iRun because I cannot say no to a second slice of chocolate cake – Emily Shandruk , Vancouver, BC

iRun to stay fit and release those running endorphins – Liliana Plava , Calgary, AB

iRun because I want to qualify for Boston and raise money for charities near and dear to my heart – Christine Gracel , Calgary, AB

iRun because it makes me feel good, allows me to spend time with my friends and gives me a feeling of accomplishment – Helen Kolodziejzyk , Calgary, AB

iRun but not enough – Michael Shaw , New Westminister, BC

iRun because I never thought I would be able to – Gary Morris , Winnipeg, MB

iRun to challenge myself, physically and mentally – Kathleen Keenan , Brampton, ON

iRun because people around me inspire me – Pina Bevilacqua , Caledon, ON

iRun therefore I am – Duncan Walsh , Nottingham, UK

iRun because I live – Georges Schneller , Laval, QC

iRun to be free and enjoy our beautiful country – Cheryl Carter , Clearwater , BC

iRun for overall wellbeing – Trish McCourt , Halifax, NS

iRun because it makes me a better person, a better wife, a better mother and a better friend – Nathalie Joncas-Caissie , St-Antoine, NB

iRun because it makes me feel powerful – Carlene Paquette , Carp, ON

iRun because pecan pie, french fries and beer are chasing me – Teresa Sterling , Ottawa , ON

iRun because it’s in me – Michael Foley , Stittsville, ON

iRun because it reminds me that I am capable of so much more than I have done – James Sauve , Ottawa, ON

iRun for me – Kiza Francis , Ottawa,ON

iRun to prove to myself I can – Lesley McGougan , Brampton, ON

iRun because all the ladies are chasing my sexy runner’s body – Chris Baker , Etobicoke, ON

iRun because I can and I’m grateful – Terry SanCartier , Gatineau, QC

iRun because when I run I feel most alive – Meghan Lynch , Ottawa, ON

iRun to unleash my inner athlete – Adelle Densham , Avonmore, ON

iRun because it cleans up my life, because I drink more water, sleep better and eat healthier foods – Robin McIntyre , Ottawa, ON

iRun because of the peace and strength it brings me – Michelle Jordan , Ottawa, ON

iRun because I need it to soothe the soul, keep me in shape and for overall wellbeing – Beth Neil , Lombardy, ON

iRun because it is my tonic and my salvation – Georgia Ioannou , British Columbia

iRun for relaxation and to motivate my two sons – Keith Bradbury , Newfoundland

iRun because endorphins are free – Cassandra Chouinard , Ontario

iRun because somebody once told me I couldn�t – Heidi Abbey-Der , Saskatchewan

iRun because couch potatoes die young – Cathy Andrew , Ontario

iRun because it�s cheaper than therapy – Leah Boulter , Alberta

iRun because I like buying running clothes – Pamela Blaikie , Ontario

iRun slowly! – Jason Hoffman , Manitoba

iRun because it gives me freedom to relax my brain – Marie-Claude Gregoire , Nova Scotia

iRun because I learn more about who I am with every km – Steph Mansell , Quebec

iRun because iEat – Sherry Maligaspe , British Columbia

iRun and run, and run, and run, and nobody can stop me – Andrei Lucaciu , Ontario

iRun because the wall is meant to be broken – Jonathan Bird , Ontario

iRun because it has saved my life – John Marshall , Alberta

iRun for the challenge to go faster and farther – Steven Matejka , Alberta

iRun to my happy place and some days it�s very – Doreen May , Alberta

iRun because food tastes better afterwards – Patrick Houston , Alberta

iRun because I can�t dance – Mario Javier , Ontario

iRun so I don�t say never ever again – Linda Klaric , Manitoba

iRun because it makes me whole – Denis Ladouceur , Quebec

iRun because it gets my husband out there – Tricia LaLonde , Alberta

iRun away from the negative and towards the positive – Teri Lepard , Alberta

iRun because running is like breathing to – Stephanie McEvoy , Ontario

iRun because I love the solitude – Janene Tailleur , British Columbia

iRun for the moment when both feet are off the ground – Catherine Anderson , British Columbia

iRun to someday win the race – Lindy Dunlop , Yukon

iRun to stay ahead of the weight gain – Myra Abstreiter , Alberta

iRun because otherwise I�m grumpy – Alexandre Charest , Quebec

iRun because I get foot rubs afterward – Kate Howerton , British Columbia

iRun because iLoves my man – Beverly Huang , Alberta

iRun because not everyone can – Olivia Harvey , New Brunswick

iRun to get to know myself, my strength and my spirit – Lisa Groulx , Ontario

iRun whenever I feel the need to escape – Iona Hillis , Ontario

iRun because it�s like flying, only lower – Glenn Johnson , Ontario

iRun because it makes me feel powerful – Sarah Kallaghan , Alberta

iRun because I�ve lost 80 lbs and running has become fun – Cheryl Kelly , Ontario

iRun because there is no finish line – Claire Kilgour , Ontario

iRun so my daughters know that they can, too – Shelley Kirkpatrick , New Brunswick

iRun because it reminds me of how strong I can be – Monique Lavoie , Ontario

iRun because it�s a great way to see the world – Sherry Mahoney , British Columbia

