Late August–mid-September 2026

I have not run much over the last few weeks.

There. That is probably the easiest way to start this one.

Over the summer, there was always another workout to write about. Another milestone, another experiment, or another disagreement between how I felt and what Garmin thought.

Lately, the running updates have been quieter. The rest of my life has not.

There Are Only So Many Hours

Production was already an adjustment. Then came twelve-hour shifts and the switch to nights.

That changes more than the hours I spend at work. Sleep, meals, family time, and everything else have to find somewhere new to fit. A day off on the calendar does not necessarily feel like an entire day available to do things.

I am still learning the job, too. Being busy in a familiar role is one thing. Being busy while learning to approach the work differently takes another kind of attention.

Then there is my master’s degree.

Apparently graduate school does not recognize “I work 12s now” as a valid reason for assignments to disappear.

There is still reading, writing, and coursework waiting when I get home. Some of that coursework is biomechanics, which means I can spend time studying movement while struggling to find time to move myself.

That feels about right.

The difficult part is that these are not all things I wish would go away. I want the degree. I want to grow professionally. I care about doing my job well.

They are worthwhile things. They also take time.

Then There Is Dad Life

The kids are back in school, and sports and band have added their own schedules to the mix.

Those are things I want to be there for. I do not want to look at everything my kids are doing as an obstacle between me and a workout.

But being present for them and wanting time for myself are not opposite feelings. Both can exist. Finding room for both is the part I am still figuring out.

Some days, running loses its usual place in the day. That does not mean I stopped enjoying it. It means something else needed that time.

Somewhere in the middle of all this, two of my fish died.

Apparently even the aquarium was having a rough few weeks.

My Right Shin Had an Opinion Too

The schedule was not the only reason I slowed down.

My right shin started bothering me, which added another consideration whenever I thought about getting out for a run.

Earlier in the summer, I had already learned that wanting to do more did not necessarily mean my body was ready for it. I did not need to repeat that experiment just to catch up on missed workouts.

I have also started moving away from Runna and toward a Garmin coaching plan. The five-week program helped me get started, but I am now trying to work out what training looks like with this schedule.

The important part is not which app I use. It is whether my expectations fit the time, energy, and comfort I actually have.

I still want to run. I just do not want every opportunity to turn into a test of how much I can squeeze in.

Even the Basics Got Scrambled

One of the clearest signs that my routine had slipped was water.

Hydration had become something I was fairly consistent about over the summer. Then the schedule changed, and even that became less automatic.

September 8 was the first day in about a week that I felt back to my normal water intake.

That stood out to me. I had been thinking about missed workouts while overlooking something much simpler.

Before I worry about fitting more into the day, I need to pay attention to how I am getting through the day I already have.

October 7 Is Getting Closer

Shoulder surgery is scheduled for October 7.

When I spoke with the surgeon in August, it was something ahead of me. Now it is close enough to shape how I think about the next few weeks.

I do not want to turn the time before surgery into another deadline where I need to accomplish as much as possible.

There is already enough of that feeling between work and school.

For now, I want to keep some movement in my routine, make room for rest, and handle what is in front of me. I do not need a dramatic fitness milestone before the next chapter starts.

The Part of Fall I Need to Pay Attention To

The weather is changing too.

The long stretch of colder, grayer weather is the part of living in Spokane I struggle with most. I like being outside and playing sports. I do not particularly enjoy the time of year when getting out the door starts requiring a negotiation.

Growing up, I dealt with seasonal depression. That history is something I need to keep in mind as the days get shorter, especially now that I am working nights.

It would be easy for my routine to shrink to work, home, schoolwork, and sleep. There would always be a reasonable explanation for staying inside one more day.

That is where this becomes about more than missed runs.

Running does not have to be my first priority right now. But getting outside and doing something for myself cannot keep getting pushed to whenever everything else is finished.

Everything else is rarely finished.

Sometimes that might mean a run. Other times, it might mean a walk or simply making use of the daylight I have available.

Not because Garmin needs another activity.

Because I know this is something I need to pay attention to for myself.

Where I Am Now

I spent the summer learning how to make running part of my life. The last few weeks have reminded me that it cannot always have the same place in my schedule.

I understand why it has moved down the list. That does not mean I want it to stay there indefinitely.

Work matters. School matters. Being there for my kids matters. But the things I do for my own well-being deserve some room, too.

That is what I am figuring out now. Not how to catch up on every missed workout, or how to recreate the schedule I had in July.

How to leave a little room for myself in a life full of things I care about.

Running can move down the list.

I just do not want taking care of myself to fall off it.