Running Off The Stress

April 5, 2020 / Anna @ Piper's Run / 4 Comments

At the beginning of March, I struggled to even want to run. I struggled to run while sick – cause duh, sometimes you just need to rest. It seems now that the more stress I feel, the more I need to run and the more I want to run.

Anyone else stress running? Is that a thing? Fresh air, being outside, escaping my house, solo time, family activity time….whatever it is, I need these runs.

I’ve run more in the last two weeks then I have maybe all winter. January and February are usually spent skiing snowshoeing and playing indoor soccer but I still would run occasionally.

The feeling of being overwhelmed with work and life is high, as I’m sure it is for many people right now. Getting groceries is my only “outting” besides one trip to work for printing materials needed. Managing kids and working from home is stressful. This week we add in “school work” on top of everything else. Its going to be interesting…..and maybe a bit of a shit show. We’ll see!

I kinda feel like I’m doing everything half assed, and no one is getting 100% of me. Stress is high but running is keeping me level. I might not be training for a race anymore but maybe it’s a new race. The stay-sane-while-working-from-home-during-a-crisis-kind-of-race.

My kids are missing school, their friends and their teachers but making the most of life. We started something called “ditch soccer”. They dribble the soccer ball in the ditches while I walk our dog, Carmacks, on the road. It’s becoming a quick and fun activity for all of us.

We are heading out for a family walk and ditch soccer right now….off to my happy place. Stay safe and keep running (or cycling, or lifting or yoga-ing).

Anyone else feeling the stress of everything?

Are you stress running?

Have you made up a new game or activity with your kids?

Stress Can Be Powerful

September 22, 2015September 22, 2015 / Anna @ Piper's Run / 9 Comments

It’s amazing how stress can take a toll on your body. It can shut you down completely or it can tick away at you slowly. I try to remain positive on this blog but stuff sure has taken a toll on me lately, maybe that’s why I keep getting injured when running. Or maybe I’m just unlucky this year….I say this year because next year’s going to be GREAT. {See what I did there, staying positive}.

The last few weeks have been slowly getting more stressful, whether that be because of work, kids, being a part-time single parent, NOT running, being injured, etc. This past weekend the stress just kind of hit me…you know…one of those knock you off your feet kind of blow to the body.

I literally felt the stress of everything take over my body this weekend. {Don’t worry, I’m okay and happy but I am feeling stressed}. This past weekend, the girls and I had nothing planned and it was fantastic…..or so I thought. I’m not getting much sleeping lately (thanks Fitbit for that tip) which makes me a cranky person. The girls are still young, don’t listen all the time, play with each other until they fight, have meltdowns for no reason and drive me nuts sometimes.

I thought going to the Zoo would be fun…so we did that Saturday and played outside. Sunday we made muffins, played outside riding their bikes and they hung out at our neighbours for an hour. I’m pretty sure she could see how exhausted and stressed I was. I’m pretty lucky to have such a great neighbour that the girls love to spend time with.

It was one of those weekends, the one where I live for 7 pm so I can put them to bed. The one where I think….I CAN run later tonight and I know I’ll feel better after that run. It was one of those weekends that you are not proud of yourself and apologies to your children – yeah, I did that!

Yesterday, I felt the stress just creeping through my body and slowly taking over any energy my body had left. However, I still had to make dinner, read to the girls and put them to bed before I could shut it down for the night. As I ate dinner my husband called and it was just what I needed. The voice, the silence of him listening, his responses made me feel better. In the end, he told me to go workout. Nothing better when your husband knows exactly what you need to relieve some stress.

Ripped in 30 Level 30 in my Maritime Race Weekend tank.

Also, I’ve stopped using my Fitbit a few days ago…I don’t need to know how much I’m sleeping/not sleeping, I don’t need to know how many steps I’m getting. I just need to know how I feel when I am stressed out and that running/working out is a huge stress reliever for me. I got in a great 10k run on the treadmill Saturday…that runners’ high felt pretty good after that!

I’ve also tried to enjoy the best moments of my day. Like when Hilary woke up at 11 something the other night and I had to rock her back to sleep. Rather then being annoyed as sometimes we parents can do, especially after just falling asleep only to be woken up again, I soaked it in. She’s almost 3 and those days of cuddles are slipping away. So, I rocked her a little longer, kissed her cheek a few more times and yes, rocked her a few more times before I decided I should really go to bed. Secretly, I loved it and it made me feel better.

Last night’s workout was just what I needed.

PS – Mom, I’m fine.

Ever feel “stress” take over your body?

What’s your #1 stress reliever?

Side note – I get my foot taped later today at physio so you bet I’ll be heading out for a run 🙂

Another side note – I wasn’t sure I wanted to post this at all but being on social media this morning, I decided why not…life is life. Plus……I’m feeling a little fearless today…. #261fearless to be exact 😉

Guest Post: Molly’s Motivation

November 14, 2012November 14, 2012 / Anna @ Piper's Run / 2 Comments

So today I am your guest blogger! My name is Molly Ritterbeck and I blog over at Miss Molly and I am so blessed to be writing as a guest today!

What I am going to talk about today is motivation. What motivates you? Let me tell you about what motivates me!

I am a working mother who has two beautiful daughters and a husband that serves in the military – that is enough stress in itself isn’t it? Well let me tell you with the bills that come with kids and life in general and job changes to boot I was getting stressed. My tension headaches, anxiety, and sore shoulders (my stress goes straight to my shoulders) I just didn’t know what to do. I was also starting to really lose myself in taking care of everything and everyone else that I was kind of fighting off some depression. I didn’t want to turn to medicine and I knew if I went to a doctor that is what I would get.

My husband told me I needed to get active and change my diet – but I was never going to something because I was told – I needed to do it for myself. I had friends who went back and forth with new diet fads (meal plans, pills, prescription pills, etc) and I saw how they aged, fought self-confidence issues, and more. I didn’t want to be like that. Being a gymnast for over 8 years I thought I was still in shape despite no doing anything for a long time….so I decided one day to run a 5K with NO training. Not one of my brightest moments. I paid for that for a couple of days after.

As I was sitting in pain one of the days after I was mad. I was mad that I couldn’t do it. I was mad that Nick finished in 21 minutes and came back and ran half of it with me again. I didn’t need his help to finish. I didn’t want his help to finish ever again. I was going to do this. I started running little by little and building distance. I found friends to do it with me. I joined a running club. People were motivating me who didn’t even know me. I was not the best but they didn’t care at all. They thought it was awesome to do what I could and so did I.

I also started to notice the pain in my shoulders was gone, the anxiety was gone, and the headaches were gone. I had energy and could get more accomplished in the day. I was happier and was eating better. I was becoming what I had wanted and it was all because I didn’t want to be beaten. My motivation was to not be beaten.

I only had one moment of doubt and that was when my friends started to notice that I was losing weight and asked about it. Since I do not weigh myself very often at all (the gymnast in me swore I would never worry about a scale again), I had no clue – and I honestly said I didn’t think I had lost much so I couldn’t tell them. One of my friends stopped and looked at me and said “Well what’s the point if you aren’t losing weight?” I stopped in my tracks. Wow – what was the point I thought. The best part is – it only lasted a moment and I was able to say “The point is I feel better, and I now know I can do anything I put my mind to.”

I was mad at my friend for asking such a shallow question, but at the same time I was glad that I could answer her with the right answer and not a shallow one.

My motivation is myself and my family. It will never be to get to a number on the scale, but maybe to fit in my jeans better. It will never be to in the “in crowd” and be skinny because let’s be real – strong is the new skinny. I will be strong for myself and my family.