It’s A Race But It’s Not A Race

Alice Seuffert

Our-Pact-super-sponsorMy rainbow sneakers crossed the 5K line, carrying my rippled mom body. My face was red with energy and my headphone line wet from the sweat of my neck and chest. I had run this distance many times leading up to the race. But this was the first time I’d sprinted. I’d zigzagged around moms, trying to catch the runners ahead of me, pushing harder with each new ’90s song that blasted in my ear buds. I finished, but it wasn’t how I wanted to run.

As moms, living the day-to-day is challenging enough. When you throw in goal setting, it’s hard not to feel defeated and give up.

Are you working hard enough?

Have you trained enough?

Are you prepared?

How do you goal-set as a mom when there are so many other distractions?

My answer: it’s a race, but it’s not a race.

A month after that 5K, I was in line to run a 10K. I’d set this goal six months prior. I was left with a bitter taste from the last race because I sprinted. I knew I wanted something different.

So I ran the race my own way.

And you know what? So did everyone else.

Some women walked.

Some women listened to music.

Some women stopped to drink water.

Some women took selfies or snapped group pictures.

Some women sprinted.

And me? I ran so it felt good, sometimes fast and other times slow.

Now this is my connection to goal setting. Motherhood is a constant race of sprinting and bouncing your attention. But remember, it is your race. You set the speed for how you approach and finish your goals as a mother.

Whether it is finishing school, a race, or your child’s baby book, it’s your goal alone, and you get to decide how to do it. As hard as it is, stop looking to other women for accountability on the goals you set for yourself. They are all running their own races.

You might walk to your goal.

You might sprint to your goal.

You might take breaks from your goal.

It might take you a month or five years.

And something else that I saw along those race routes?

Constant support and inspiration. We need to embrace those moments of support when we are following our goals. So lift your hand up and give that high-five, stop for a hug, and when they tell you, “You can do it,” believe it, dream big, and run your own race.


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Motherhood is a constant race of sprinting and bouncing your attention. But remember, it is your race. You set the pace.


 This post was written by Alice Seuffert exclusively for BonBon Break Media, LLC.


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Alice Seuffert is a Minnesota mom, wife, education researcher, and blogger at Dining with Alice, where she shares her food and family adventures. She works full-time as an education researcher for a Twin Cities nonprofit organization. On her blog, she shares her adventures making creative comfort food, her experiences as a mom, and fun activities like enjoying craft beer. Alice is the Kitchen Star on the Twin Cities television show, Twin Cities Live and is known for her creative comfort food recipes and tips for busy parents.