Being a Wife vs. Being a Runner

(Photo credit: Photo taken from http://www.blackenterprise.com/money/) By Damaris Roulette (@1MrsRoulette) As a newlywed, I am learning to balance the demands of being a wife with my career, plans for babies, and my fitness (running) regimen. My husband and I just celebrated our two-year anniversary. He knew my regular routine. That is, until I picked up running. Suddenly I had a new passion. What happened to the lazy Saturday mornings? What happened to weekdays of opening the door for the mister? Here I was, pumped up at 5 am on Saturday mornings to join the BGR ladies at the trail for some miles. Couple of evenings a week was for short runs at the trail. I do not blame a brother for feeling like things were falling apart and the woman in his life was changing…. Needless to say, the little achievements on the trail did not evoke the praise and cheer from the one that mattered the most. Why not? Well, change is not always easily received. It takes time, consideration for the needs of those we love, and sacrifice to show that our pursuit for improvement is also for the benefit of those we care most about. I came come up with a few solutions. 1. Plan ahead I strive to fix dinner before my evening runs just in case they stretch late. I afford my husband quality time before my personal (running) time so he doesn’t feel neglected. The connection has to stay tight and alive if we are to do life as a team. 2. Communicate better Letting him know who I was going to be running with and where allayed his fears for me. I had to know that his concerns were out of love, and safety was important. 3. Dig deep I had to be my own biggest cheerleader. It doesn’t matter that my BGR sisters cheer me on if I myself do not recognize my own efforts. Positive self-talk and confidence goes a long way! It makes me smile now, when I see my husband taking my running seriously. New running shoes for a race, a Gear Fit to track my runs, coming to see me run a race. He seems to have realized that this new lifestyle is a solid part of me and that despite that, he still is a priority. It’s the little things that make me know that I am successful in this balancing act. It may not be possible to have everyone on board regarding your fitness pursuits. But since you are already hitting the trail, you have overcome your biggest challenge; you. Now it’s just for you to balance it all and those around you will soon see that when a woman rises to beat the odds that are stacked up against her (Diabetes, hypertension, infertility, cancer, and other conditions and diseases associated with lack of exercise), an army will rise to glorify her and cheer her on to victory (good health), maybe even join her! About Damaris Roulette Damaris Roulette is a proud member of BGR - Austin Chapter. Nurse, teacher, wife, and new(ish) runner, she likes to write on varying topics. Check out her natural hair blog www.mytangledmane.blogspot.com and her life ramblings on www.mrsroulette.blogspot.com

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