I ran a 200 miles relay race as part of a twelve person team this week. I slept a total of three hours in 36 hours – and I’m being generous here. Even this meager amount of sleep was possible only because one of my superpowers is that I can fall asleep anywhere, anytime, under any conditions and won’t wake up even if there is a crack addict rummaging through my bedroom with the lights on – true story I’ll share with you some other time but wanted to reference for proof of my sleeping prowess.
Running two hundred miles with a team of twelve virtual strangers with little to no sleep, as my friend Kelly said, sounds just awful. So I get it, it’s not for everyone. But here’s what is for everyone: taking a breather from your parental duties. Because it feels awesome. And it feels awesome because as we race through life running from soccer practice, to work in the morning, through meal time, a rushed moment with friends, hastily penciled in time with you partner it can feel like we are nothing more than human hamsters running to nowhere on wheels of our own making. It’s sadly easy to lose sight of how wonderful our crazy hamster wheel truly is. Sometimes we have to step back to appreciate the forest for the trees. Because it’s awfully hard to appreciate what we can’t see.
But guess what happens when you step away from your every day grind? Yes, it actually helps you realize how fantastic your grind really is. Because when I spent thirty-six hours in a van with six women not only did I learn to appreciate things like showers, beds, and personal hygiene I also learned to appreciate something way harder than running eighteen sleepless miles: raising a family that I love. Yes I pushed myself physically but we as parents push ourselves way harder mentally and spiritually every day raising our families.
And so I did something way cooler in Vegas than drinking, gambling, and seeing a show. I spent thirty-six hours in a van with five of my teammates sharing all the best parts of the true pride and joy of our lives: our families.
For laughter and inspiration read my blog NicoleCorning.com and my book The Working Mommy’s Manual, available on Amazon:
The Working Mommy’s Manual by Nicole W. Corning
For laughter and inspiration read my book The Working Mommy's Manual, available on Amazon.
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