I’ve spent months researching training programs for walking.

I’ve spent weeks setting one up and working it into my schedule.

I’ve spent about a month trying it out.

It won’t work.

Currently I’m spending a large chunk of my morning in devotional time – prayer, worship, bible study, etc. Following that, I usually go for my walk. The walking schedule looks like this: Monday-Tuesday: 1.5 hour walk; Wednesday: Off; Thursday-Friday: 2 hour walk; Saturday: 3 hour walk; Sunday: 1 hour walk.

I then come home, post my walk, and my morning is over. The kids (who, bless them, have spent my walking time doing housework and chores) now want to spend time with their mother, so we tend to watch a movie over lunch. Another 2.5 hours gone, minimum, depending on how long the movie is and how long it takes us to get organized with lunch.

After lunch is school, which takes a couple of hours, then it’s already time to get dinner ready, tidy up from the day, and welcome Tom home, which means I get pretty much NOTHING done on my list of things to do (see that list in this blog post). The evenings are either booked, or I spend them with my family, so that’s out, too.

So this morning, drastic cuts were made. Walking is now only one hour during the week. I’ll extend the Saturday one to two hours to make up some of the time. Lunch time movies are now reduced to one episode of a TV show borrowed from the library as opposed to a movie (currently we’re watching “Lost”), and I’ve postponed half of the courses I’m taking in order to have the time I need to get SOMETHING done.

The good news is that I am now much more focused when I am working, so that I can get the maximum amount done.

I just so wish I didn’t have to sleep…

Darlene