“Great expectations”
After what feels like a blink-or-you’ll-miss-it several weeks, I’ve started back at work. Overall, maternity leave was great. Don’t get me wrong, it was no vacation – it was much harder than my “day job” and much harder than I thought it would be. But it was also pretty great spending all that time with my son, getting to know him, letting him get to know me, and helping him adjust to his new world.
As someone who thrives on routine, I was excited to get back to work…and a little sad. I know virtually every parent has that bittersweet mix of emotions when going back to work, but I know it will be good for Abel to spend time with other people, learn new things from experts (first-time mom here so I’m no expert!), and get into more of a routine of his own.
While I definitely didn’t get back into the swing of working out during maternity leave as I maybe imagined or hoped I would, I did get back into it a little bit, to the tune of walking, EFXing and light running a few days a week. Now with going back to work and everything new that’s going to come with Abel, from adjusting his schedule to his next growth spurt to teething, I don’t see it getting any easier – but that doesn’t mean I’m not still going to try! And a big part of that is changing my expectations of myself and my workouts.
Workout or time with this face…easy choice!
I remember back in the day if I “only” did 30 minutes on the EFX or lifting, it seemed like a waste and I’d be hard on myself about it. Today, I managed to squeeze in a 20-minute run and felt glorious. So I’m happy to say that my expectations have already begun to shift a bit – though, I admit, sometimes I long for those days when I could knock out a 10k on a Monday night, get in leg day and an upper body lift, plus a little extra cardio, all before a Saturday long run.
Yes, I still crave the runner’s high and feeling of a good, long sweat sesh. But seeing my son smile and giggle, that’s something I really can’t get enough of. And something worth keeping workouts short – or skipping them altogether some days – so I don’t miss a second of his awesomeness.
Do you have any good, quick and effective workouts you love? Or tips for making short workouts really count? Please leave a comment or tweet me, @LindsayIRL.