish I had started running years ago, and had my kids years ago too for that matter. More important than the similarities to me is the difference – my running time (usually at 4 a.m.), is the only “me” time I have all day!
They both can wake you up EARLY in the morning whether you want to get up or not.
In the last four years, I’ve become a mother of three and a runner. While both have caused me great amounts of pain (ie child birth and tight IT bands), that pain is a distant memory every time one of my children smiles, laughs or tells a knock-knock joke and every time I have a great run or conquer a new distance.
Both my miles (I am doing couch to 5k and I am only at 2 miles, but that is GREAT for me) and my children can be TOUGH at times, but they are SO worth it. Both invigorate me and remind me that I love myself and them.
Both require a strong mind! Running (a lot of times) is more mental than physical and so is parenting. If I have a good attitude, my run and kids seem much better and tolerable 🙂 Both also often require early mornings/late nights and can be time-consuming….but it is all worth it in the end!
Running is all about ME and my needs and my wants. Mothering (to me) is all about my kids’ needs and my kids’ wants. So, is that a similarity, or a difference? Kind of both!
There are so many similarities between being a mother and running, but the one that stands out to me is the effect both can have on your body. As the mother of 4 young boys, I am often accidently power chopped, ninja kicked, or in an intense tickling match….leaving me sore and bruised. Running can also leave me hurting and sore. Both are worth the pain and soreness though!
Both are more difficult and more rewarding than I thought they would be.
There’s always someone puking.
Bith running and motherhood can have their good days and their bad ones, but in the end? They’re both worth it! 🙂
Thanks for the chance!
Both can be as frustating as it can be rewarding!!! Nuff said. 🙂
Without running, how would I define myself? Without mothering, how would I define myself? And, of course, mothering and running both give sufficient reason for others to say that I must be crazy!!
Running and mothering are both tests of endurance……they are physically demanding, require internal motivation to the nth degree, and are emotionally SO WORTH IT!
With both mothering and running there are those days I just don’t think I’m up for it and have to hit snooze or throw on the “boob tube”. Then you hit that sweet spot where you are in the zone and feeling calm or your 5yr old daughter finds the Shot Bloks in Target and proudly brings them to you to help with your running and the best of both worlds collides… I CAN do this!
I think motherhood and running are very similar. On cold mornings when all you want to do is stay in your warm, cozy bed… BOTH jolt you to alertness with their demands (training schedule or needing your attention {feed, bathe, clothe}); even if you do NOT want to do it (run or put on your Mommy hat) once you put in 100% of your time, effort, and focus… you feel better for it; BOTH have a secret sisterhood – if you are a runner (or mom) OR BOTH – that other women/people can totally relate with.
I own the fact that I am a runner AND mother. Heck, most days I would QUIT being a Mom if it weren’t for RUNNING. 🙂
With both kids and running just when you think you don’t have any more to give you find that extra strength push forward.
You’ve already effectively said this, but both fill me with bliss…and immense pain. The two (bliss and pain, and running and mothering) aren’t too far apart are they?
At times you think why did I start this whole running thing and sometimes you wonder where the kid idea came from as well but in the end both bring much happiness and fulfillment.
Both running and parenting are both things that I love that I work hard to be better at!
They both make you want to be better!
For me both are bliss one moment and so trying the next. Every run encompasses moments of feeling amazing and lighter than air as well as tough, ” don’t know ifi can really manage this” feelings. So does pretty much every outing with my three kids (8yr old and 2 toddlers).
Both require a lot of hard work but feel incredibly satisfying at the end. Vastly different, however, is the personal accomplishment that I feel versus the pride I feel in their accomplishments (THEY are teenagers – so sometimes the ‘satisfying at the end’ seems a LONG way off). Conversely, having teenagers is a lot like running, because sometimes you are blindsided by injuries/etc — surprises that you would not expect …
and, teenagers are a lot like a marathon … very tiring : )
Running a Marathon is like giving birth…when you get to the Finish Line (having the baby) you forget the months of achy body, sore legs, strict diet and the PAIN just before the end… Once you cross that finish line and are given your medal (baby) all is right with the world and none of the rest of it matters…
Pick me I would love to LOOK like Deena…umm please can I have my size? not hers??
I have a love/hate relationship with both. My kids are my world and I love them to death but there are definitely times that I hate being a mom. same with running. I need it, I love it–but there are some runs that I wonder why I torture myself.
