This was my view whilst taking a break for a cup of tea yesterday morning. Having done my Swindon delivery I was waiting to hear what torture was next, meanwhile the A34 was getting slower, and busier much like my days just now.
The work/life balance feels out of whack and I am struggling to remember how I did with everything I do, and yet still make time to see people 🤔
With the hours I'm usually doing right now finding any time after work is very unlikely as I'm wiped out and ready for sleep. I'm working out every day, regardless of work start time... it definitely feels like I need another day in the week. Having bought a paddleboard too I want to go play on the river too, but when? 🤷♀️
What are your biggest blocks to doing what you really want and what tricks have you discovered to help you balance social and business commitments and still get your time in?
Have a great week, everyone!!!
The Marathon Team xxx
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GoGo_JoJo
Ultramarathon
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This is an interesting post and something which I’ve always strived for. As a freelancer I always have to make work my priority otherwise my mortgage doesn’t get paid. In recent years I’ve had a marriage break up and now find myself doing everything alone which brings its own pressure. For example I ordered shopping on Friday (I usually shop myself early) as I wasn’t feeling well. Instead of chicken pieces they brought me a whole chicken. That meant yesterday, after my 10 mile run, I found myself cooking a roast dinner for one when I was already exhausted. It turned out fantastic and a great reward for putting in the hard work. Then work commitments kicked in (on a Sunday!) and I had a zoom call and some time consuming work to do on top of that. My social life is a pre lockdown dim and distant memory which mainly involved my ex wife. Suddenly being alone at 58 is not easy but work has always saved me. I always strive for the work/life balance and to that end I booked myself a trip to the Lake District over the August Bank Holiday. I really feel the need to get away and recharge my batteries.
Injury! That's my biggest block. It's twelve months since I picked up a niggle round my ankle and I haven't been 100% for more than a week at a time since then. A whole flippin year of interrupted running plans. Ahh well. I still have a really strong desire to get out there and I'm grateful for that.Work/life balance is so hard to influence isn't it. When my mother got sick at the end of last year I took a hard look at my own. I decided to semi-retire this June - I'm self employed and basically halved my number of clients. I needed more space in my life. Having worked really hard, juggling all sorts for years, I decided it would be OK to do it now even though I'm not really quite at retirement age, and I can honestly say it's the best thing I've done in ages!!! My BP has fallen, my RHR has fallen, I've got rid of the extra weight I put on over the last 18 months ... I feel like I've grabbed back some control and feel so much healthier for it.
So when I get rid of these niggles and injuries I should at least be able to find the time to run!!!!
The short answer to your question is retirement😂, the only activity where being older is usually a requirement! I used to work ridiculous hours, occasionally all day and all night. I tried to keep weekends clear, but wasn’t always successful and anyway the week left me feeling shattered. So I am the last one to give any advice on finding a balance. Looking back I missed out on so much; but I just felt so driven to achieve things for people who put their trust in me. I stopped doing any paid work at age 60, joined a gym, started swimming again and discovered running three years ago aged 66. I just think that my chosen profession and having a normal family/social life didn’t mix……so maybe choosing a career which leaves the space to live people need whilst they are still young enough to enjoy it is the answer!
No; you just need to be less stupid than I was about commitment to other people’s ridiculous deadlines! This is our lives….not a rehearsal, so we have to make the most of it whilst we are young enough to enjoy it!
I am giving serious consideration to dropping a days work, just not sure how wise that is financially right now. Sadly I and my colleagues are amongst the lowest paid in our area/industry... 👎🏻 I didn't mind so much when I was on a contract that averaged 10hr days but now it's closer to 12/13 it's another story (we are on a daily, not hourly rate) 😔
That is an awful dilemma JoJo and I should have been more careful with my choice of words. I was well paid ( but it wasn’t time related) and my family got the benefit of that. But, it still registers when the eldest says that he didn’t get enough Dad time…..he is right. Hope you find an answer 😘
I’m retired but still find juggling things a bind🙂
I cooked a chicken dinner post ten miler yesterday too, while cooking myself up a huge lunch. My husband had been out all day at work so we fell upon it like wolves come tea time 😁
Having good food post run is one if life’s joys.
