We are definitely NOT talking about my body here 🙂
(Full on tangent: I was so flexible as a kid and teen! Splits, straddles, backbends. And then running happened. I need to do more yoga or something.)
But, I am talking about routines and goals and the like. I love how Kae will call me out (because she has a passion for logistics AND excellent attention to detail) when I do a particularly long run on a clinic day: “WAIT, how did you get that in PLUS your morning routine and still get to work on time?”
The answer:
I skip stuff!
Even with my upholder tendencies, I definitely accept that sometimes you just have to triage.
Components of my morning routine, the ideal version: coffee, read (1/14 of some nonfiction currently!), 10 min Headspace, plan day and fill out 5 year journal, workout with home arrival by 6:45 am so I can shower and get kids ready.
Components of my morning routine, in order of importance to me: coffee (essential under ANY potential circumstance), run component of any workout, plan day, blog post, strength component of any workout, Headspace, 5 year journal.
Some days, only my run happens in the morning. Every once in a while, *nothing* happens — well, except coffee. That is a given. Some days I do not meditate or read. Sometimes (the horror) a day goes by without a blog post. Sometimes I get a few days behind in my 5 year journal and leave blank days.
My routine is well-thought out and I generally love it. AND it’s flexible! The routine is there to serve me, rather than the other way around. Which is why this post is coming at you several hours later than usual.
PS: Super super excited at the response so far to BLPA! Newsletter subscribers received signup info and the link to register this morning, and I’ll also share here and add it to the BLPA page next week. I do think based on the response thus far this very first cohort might fill up (!) but there will be future rounds to come!
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I am one of those early joiners. And it felt “free” because something I paid for last spring was just cancelled and a refund issued on my credit card. Really looking forward to it.
I share your coffee priority.
awww so excited to have you!! I will be sending everyone an email with a little survey in a day or two. I feel like I already *know* some which is so cool!
My morning routine is sooo not flexible! But we have to leave the house at 6:45 so we can do drop off and be at our desk by 7:30. This is part of why I don’t love the return to office expectation but 3 days at work is still far better than 5! But this is why morning workouts don’t work for me on office days as I don’t have it in me to get up at 5! I get up at 5:45 or 6 depending on whether I need to blow dry my hair and it’s still a bit of a cluster to get out the door as the kids can be grumbly/uncooperative or the toddler may throw a tantrum. But I wrongly compare what others do in the morning to what I do in the morning and that is a terrible benchmark because they might not leave the house at 6:45. So I only have essential things in my morning routine – showering/getting ready, eating a breakfast of warmed up oatmeal that I make on the weekend + a banana, and feeding/dressing/brushing the kids teeth (with the help of my husband). I made my lunch the night before so I can just grab it from the fridge and I set up our coffee maker the night before as well and the coffee goes into a thermos for work so I can actually enjoy drinking it versus feel like I am slamming it on my way out the door. 😉
But like Kae, I believe I commented on how impressed I was that you ran 8 miles before work a few weeks ago. I did that once pre-kids when I was marathon training but I got up at 4-4:30! Which is NOT sustainable and was a one time thing because I was going to a bachelorette party that weekend.
Putting a plug in for yoga (as a runner). I “discovered” yoga about 13 years ago and have a pretty regular practice. It is such an amazing compliment to running and my body can do things (from a flexibility and strength perspective) that I never would have thought possible. I basically only do yoga and running (no weight training) and I feel like its enough to keep muscle composition, toning, and strength. 45 (almost 46) year old mom of 2, have run 5 marathons, including two in the last two years and training for another spring marathon. I know it means adding another workout to your routine and trying to find time for it, but if it is at all possible, you should explore it! You will love it. I personally prefer Baptiste Power Yoga, but there are many styles of yoga and I recommend trying a few studios to find what you like.
I also share your coffee priority. Its the only way all of the other stuff works!
My routine is also not flexible (up at 5:50, get dressed coffee and breakfast and out the door by 6:30). But I do agree about the coffee being necessary.
Yes 6:30 leave time basically forces a pare-down to essentials only – makes sense! I guess the only alternative is to sleep something like 830-4 … but that could have some major downsides w a tween and partner who doesn’t want to keep those hours …
I have colleagues that do this. They are all men who have wives who do everything for them and the kids.
Yep makes sense … sigh
I had that schedule for years too- I had to leave by 6:15 though. I never had any kind of morning routine back then besides get up, shower, get ready and hope to get out the door on time and punch in by 7. On the plus side, I left before anyone else in my house was usually awake, so I didn’t have to mess with any kids/ morning routine juggling, luckily. I had other nurse friends whose husbands also worked early, and they had to drop kids at daycare by 6:30 and then be to the unit by 7 am…. and that sounded SO AWFUL (to have to be up and getting kids ready that early).
Yes! Not dealing with kids in the morning is massively helpful with an early departure. 3 days a week I start seeing patients at 7. I leave my house at 6. I do an abbreviated am routine on the those days, but typically everyone is still in bed when I walk out the door at 6.
i fully agree…to have an ideal morning routine, and then have a priority list of things I get in depending on time availability… usually mate for me and then exercise in term of priority. I rarely get to plan the day before 8 or 9am, sometimes I plan in my head during my run and write it down before I start my working hour.
We have a mirror image morning routine, except sub peloton bike for running right now, feeding an infant (3m pp), and Midori 3yr 😂 Super excited I can ease back into running during winter months. Signed up for BLPA!
Yay!!! So excited to have you!!
Gah – was batching reading the emails until today and missed the sign-up slots. But very very pleased for you that the full cohort is full. And it is maybe no bad thing if I wait until the £sterling exchange rate settles a bit 🤦🏻♀️