Word to your mother

My husband’s been very busy lately. I mean VERY busy. So for the past week, and at least the next two, I’m living the life of a single Mum. And man, it’s exhausting.

I’ve done this before, but it takes on a whole new meaning when it’s summer break. This week I’m lucky. My three and five year old daughters’ are in morning camps that overlap to give me a daily 55-minute-window of “me” time.  Today I used that time to drive home and wait for a contractor who never showed up, but on the others I’ve been trying to squeeze in my STWM training — parking at the camp and quite literally, running away from my kids as soon as they find their counselors.

Did I mention it’s also been a major scorcher of a week here in Southern Ontario? The humidity is brutal.  I’ll be honest. The combo isn’t working out for me. I don’t know if it’s the heat, my time restraints or a plain ol’ lack of talent, but I’ve been finding it hard to hit any sort of respectable pace and my workouts have been lackluster. Sigh – what have I gotten myself into? (Again). Maybe I should settle for a weekly aerobics class? How am I ever going to do this? What? That was the last bottle of wine? Seriously? The very last?

Crap.

But it’s hard to feel sorry for myself for too long. I mean it’s not like I’m breaking new ground.  Mother Theresa, The Virgin Mary, that old lady who lived in a shoe, OctoMom – that’s their job. Right?

And truth be told, there are some women out there who manage to, well, RULE the marathon with some seriously wee ones at home. Paula Radcliffe has two kids almost exactly the same age as mine and Krista DuChene, one of Canada’s fastest marathoners and fellow STWM competitor, has three. Krista manages to fit in cross training on top of her 160km weekly mileage and is also known to master her gym’s treadmill while her kids are in its childcare (Surely this should have won her some bonus points in her Olympic appeal, no??? )

So really, when it comes to me, I guess it’s time to just shut up and get on with it. Besides Dora the Explorer just ended and the screaming coming from our playroom is so mind-blowing it would seem cruel to ignore it any longer.

“What’s that my dear sweet child? You’re bored?  Put on your sneakers we’re going for a run.”

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