Where is everyone?

[El Gordo]

Hi there Glaconman, long time no hear. I was on Simon's Seat myself not so long ago. Small world.

It shouldn't be hard to find time to run (he said, unsympathetically).

Have you tried early morning? I mean, really early morning? Early running is fantastic, and gives you plenty of energy for the day ahead. Takes a bit of getting used to, mind.

But with a young baby you may be too tired to do this. I can only get up and run in the morning if I feel reasonably rested.

How about lunchtime? Does your work have a shower? If so, why not try 30 minutes in the middle of the day?

I think they're your best bets. By evening you may be feeling too knackered after your day's work, and it may seem unreasonable to leave the family immediately after getting home.

As for your state of perpetual slavery, remember that running is an antidote, not a competitor. Despite what I just said about the possible drawbacks of evening running, it's a great feeling to get home after a stressful day and go for a lope around the block. Replacing your work clothes with a teeshirt and shorts seems to be symbolic. You're peeling off the trappings of work and escaping into another world. When it's cool and dark, the sensation is heightened. A great way of de-stressing.

A lot of this really depends on your other half's attitude. If she resents you running, that's a tough one. If she's in favour, you should be easily able to come to some agreement.

If it's a fatigue thing, I can only offer bland advice like "get to bed earlier". Pretty dull stuff, sorry.

I don't mean this unsympathetically, of course, but I tend to think that if you really want to run you should be able to do it. Maybe you're overestimating how much investment of time is involved. To start getting back into it, you don't have to think in terms of 3 hour jaunts to Simon's Seat. 30 minutes, 4 times a week round the local streets will ease you back quite nicely. A 30 minute run + 5 mins for a shower. This shouldn't be too much to fit in early in the morning or while you're waiting for dinner to cook, or last thing at night (as long as you've not eaten too much).

Come on, GM, you can do it. Once you start, think about doing a race. I'll even join you if I can.