This year I have transformed into a student living with my parents, with plenty of spare time and the most responsible thing I did was successfully pay a gym membership and phone bill... To suddenly I'm a fully qualified (1weeks time!) teacher, about to move into a flat with my partner and more payments going out my current account than in.

Chris and I went to set up a joint account two weeks back, we sat in a little room with a lady tapping tediously away on a windows xp computer. We were setting up a joint account. All of a sudden it dawned on me; IM A GROWN UP. When did this happen!? How do I do it!? I always thought one day I would just wake up: no longer a clueless teenager, and be an adult who knew it all. I spend all day with children. I love my job. I understand children (well more than I understand anything else) and so. I spend much of my time around the simplistic, ecocentrism of seven year olds. So because of this I sometimes revert back to such thinking, oh to be seven again.

Sport is for people of all ages; a parent told me tonight her mother in law us entering her fourth marathon, her first one she ran at 60, then three weeks ago I watched a some tiny tots brave a junior aquathlon in a lake, making me feel shameful of my nerves and fear of getting in the unheated/chlorinated water.

My point is: sport stays with us, it is versetile, flexible, moulded around our lives, enhancing us as human-beings and feeding our desires to achieve our goals whatever they may be. In my last post I discussed the friends I have met through sport, each and every one of them does sport for different reasons, and wraps it around their careers, children, finances and health in unique ways. Some women I have met have entwined sport with having children, this has thoroughly amazed me! From partaking in sport whilst pregnant to running a parkrun with a running buggy! In addition to this, also balancing a careers, household and dare I say it...some sort of social life & actually sleeping. Is this some kind of superwoman that has evolved?!? How on earth will I do it? I heard about one of my club friends running at 5am in the morning to train for a race in order to still raise a baby and have a career and amazingly a husband! It made me wonder..making such a sacrifice, running must mean an awful lot to her, such motivation and dedication, what kicks her out of bed at that time to do so?

My mission: I am pacing the Women's Running 10km in Nottingham on July 19th. This will kick start my research into how on earth these superwomen do it, and why. I am hoping to ask various women at the race and hopefully Nell McAndrew. Last year's race marked a huge part in my life ending, A chapter maybe one day I will discuss. I got to speak to, and run with Nell (she pipped me at 8km dam it!) her mum was in the crowds with her baby, and her monthly piece in Women's Running always has me inspired and thinking about various aspects of life as a busy woman and how to balance sport.

So..watch this space and if you wish to share your opinion/story then find me on facebook Abi Jane

or twitter @abi_schofield

x

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