Putting A Price Tag On Running

I have never belonged to a gym of any sort. My exercise routines have always been within the walls of my home, out on the pavement where I run and sometimes in the woods hiking. I love being outdoors and being active is something I enjoy. If the sun is shining I can't wait to get out there for an adventure. I have contemplated joining a gym once or twice. To have a warm place during the winter to go and exercise has been tempting. I always end up talking myself out of it because of the money to buy a gym membership. Running outside is free right?! Yeah, I thought so too until I started to add it all up. Running may be "freeing", but it sure as hell is not free! 

Race Entries: If you are only planning on running one or two races than this is not going to be an issue. Start adding a race every month through the summer to your calendar and soon you will need to start putting in some overtime to cover the cost of those race entries. It always makes me feel a little better when a race benefits a specific cause. I then can justify it as a donation and I feel a little better about my money going to something worthwhile. It really sucks when you want to run a particular race and the one thing that stops you is the entry fee. Maybe it is the running God's way of keeping the balance. 

Running Shoes: I have always loved shoes. I love a sexy pair of boots too. These days I tend to buy more running shoes than casual shoes. Most running shoes are good for 300-500 miles. If you run 20 to 30 miles a week those miles on your shoes add up quickly. It is important as a runner to be aware of your mileage on your shoes as to not cause injury to yourself. This training season I am switching between two pairs of shoes. At the rate I am running I will need another pair come mid summer. 

Clothing: Why is it every time I allow myself to go get a new shirt or search for a cute dress for a date night I come home with running clothes?! This has happened to me more frequently than I would like to admit. Granted I make sure I find a good deal and I tend to leave the store with no clothes to go out in, just running pants or a cute top with a running quote. No wonder I feel like I have no nice clothes! But I sure do have some cute running outfits! 

Gear: If you are a runner chances are you have gear that you rely on: belts, Camelback, headbands, hats, gloves, safety lights, earbuds, GPS watch, foam roller, motivational jewelry, Road ID bracelet and recovery sandals. Most of these are essential. It's not that we want these things, it is that we need these things! 

Fuel: If you are heading out for a long run you better not leave your house without fuel! There are so many yummy choices: gummies, gels, sports beans, Nuun, honey stingers and protein powders galore! If you choose a more natural fuel you may save yourself a few dollars in the long run since all these alternatives are great yet sadly, they are not free. I am a GU and Nuun girl before and during my long runs. Now that I am in full training mode my fuel seems to disappear rather quickly these day.

As you see running isn't exactly free. I really don't care though. It does not change what running has given to me. Running is my therapy, my church, my comfort zone and the road is my sanctuary. Running has taught me to push myself to new limits, to believe that I am capable of anything I put my mind to and that the body is amazing. I can add it all up and in the end the conclusion is still the same: running is priceless!

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What I have been taught

In just over a couple of weeks it seems mind boggling to me that I will be celebrating my babies FIRST BIRTHday. Seriously, can someone please pinch me now?! I can honestly say the past year has flown by. It saddens me that he will be turning into a "toddler" soon. I assure you though that the title "Baby Wesley", as we call him at home, will most likely follow him for years to come.

Over the past year there have been many changes and discoveries. This Blog is called "Discovering Me In Them" for a reason. I went from being a full time mom who also worked full time to being a SAHM working part time. I thought I would reflect on some of the things I have learned about myself in the past year and what this year has taught me.

* When they tell you it is the hardest job you will ever have they are not kidding! I heard it several times and it is not that I didn't believe them, I just didn't completely understand it until now. Some days are down right exhausting and I feel like I am being pulled in a million directions. Others are filled with play and laughter. This job is unpredictable and challenging. It is without a doubt the hardest job I have ever had. On the other side of it I have never had a job give back so much in return. I can't imagine one moment without these little creatures not at my feet or pulling at me with those dirty, sticky little hands.

* I always thought I was a patient person until...wait...can you guess?  Until I had kids! I thought I could be softer and much more patient than I am some days. This actually disappoints me, kind of even hurts some days. I have to practice patience daily. There are days I manage to succeed while other days I fail miserably. This is one of those lessons that they are teaching me.

* Forgiveness. I do this daily. I have come to terms that there will be many fails as a parent. I have found that the longer I dwell on the mistakes I make the harder it is to let go and move on. Parenting is learning as you go. You have to forgive yourself in order to move forward. I tend to be my biggest critic. Each day I vow to try harder than the next. I am bound to figure it out and get it right sooner or later right?!

* Working part time and staying home has taught me balance. It wasn't easy in the first few months. I had to try find where work fit into my life after making the decision to stay home with my boys. Working from home some days is not a luxury as some people may think. Have you ever tried to make a phone call with kids around? It always seems like a good idea to do a little work when they are playing or napping. Then it happens, you pick up the phone and suddenly all hell breaks loose! There are days which I have to leave for work and being that I am with them most of the time I still struggle to feel okay with working and being away from them. There are days I wonder if it will ever feel okay. Will I adapt as they seem to do? It is a balance that I am working on still a year later but happy to say I am getting better at.

* I have been taught that these moments with my children are priceless. I may not know what a lunch break is, how to take a piss by myself, or always shower without worrying if one of the kids will be dead when I get out, but that is all okay! The past year has flown by. Shit, the past 4 years have flown by! I am happy and blessed for each and every single moment. I would not change where I am right now because for me this is exactly how it is suppose to be for me.

* The past year has taught me to be gracious for everything. Even the smallest of things. I appreciate what I have and though I have to admit there are days I would love a big house, a new car, or maybe even a new wardrobe (oh and bra's! Seriously, I don't even know the last time I bought a nice bra), that all those things are only material items. It is the people who I am surrounded with that make life incredible.

I am sure if I had more time (Time? What is that?) I may have been able to come up with 10 or maybe even 15 things to write about. I wonder if in another year I will look back on this list and find that life has gotten less crazy. Maybe I will have adapted more. Or maybe in a year this list will still be the same. Really, it doesn't matter. I feel I am right where I was meant to be. This past year I feel like I have come to a place where I feel truly happy and fulfilled. This place now, this is where I have always wanted to be. At the end of any day that is the meaning of all of this. It is all any of us ever want, pure happiness.