Notes on Returning to Running
I’m returning to running after a long break, with two kids, a recent move, and a life that looks very different than it did the last time I trained seriously.
These are notes I’m keeping along the way — what’s helped, what hasn’t, and what’s made running feel sustainable rather than heavy. Not advice. Just observations from the middle of it.
This is meant to be dipped into, not followed.
Updated occasionally. No schedule.
Why it feels different this time
The last time I trained for a marathon, my life had a lot more open space. I also felt more invincible..
Back then, I ran five times a week with little exception, and ignored stretching, hills, and strength training.
This time, there are kids, I work from home, we’ve recently moved cities (to much more hilly terrain), and I have far fewer empty hours — which oddly makes running feel more important, not less.
I’m less interested in a goal time, but I still monitor my pace. Don’t have anything to prove, but I want to keep it light enough so I don’t quit.
That’s the main shift: running has to fit inside life now, not rearrange it.
What I’ve noticed
I’m less interested in being fast, more interested in being injury-free. (Quietly hoping at some point the two can co-exist.)
Haven’t run a marathon in over a decade, and only a few organized races in the that time. After registering, my inner running-geek seems to have re-emerged.
What helps (for now)
A flexible weekly workout schedule helps. Instead of running every M/W/F, and strength training Tu/Th/Sat, I try to fit in 3 workouts of each whenever they fit. And if they don’t fit, I prioritize the long runs and leg days for strength.
As I go
Early on, I’m impressed about how good it feels to be back to running. Way more energy and I’m enjoying alternating between running and strength training. Loving the new runners I was gifted at Christmas.
Worth remembering
It’s early.
I’ll update this page as I learn more. For now, these observations help me keep running part of life, not the whole thing. If you’re in Calgary (or anywhere!) and want to talk design, movement, or just norms and hills, drop me a line.