iRun because my heart tells me to – William Martin , Manitoba

iRun to prove to them that iCan – Catherine Smith , Manitoba

iRun because it�s fun when it�s done – Sue Matte , Ontario

iRun because I am not as clumsy I thought I was – Hanna Baer , Quebec

iRun see where my feet will take me today – Megan Dolinskas , New York

iRun for the cool t-shirts! – Pina Bevilacqua , Ontario

iRun because I want to be a role model for our six kids – Catherine Empey , British Columbia

iRun to inspire my kids to try – Glen Johnston , Nunavut

iRun so I can eat ice cream – Sandy Bolan , Ontario

iRun because I want to live to be 100! – Colette DeJean , Ontario

iRun for health, iRun for life – Pat Cheung , British Columbia

iRun because it gives my day a boost of energy – Sara Campbell , Nova Scotia

iRun because it�s better than almost everything else – Nathan Carey , Ontario

iRun at 50 years old because at 43 I couldn�t – Peter Cicalo , Ontario

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Tania Jones on balancing family and athletic goals

Does fitting in a regular running schedule on top of all your other responsibilities seem impossible?

Is trying to squeeze in a training program for a marathon around a marriage, kids and a job stressing you out?

Follow the example of one of Canada’s top marathoners, Tania Jones. Nobody can speak from experience like she can. Just a few months after the birth of her second child, Jones is striving through careful planning and management to find the ideal balance between training, work and family. And she still holds on to the dream of a PB sometime in the not-too-distant future.

Jones balances the household responsibilities of a young family, the duties of a successful career with a major pharmaceutical company and the training demands of an elite athlete. She shares with us her advice for fitting it all into your busy life.

The life of an athlete

We are all asking, how do I achieve a high level in more than one aspect of my life? A professional needs to perform like an athlete. I have found that my fitness level actually helps me perform better in the other parts of my life. I simply have the energy to do more.

I’ve seen the clock of the elite athlete who focuses only on athletics. I’ve never chosen to have that life and now I’ve decided that I don’t want that anyway. I’m choosing to have these other parts of my life as well.

I spend time looking at how all the different components of my life fit together: mother, wife, career, community, athlete. I consider how all these different components are going to fit together. My job requires a certain number of hours a day. I want to spend time with my kids. I want to do all these things. All the goals in each area must be compatible for it to work. Plus, we want to have some down time and have fun as a family.

"I’ve seen the clock of the elite athlete who focuses only on athletics... I don’t want that."

Choosing to let some things go

I have made choices to maintain this complicated life. We don’t spend time watching television.
I no longer race in exciting far away places. We don’t travel to my races as a family as much anymore and instead focus more on Canadian races closer to home. With my first son, we traveled with him a lot in the first year. We started out saying, we’re going to experience this together, now I travel to races alone.

I used to go train with a track club training group two to three times per week. Now I almost always run by myself. I don’t train on a beautiful track. I train on a dirt track full of weeds because it is on my way home from work. It gets a bit lonely now. But that’s one of the choices I make to be more efficient.

Everything has its cycle

I put an emphasis on different parts of my life at different times of the year. I call it periodization. I don’t train for a marathon in the winter when there’s less daylight and the cold is hard on my body. As a result, I won’t be ready for a marathon in April.

Career is always intense. It doesn’t have periodization. I don’t have down cycles at work anymore. I can’t expect to have up and down cycles. I fit other things around work.

To maintain high performance, I have found that I need to build in down time for recovery and regeneration. This has allowed me to stay competitive in the sport for over 20 years.

"It’s okay not to be with your kids 100% of the time"

Planning for more than just training

You have to find some way to be strategic in each role. In our house, we’re looking
for simpler ways to do things. This creates time for the activities we love.

For me, this includes building the perfect team. I always search out the best expertise. My list of experts who have helped me includes physicians, therapists, chiropractors, exercise physiologists, chefs and a cleaning service.

I have to be really discerning about who’s part of the team. For massage therapy,
I need someone who will come to the house since I can’t leave the boys.

It’s also anticipating problems before they happen. That’s at work, with kids,
with life in general. Maintaining the car properly or having the right babysitter. The
little details save time and effort in the long run.

It’s also being realistic about things. I try to look realistically at life rather than attempting to meet an ideal. For example, it’s okay not to be with your kids 100% of the time. It’s about quality time not quantity and about being a good role model. I have created my own unique vision of success.

WEB EXTRA: Tania´s tips to build the right team around you.
WEB EXTRA: How Tania has conquered the modern cooking crisis.

RAY ZAHAB: ADVENTURES IN RUNNING
From the Sahara to Sudbury, Ray blogs from all over Canada and around the world, combining stories from his own amazing running experiences with helpful tips for everyday runners.

MARK SUTCLIFFE: MY RUNNING LIFE
Mark hosts an interactive blog offering feedback and stories from iRunNation and lets readers in on the ups and downs of his own training.

MARILYN ARSENAULT: RENAISSANCE WOMAN
Marilyn isn't just a top masters athlete and accomplished opera singer - she has also gone back to school at the University of Victoria and has joined the varsity track and cross-country team.

CASSIE HAWRYSH: TRAINING
Up-and-coming elite Canadian hurtler, Cassie blogs about her training and studies at the University of Regina, and what life is like as a dedicated athlete.