Mothering and running both make me think back to a time when I didn’t do either and it’s hard to imagine a that I used to have Saturday mornings when I get up super early for a long run or race or a weekday morning when I leisurely only got myself dressed and ready for school or work and there was no morning frenzy of lost homework or sibling bickering. And I think how boring it must have been without the constant surprises of either
I question my ability to do both each day. But the rewards of being a mother and a runner are both priceless!
I don’t know whether to call Mothering and Running similar or different. For me, one cannot exist without the other. I am not a selfless mom. I cannot give everything I have to my kids and not have anything left over for me. Running saves my from myself (and maybe saves my kids from me too) and because of this selfish time I give myself everyday, my two gold medals wait for me at the end of every finish line.
I can see both similarities and differences, of course, but to add a similarity:
There are certain days where my run is easy. I could keep going and going. Other days, it takes all I have to go or finish.
Being a Mother is similar. There are days that are joy filled, and I could keep going and going. Then there are days that I’d rather get back in bed. 😉
So, does this make me a Mother Runner? Ha!
Running and motherhood can both erase your mind and force you to use every strategy possible learned in business and college to make things work! (e.g., hooking on a D-tag timing chip to your shoe vs. building a Bionicle).
Both remind me that there is always someone out there that appears to be doing it better than me…yet they both also remind me that everyone’s journey is different and we can only live OUR lives, run OUR races and raise OUR kids the best way we know how. Running and Motherhood have taught me that comparing is pointless and only gets us down.
They can both be a love-hate relationship???
Both fill your heart with joy!!
Motherhood and Running are alike all the training in the world won’t prepare you for “the real thing” until it happens and the rewards that come along with it are worth it.
ie-you can read all the parenting books before yo become a parent but it’s not the same. Same goes for marathon training, until you actually run the 26.2 miles…
Motherhood is the ultramarathon of life events. You’re all excited at the beginning and just a little nauseous when you think of the task at hand. There are easy stretches, big hills, some rain, a lot of sunshine. Then you hit those teenage years and you just know you (or someone) is gonna die and not cross the finish line. And when you just at your wits end there it is. The kids move out and you’re ready to start another race.
Mothering and running, they both include:
pleasure and pain
joy and heartbreak
feeling of accomplishment
a growth process
life long pursuit
life long endurance
life long rewards
life long fulfillment
Go long……mothing is the long run, you never stop being a mother it is the ultimate marathon. You cannont quit, you cannot hide you must conqure those miles with all the hiles and obstacle corses along the way. You cannot avoid the miles, you must go through them. This has just reminded me that if you are a mother, a marathon is a doable thing. I can do that.
Sometimes both talk back:)
Both are very concrete signs of great accomplishments!
Both are extremely rewarding, but can be so exhausting on a bad day. And so true about both giving you small boobs!
Motherhood and running are similar because in both you need to learn how to eat standing up!!
My 7 year old son has Autism and is a big part of my mothering. Having a completely typical 18 year old daughter, I was smug about mothering. She made it easy as she is just one of those kids. And then our son was diagnosed with Autism and now I’m in over my head. Running has saved me.
I started running 2 years ago and when I started out, the beginning was much how he learns. Each and every step is broken down. Slowly but surly it gets easier and easier and finally becomes part of the routine of life. Now running is like his journey through life. How he is today will not how he will be years from now. I imagine that is the same for running for me. Those hills that kick my butt today will not be so challenging in time. My times will get faster and my son will get faster at learning and growing. He runs everywhere he goes so who knows what’s in his future for being a runner? I would be proud to run along side my sweet, strong son.
Lost sleep (I run at 5:00). I can’t believe I chose to do this, but then later, I’m know I made the right choice! And how motherhood and running are different: You can silence Lady Gaga at any time on your run.
Mothering and running both push to edge mentally and sometimes physically! They both make you stronger and ultimately with a larger bank of positive attitude to draw upon in challenging times.
Running is like parenting in that both are endlessly rewarding, despite the fact that all the planning you do to make it work becomes reality no more than 25% of the time.
Running and motherhood both at times seem impossible but are entirely and necessarily possible. Both require an infinite amount of patience with ones self and ones offspring. Reaping the rewards of both is more than I ever hoped to gain. Both are FUN!
Both are hard work, unbelievably rewarding and will last a lifetime!
For me both running and mothering were harder than I thought they’d be before beginning, but also more rewarding than I thought. Both have changed me in fundamental ways I didn’t anticipate. One of the ways they’re opposite: having babies stretched my tummy out and now I’m trying to use running to bring it back in 🙂
Both make you a little crazy.