I missed a run this week as I’ve been busy on my plot and needed a rest day to get over aching ribs. I missed a day last week too but we can’t be everywhere. Missing runs irks me though and I get irritable Like having an annoying itch
Speaking of itch, I got stung to bits yesterday on my run. Nettles, brambles, dog roses. Ripped my jacket too 😤. I need some of those lower leg protectors 😃
I’ve got cut to bits before as we have some terribly overgrown trails, but I’d never thought about calf guards. Doh 🙄 It did occur to me to get a fold-up running stick so I could wield it like a machete 😁. Too ruddy dear though aren’t they 🤷♀️ Running sticks, not machetes 😃
I hadn’t planned to go off-road but there was this footpath ……….. 🏃♀️😎
Carrying anything can really throw the body out. I sometimes pick up a stick for that same use but end up with a sore forearm from wielding it and achy arms from one each doing different things! 🤣
Regardless of your current work situation, you're still an inspiration GoGo_JoJo !
As for me, the biggest blocks to doing what I really want have been work (mostly self-employed EFL teaching and examining,) and an inability to say no. Lockdown, curfew and other Covid-related restrictions have also been significant factors as I only started C25K after the first French lockdown ended.
Work is no longer an excuse! I'm also about to retire, or at least semi-retire, so expect to be working a maximum of one day a week, instead of juggling numerous part-time roles. I can't do much about the Covid restrictions, so will have to live with those.
I was never a runner when I worked and I honestly don't know when I would have had the time because I did a lot of international travel with my job and had very irregular hours so I guess I could have been more of a hotel treadmill runner 🙂
Even though I’m now retired we have a fairly busy social life. We live “in the country” and so friends and family are always asking to come to stay which is lovely but it means I have to juggle my runs between making up beds, etc 🥵
Somehow I’ve made it work whether it means getting up extra early or just switching days. If family stay then they don’t mind if I go out when they're here. They understand how important running is to me but I never do long runs as I don't want to be out too long.
It’s been particularly challenging recently because I’m trying to stick to my HM plan and we’ve had four sets of visitors over the last five weeks! But so far, I’ve managed it 🙂 I’ve posted my Plan on the kitchen wall and make sure I show it to every single visitor who comes to stay! I don't think they want to be responsible for a “non-tick” 🙀😂
You’re an inspiration as well as many others on this forum ❤️🏃♀️🏃🏻♂️
I’m always juggling and wearing different hats. I have to be careful my running hat isn’t the only one I wear 🙊
I did 50k again last week but that is the max I can do at this stage of my life or at least until I speed up.
I’m currently running around Australia virtually which is a good job as we’re locked in our state due to Covid. 15k tomorrow will take me to 1000k since I started back in Feb which feels like a milestone. Many more kilometres to run 🤣
Work/life balance can be really hard. I hope you can find a solution that works for you Jo. I’ve been dealing with it for many years, overworking myself to benefit companies and clients that can’t or won’t ever repay the favour. This is the first year I’ve felt any semblance of balance and an ease of that nagging stress. But life had to get quite ugly before this stage unfolded. So now, the things that get in the way are much smaller, like dog walking and overly ambitious home reno projects; ie: a patio Mrs Decker and I decided to put in on our own while I’m training for these longer races 🙄. But things are good and manageable at least for the moment
That's good 👍🏻 little daily things are much easier to deal with. All our home reno stuff is on hold... too expensive both in time and money! We've got workmen coming Saturday to do a new fence since part blew down in a recent storm. Both of us are resenting the potential time being robbed though! 🙈🤣
Yes the home reno time and budget issue is why we decided to take on the patio work ourselves. If I knew how much work it would be I would have hired someone or made it much smaller! 🙂🙄 Live and learn
Take four with this. We kept losing power earlier which knocked out the internet each time and I lost my lengthy post. Phew. I hear you utter!
Anyway, life did its best to get in the way two weeks ago, in the form of Mr Cheeky being brutally assaulted early one morning on his way to his rowing club. He’s stable now, but he spent five days in hospital and it’s a slow road to recovery. The assailant was caught, and he’s currently behind bars charged with a serious crime. I don’t want to go into any more detail here, suffice to say it was scary. ☹️
Covid restrictions meant I could only visit him in hospital for one hour each day, and I was the one nominated visitor for the duration of his stay which was hard on the rest of the family.
