Approaching the crossroads

Due to some recent changes in my own life (new job which means more than double the distance from home and triple the commute time), I've had to face a challenge that most people face in their lives. That challenge is a lack of time. When training for the half marathon (which I am still proud to have completed), I was able to get weekday runs in due to the close proximity of several parks to my old job and being closer to home. I could beat the sunset and still get a couple miles in before heading home. Weekends were easier to deal with as well since the weather was cooler, allowing me to sleep a little later and still have decent temperatures and weather.

All this background is to let you know that conditions are not ideal, but they're not the end of the world either. I now spend significantly longer in the car, and if parks are close by I'm not aware of them just yet. This will make it hard to train longterm. It's also summer here now, so even with the sun staying up I get to deal with remaining heat (we've hit 90 degree temps already and summer has barely started). The other major nuisance is the massive mosquito population here. I get eaten alive during warmer weather.

These external hindrances combined with a desire to try something new have led me to do a little research on the latest and greatest in sports fitness. I've come across a unifying theme throughout my searches. Less can be more. If you've been reading the blog for the past several weeks, you may remember this post. Workouts like this have become more and more popular for several reasons, but here is what makes them appeal to me:

For a quick workout, it offers significant benefits and can be more effective even than running.

As you can tell already, I'm a bit strapped for time. Like most women, I have to deal with household chores on top of working and whatnot. I also crave downtime to relax mentally by reading books, watching an occasional movie, and hanging out with friends. The tough part is going to be making a new routine. This was a major hurdle regardless of whether I chose running, going to the gym, or anything else. Now that I've found a workout method I want to try, I'll start trying to build the right habits again.

Does this mean I've given up on running? No way! This means I'm taking a break but am looking forward to trying to run more 5ks in the future. I miss the casual racing. I'll probably sign up for the Publix half marathon again.

I really wanted to write this post because I want you readers to know that there are other options out there. Find what works for you, and don't be afraid of change and challenge.