Both make you want to try harder.
For both you often need to do what you should do as opposed to what you want to do to excel! Discipline, consistency and fun! Good things to share.
Running and rearing children are similar to me in that I try to give my best to both. Whether it’s in the middle of a grueling “I really don’t feel like it today” run, or being the referee for the hundredth time during a minor bickering match, at the end of the day I can look at my shoes -and my sleeping children- and say, “Well done, Mommy.”
Running and Mothering: I started running after I had kids (because I had kids?) Some days my running is an escape from that life at home, an escape from being a mom for an hour, a time where I can just be, running without restraint. I think mothering can be an escape too, a way of re-capturing the joys of my own childhood, diving headfirst into the imaginary worlds of my daughters’ and taking a break from work, from life outside the front doors. I don’t get to escape that often, from either kids or Life, but when I do, I am rejuvenated.
It’s only a matter of time until someone pukes.
Mothering and Running are similar in that both bring me joy, require me to be in the moment and listen to my heart, and show me how capable I am. Welc0me to the club, Deena!!
In my opinion, motherhood and running are similar in that you need to build a base for each. I receive a lot of compliments on how my boys act (they are 16 and 13 years old). What people don’t see are the years of making sure they learned their manners, developed good habits, etc. The same with running – when people see you cross the finish line, they don’t see the lonely 5am runs, the time spent lifting weights, doing yoga, all the stuff that leads you to that finish line. You gotta put the time in!!
both are so stinking frustrating at times, but in the end so totally worth it!
They’re the same in that a little music can totally lighten a bad mood.
They are similar in that they both require devotion. You don’t raise good kids by not being present in their lives. Must be present to win. 🙂 You don’t cross finish lines or enjoy the benefits of good health without putting in the time to get there.
They also both inspire you to do better. If I have a rough evening with my 3-year-old, I’m often left thinking about what I could have done differently to make the evening go better. How can I improve? Sound familiar? I finish a not-so-great run and once again am left thinking about what made the run go that way. How can I improve so this doesn’t happen again (or not as often)?
Both also push you to your limits. For me running pushes me more physically than mentally, but there is a mental aspect. Parenting pushes me to my limits mentally. Neither is easy to deal with.
Mothering & Running – both are extremely hard but the rewards are just incredible! I wouldn’t trade either one for anything and I have 18-year old twin daughters!
For me, being a mother and being a runner are tied to my heart. I realized the true meaning of “wearing your heart on your sleeve” when I became a Mom for the first time in 2007 and that meaning was solidified when my second son was born in 2009. Everything they do and every experience they have, both positive and negative, touch my heart. I feel the same way about running. There has not been one race I’ve run where my heart was not touched by the energy of the crowd cheering us on, as well as my fellow runners. When I’ve seen someone fall on the course, or become injured and not able to finish, my heart can feel their pain and disappointment. When I’ve watched others cross the finish line, my heart can feel their joy and relief. Therefore, I also think runner’s “wear their hearts on their sleeves”, just in a different respect.
I find mothering and running to be very similar. I must use just the right amount of nurture tempered with some a%* kicking to get the best out of my teen and my running!
Both running and motherhood are hard and it hurts:) at first, but as you keep going you warm up and your body and mind can tell you to just keep going:)
They are both rewarding!
running and children. its a kind of tired and fatigue that eventually leads you to such pride and joy – that none other can produce.
In running, mothering, (and in life!), the journey is as important as the destination, if not more so.
You can’t do either task just once. Running and Mothering are never “over.” That alarm clock is always going to go off the next morning and your child will always need you. You can never rest on your laurels.
Similar in that – some days everything is at a magical pace, some days you struggle just to get to the end!!
Training and dicipline are the key of both mothering and Running, and of course love.
Running and mothering both require the implementation of Time Outs.
Just when I think I’ve found a high (running or mothering) the shit hits the fan, the pain fails to subside, and I wonder what the hell I was thinking. Oh yeah, they’re the same.
I find that in both motherhood and a run the outcome is never what you set out at the beginning for it to be! It can be a craft with the kids, a week long vacation, a marathon or a 5 mile run, you just gotta do it to find out what’s going to happen and find a way to enjoy it or else its gonna be as bad as you can imagine!
The are the same! Some days, I get the best feeling in the world from either of them and other days I wonder why I am doing this? Then there is always that moment of looking at the final result (the hardware or the soft kiss) and I realize they bring out the best in me and make me want to always do better.
