Goals – Page 8 – Reach for the Seven Stars

2 weeks to go til Edinburgh. It is around this time that I think about how challenging it is to train for a marathon whilst ongoing training for a job and ensuring that all these things do not negatively affect the kids’ development.

Training programme: when can I squeeze in a run?

Until now, I have yet to establish a stable running schedule. I function on a ‘when can I squeeze in a run?’ basis. As an Oncology trainee, my working hours are predictable (M-F 830-1700 with occasional evening or weekend On-Call). David, who works in Intensive Care Medicine, has a more erratic schedule – day, long day, nights, and weekend on-call. Additionally, he has to drive about 40 mins to Southampton and back, which means very early starts and sometimes getting home late when on long days.

At the beginning of each month, I set up our calendar and this month, this is what it looks like…

First the colours

Green – David
Blue – Me
Coral Pink – Maya
Brown – Xavier
Orange – both kids
Teal – whole fam
Red – conflict/important

Second, the list of activities

For the kids – breakfast club, afterschool club (and our initials for whoever is taking/picking them up). Then there’s Footy and Swimming. There are a couple of days when our childminder will pick the kids up from afterschool club, all other days either me or David.

For David – day, long day, nights

For Me – Registrar of the Week (one week On-Call), which type of clinic (melanoma, skin, or neuro-onc), weekend on-call, Institute of Cancer Research (MSc course). Of course there is a one day trip to Edinburgh (for a fun run).

Now imagine superimposing a marathon schedule on top of this? Mostly 4 runs a week, including 1 long run over the weekend. The extra layer when training for a marathon is that I need to make sure it doesn’t interfere too much with family life – which means, the most optimal time to run is very early mornings when everyone is still asleep. I can only dream of a world or a time when I can really follow a marathon training plan to a tee. So for now, I’m on a ‘when can I squeeze in a run’ marathon plan.

Don’t stop and think too much, just keep going.

I’ve been built to just keep going. David and I just keep going. With the kids and no family close by, we just have to. With our full-time jobs (~50 hours/week), we chug along. It is non-stop.

However, it is those little moments when I set the monthly schedule when I get to stop and see first hand how mad it is and ask how is it possible that we are standing upright?!

Great comfort…

Despite all that, there is comfort in knowing that the kids are healthy and thriving well in school. Last month, on our Wedding Anniversary, they came home very excited and eager to show us that they were both Devonshire Diamonds on the same day at school. So actually, we may be okay.