My friend Sandy who is also a working and running mama emailed me to ask recently, how do make time for running? This is really a bigger question I think, which is, can you have it all? I’ve been a stay at home mom and a working mom and I really don’t think you can have it all. You can’t have everything you want, the way you want it, when you want it without some sacrifices (like, ahem, updating your blog). We all have the same finite amount of time available in each day. When we have more demands on that time, we need to really figure out what things are most important. For me running is one of those important things so I will make time for that before a lot of other things.

But I’m lucky, I work from home so it’s easy for me to go for a run on my lunch hour, which is what I do nearly every day. But for moms like Sandy, it’s trickier but not impossible. Here’s a few ideas on how to fit in running when your time is squeezed.

Stock Up – I know that when Friday rolls around all we can think about is relaxing. But the weekends are a great opportunity to load up on your workout time. Try doing half of your weekly mileage on Saturday and Sunday. Do two long’ish runs – between 6-8 miles each day. Then you can squeeze in just two shorter runs during the week and still have a decent mileage base.

Get up and Get Moving – I am not a morning person. I am not cheerful or all that nice when I get out of bed. But I must concede the point that when I run in the morning, it wakes me up and sets the tone for a great day. I really do feel more energized all day.  If you get up earlier and get your exercise done then you don’t have to worry about it the rest of the day and when that end of day fatigue sets in, you can just give in and go to bed early guilt free.

Buddy Up – Especially if you are going to run in the morning, find a running buddy. Check out the running clubs in your area, a lot of them have message boards to find running buddies. Or check out seemommyrun and see if there are any mom runners in your neighborhood. If not, start your own group on seemommyrun. If your office has workout/shower facilities ask around and see if there are any runners who might want to join you for a lunch time run.

Splitsville – Breaking your run into two chunks might make it easier to squeeze in. Run 15 minutes in the morning (hey, you’re going to shower anyway, right?) and 15 minutes after you get home from work. Throw your munchkin in the jogging stroller and spend some time talking about her day. If you have older kids get them to ride their bikes along with you. Or better yet, find a park or attraction that’s about a 15 minute run away, run to the park and play, then run home. You get to spend time with your little one and you get a workout.

Taking time to exercise even if it means time away from your kids, is worth the sacrifice. You are showing yourself and your kids that you and your health are important.

Here’s another French group for your running mix, but they sing in English and they are quite awesome. This song puts a spring in my step when I’m running, I really like it for the long hill to my house that I have to tackle at the end of every run.