Running and being a Mommy : the two things I love in the world that totally exhaust me, but I simply don’t think I could breathe without them!
Both are unpredictable. A series of FANTASTIC runs can be followed by a MISERABLE run, for no apparent reason. Similarly, seemingly happy, healthy children can become ill, throw a tantrum, or decide that they despise their formerly favorite food. But it is the belief that the next run will be better, tomorrow will be better, or it’s just a phase that keeps moms / runners going.
Running and mothering can both be utterly exhausting and rewarding at the same time. At least once a day, I look at my son and think about how blessed I am, and I try to do this at least once during my run (even if it really, really sucks outside and the snow is 12 inches deep).
Running and mothering they are both about one foot in front of the other. Sometimes it is great, sometimes it is hard and sometimes you want to cry but in the end you feel great.
Mothering and running are about one foot in front of another.
(Small print: outfit does not come with a guarantee of an Olympic medal.) Funny!
Running and mothering are similar in that they both allow you to see another side of yourself when you least expect it! Mothering has shown me that I am a much more “silly” person than I thought (trying for giggles instead of tears is hard sometimes) and running has shown me that I am much more determined person than I ever knew (getting up for a run after being up all night with the baby).
Endurance and perseverance are both essential for running and mothering!
Both mothering and running require a lot of psychology. You have good days and bad days but it is all so totally worth it.
I think that running and mothering are similar in a lot of ways. Sometimes you can have a very bad day running, where each step feels like you are forcng your 1 ton limbs to simply move. Just like mothering, some days will be bad days. Kids will scream and you will have one of those “bad dream” type days where you spend all day trying to get somewhere or get something done and you get all the way to the end of the day and nothing has been accomplished. On the other hand, you can have a fantastic run that makes you feel like you could qualify for Boston EASY *ok, so maybe not quite, but you know.* Likewise,you can have a day of mothering that makes you feel like you’ve got this thing down…all the kids are fed and happy, everyone took naps, you got a bunch of hugs and “I love yous” and every bit of that makes the day just perfect. So I say, they are very similar. And both being a Mother and runner make me who I am every day.
I think mothering and running are alike with both having good days and bad days. Also, I think sometimes just letting go and not trying to control and stress so much; actually makes me better at both.
Both can be so hard and so rewarding at the same time.
Three kids, 1, 3 and 5 feel like a marathon all the time. As for running, spring in marathon time for me every year. Raking up the miles in the long runs makes the marathons at home manageable. A friend asked if I’d ever not considering doing the full in the spring – not yet anyway. I’ve done 6 fulls, with years off post pregnancy, so every year for the last 9. It’s a great pattern – one the kids and hubby are down with too.
With both you sometimes stumble, but you keep pushing on!
Along with all of the really thoughtful comments from everyone else….both give you an outlet for cute fashion. When the girls were little and I was carrying extra weight and barely had time to shower, let alone pull together a smart outfit, at least my kids looked good. I don’t need to show my fashion sense through my kids anymore (nor would they let me, if I even wanted to!) but a cute running outfit always makes me feel more stylish than I really am!
Running and Mothering are so alike in that they are both painful at times, heartbreaking even, but at the end the sense of accomplishment that you are left with is completely worth every second of pain.
I was so scared of both – to be a mom and to start running. But now they are the most fufilling things that I can ever do. And they are also the same that when I get up in the early AM, I don’t always want to deal with the kids or to work out, but after I get going on both, I always realize that it is not too bad!
The similarity that first springs to mind is that no one can do it for you! No one else can be your kids’ mom, and no one else can run your miles for you. I wouldn’t have it any other way!
Both can give me a whopper of headache some days (running because I get dehydrated because I get busy and forget to drink my water and kids….well I think you can guess why my kids can give me a headache some days, lol!) 🙂
For me, if I’ve given my all in a race, I’m exhausted at the end. And I know I’ve put in the work. Same with being a mom – if I’ve given my all in a day or in an activity or for me kids, I’m exhausted and I know I’ve put in the work. Both are completely rewarding and completely exhausting!
Both push you to your extreme max! Your always wanting to run your best race and be the best Mom you can be!
Both running and mothering are the hardest things I have ever had to do! Each have required me to give “just a little bit more,” than I ever thought I had (or A LOT a bit more!) That being said – there is nothing more rewarding. At then end of a run when I have given it my all and PR, or at the end of the day and my kids say “I love you Mom” and go to sleep peacefully.
Awwww…running and mothering. The two things that challenge me the most, but that I get the most reward out of.