The New Normal

There are lives I can imagine without children 

but none of them have the same laughter & noise. 

- Brian Andreas

When I started this blog in January, I was a 40+ hour-a-week employee with a 90 min commute and two young kids trying to squeeze in 30 mi/wk of trail running to complete my first ultra. Now, I am an unemployed mom with one ultra done and a bunch more on the docket, enjoying two whole days of workweek fun with the kids while putting in 60+ mi/wk of training.

Everyone in the house is happier with me less stressed and not running around trying to get the bare minimum done to keep the household functioning (even with the huz's significant help). While I still have M-W-F to train and get household tasks completed while the kids are at pre(school), I'm now planning fun stuff with the kids on T-TH and getting in speed work after J gets home. Having time to be involved in a new church in Rockrimmon has been another upside. I'm doing music again and have had friends over for dinner every week since I left my job a month ago. Feels like old times, back when we were DINKS in Boston and potlucks at our house were the norm.

God - family - friends - running. These are the things that bring me joy and what I want to invest myself in. I'm grateful for the time and energy to do so. Even though having kids makes the running and racing more complicated, they add so much to my overall joy that I feel I have a richer life now than when I was childless. I wouldn't trade the freedom to do what-I-want-when-I-want over the necessary limitations and sacrifices required to take care of them.

I know that children aren't for everyone -- whether by choice or sadly, when it's not. All I'm saying is that I don't look wistfully at the runners who live out of their vehicles traveling from one amazing trail to another. If I'm tempted to feel jealous of that kind of carefree life, I just look at my kids and realize that being tied down to a home filled with love and laughter is a pretty sweet thing. I'll have my adventures, they just look a little different and the trail running ones come more sporadically.

My lovies

Now that my health is back, I'm ramping up the mileage in prep for the R2R2R. Winter hasn't loosened its grip yet as evidenced by the recent single digit temps and need for microspikes. I'm looking forward to a serious melt this week as temps head into the 50's and low 60's possibly.

Some snaps of my recent escapades:

Still sick, but stomped out a 6 miler at the Barr

Sheila at Palmer Lake Reservoir (before the 12 snowy miles)

Ute Valley after a blizzard

Testing my gear in 3° windchill

13 miler on the Falcon Trail

While their future as a touring band remains uncertain, The Civil Wars are recording again in follow up to their Grammy awarding winning debut album, Barton Hollow. I know MJ would be proud if he heard this. You're welcome.
Happy Trails,

Shelby