Some Days You Can’t Win

              

(She knows the importance of fueling before, during and after a workout!)

                My training has been going well thus far. I am getting more creative with getting workouts in with the baby which means I am doing a lot more of my runs on the treadmill while she naps. I definitely like running outside better but I need to be flexible and running on a treadmill is better than no running at all! I like to think it makes me mentally tougher to be able to hang tough on the treadmill during tempo runs. One perk is that my water bottle is only an arm’s reach away. But there is a downside.

                After my 33 minute run on the treadmill today, I did  a 5 mile progression run (starting at 7:30 for the first mile down to 5:56 for the fastest with a mile cool down) I received a voicemail from my landlord that the neighbors downstairs were complaining about the noise claiming it was shaking the whole apartment even the windows. This may be a bit of an exaggeration as I have glass picture frames set up 3 feet from my treadmill and they don’t even wiggle. But either way they were annoyed.

                Let’s rewind over a year ago. I was newly pregnant and coming back from an MCL tear. It was dark (5pm in the winter) cold and rainy outside so I decided to do my run on the treadmill. A whole 4 miles. Thirty minutes max. Literally two minutes into my run I hear someone buzzing my door. Since I just started I decide to stop and answer the door. It was my neighbor complaining about my running. I tell him my situation, that I am pregnant and rehabbing a knee and will only be running for 30 minutes. He was not very nice and demands that I stop running. His girlfriend works “nights” (3am-1pm) and he said it is very hard for her to sleep with the noise. I asked if I could do just 20 minutes and he said no. Though I was mad at the time I agreed and went outside and ran.

                I have been very accommodating to their schedule. I never run in the evenings on my treadmill and before Lily was born I would go to my gym if I wanted to do a treadmill run. But now that I have a baby things have changed. Last Sunday Levi was in California for American Ninja Warrior and it was storming out. I had a long run to do and did not want to take the baby out in the bad weather. Yes I wussed out. It was the middle of the day (1pm) and I did my run. I typically do not run this long on the treadmill. I like to avoid it, but I ran 11 miles, so just over an hour and twenty minutes.

(Enjoying a run outside and without the stroller!)

                My neighbors called my landlord and told on me. My landlord never called me. He told me it was because he looked outside, saw the weather, knew I have a baby, and saw it was in the middle of the day. I wasn’t breaking any rules. Then today, the moment I started running they called and told him, “She’s doing it again.” I finished my run and listened to a voicemail from my landlord about the complaint. I was upset. What was I to do? I time my runs around her naptime and their sleeping schedule. After talking to the landlord I could tell he was somewhat on “my side” if there are sides in this equation. We came to the agreement that I will not run on the treadmill after 3pm. So that will give my neighbor 12 hours to sleep…ok now I am venting. He was going to call the neighbors and tell them the agreement. He did tell me that really I wasn’t doing anything wrong but he is trying to keep the peace.

                It is just so frustrating when I had talked to them and was being accommodating to their schedule. The people who lived below us before the current residents didn’t have a problem with the treadmill but I understand every person is different. There are 5 other units in the complex who are on a normal schedule and I run according to that schedule as well. Majority rules in my opinion. When I signed the lease I was told about quite hours are (after 10pm) and I have never broken any of the rules. If I wanted to do an “eye for an eye” I could complain to the landlord about the rules my neighbors have broken but that is not me and I know that is part of what comes with the territory when living in an apartment complex.

                I never brought up this point to my landlord but technically I am “working.” I just work from home. I am a “professional runner” of sorts. I have contracts for being a runner and I make a little bit on the side from it. So yes, I am doing my job during normal work hours. Oh yeah and I am “working” as a Mom. The hours are long and there aren’t many breaks. And when I do get a break I use the time for my “other job” as a runner.  Why not the courtesy on their part to accommodate my “working” schedule? And let’s be honest I’m not running at any bizarre times. In fact unless they have decided to get 12 hours of sleep a night I am not even running while they are sleeping. After months of changes and finally being o.k. with running on the treadmill and figuring it out with the baby I get thrown through another loop. Some days you just can’t win. But for now I am o.k. with the 3pm rule. Not much will change for me. I know this situation is not permanent as in a future blog I will discuss some more exciting changes for us.