It did mean I was able to continue my morning runs to help clear my head. It really helped (as it did when I lost mum in 2019), but I must admit I haven’t returned to yoga yet. My longest time off the mat since I started yoga in January 2018. I’ll return soon.
Mr Cheeky is home and getting better each day. We’re doing little dog walks on the common together, slowly adding a bit on each time. 🥰 Running remained there for me and I’m thankful that the whole situation wasn’t as bad as it might have been. My HM training had a little hiccup, but remains on track. 20k long run this week. 🏃♀️
Oh my gosh Cheeky, I’m so sorry to hear this. It’s good to know that Mr Cheeky is recovering day to day though and that they caught the assailant. That is really close to home. Hope that he continues to mend outside and in.
It’s something you’d never expect to hear isn’t it GoGo_JoJo ? He’s positive and 100% braver than anyone else I know, also fit and strong which helped hugely. 💪🥰 Thanks for your kind words. ❤️
Oh my word cheeky. That’s awful. I’m really sorry to hear this. So glad that he is ok now at least physically and that someone is being brought to justice. Take care. x
Oh my goodness, that's just dreadful, I just can't imagine how you both must be feeling. I to saw a reference to something that shook your world up, I imagined a car accident or something....Gentle hugs for you and Mr Cheeky, I ope he continues to feel better...
It was a multi-pronged assault, also involving Mr C’s car (he wasn’t driving it) so you’re partly right Curlygurly. The stuff of nightmares. ☹️ But thankfully he’s doing well. 🥰
Oh cheekychipmunks , that's just horrific. Like others, I'd gathered from posts elsewhere that something serious had happened, but had imagined maybe a workplace or car accident. I very much hope justice is done. xx
Oh Munks! How terrifying. What an awful thing to happen. I hope Mr Cheeky is making a good recovery, but he must be seriously shaken up about it, as must the whole family. I’m so pleased the attacker was caught and is behind bars.
Thank goodness you had running as a distraction and I’m impressed that your HM plan is on track! Go you 💪
Thanks so much IP. 🥰 It was terrifying indeed and I had no idea what to expect on my way into hospital that first time. But he’s a fit strong person and thankfully was able to defend himself for the most part. 🙏🏻
Yes, running has been amazing. I don’t want to go back to yoga just yet (I don’t really know why …..), but we’re all ok and he’s getting better slowly each day. 🥰
Hi GoGo_JoJo I’ve been pondering on your post, which to be honest is what you have time to do when you’re retired!
I certainly wouldn’t have been able to do all that I’ve done in the past 2years, similar to Irish Princess whilst working, on reflection though perhaps I could have done better. So the work life balance was always compromised during 46 years of full time commitment there are many times when I regretted not scaling back but always eventually seemed to find a workable solution especially in the few years before retirement. I now have a really good balance of life much in part to the focus of running 3 runs a week a yoga session pretty much every day. I think doing this gives me a drive and focus, I’ve been amazed at my family’s interest in all that I have done and continue to do in these past 2 years I now think it’s important to plan time and to get the best out of the time which is where I could have been - especially if I’d known how much I was going to enjoy what I do now. Probably I could have done just 3 5k’s a week which would have given a good balance all round. I think I was the blocker then, so hopefully I’ve learned the lesson to have a go no matter how small it seems and not to be the blocker now.
Ooo that is tricky. My life is about to get busier as I've just agreed to more work when I already had enough I think,! But I'm determined to keep running as I want to-so have booked a race to makesure I have a reason to train ...I may book another soon too! Fingers crossed I will keep getting up super early to fit my runs in! Good luck to you too...keep going!
Hi. good post. As others have said you are an inspiration to me too!! you always seem to be doing stuff and making me feel bad for not! and early mornings too when I often just turn the alarm off!!
for me its work probably... working from home (due to covid) has pros and cons, flexible so I can take a longer lunch etc....but also means I often work a lot more hours and out of hours, doing more hours for no pay or flexi. But I need to make time to exercise and I know this. ... recently bought a weighted hoola hoop, thinking easy quick exercise, and I've maybe done it twice! ahahha
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