Cooking, cleaning, running kids to and from activities are just a few of the duties of a mother.
Being a mom is a full time job.
Add training and running in a marathon or participating in a triathlon into the mix and you get a marathon mom.
“It’s a huge balancing act. Trying to find the time for training and taking care of you family is not easy,” says half-marathon runner Angela Vicars.
“You have to have a very understanding family.”
Sandra Major is another marathon mom, also a Grade 4 teacher at M.V. Beattie Elementary. She has learned the fine art of juggling family life and training for a marathon.
“Marathon running is a very selfish sport, and it was okay when my kids were babies and they didn’t notice I was out running,” explains Major.
When she started running marathons, Major set a goal to run 10.
On Sunday, May 3 at the Vancouver Marathon, Major ran her tenth 42 kilometre race, completing her goal.
“Now that my kids are getting older I don’t want to miss out on any time with them. I was spending too much time away from my kids.”
In her time as a runner, Major often spent it training in the cold temperatures of winter, running through dark nights and snowy conditions, going to bed late and waking up early to get her kids ready for school and head to work.
“I owe a lot to my husband for stepping up to the plate and taking care of the kids when I was out training,” says Major.
Major has run four marathons in Vancouver, two in Victoria, two in Kelowna, one in Las Vegas, and one in Boston.
Major incredibly completed a marathon within a year of giving birth to each of her three kids, seven-year-old Peyton, five-year-old Reese and three-year-old Tye.
She explains once the training begins you would be amazed how quickly you can run five, then 10, then 20 then 30 kilometres.
“I want my kids to know it’s not about winning. I want them to know it is beyond winning, it’s about self improvement, motivation and it’s an incredibly rewarding experience.”
Vicars shares Major’s view on winning, saying as long as her kids are proud of her at the end of the day, it is worth more than any medal.
Both Major and Vicars’ children run in the Wild Soles Trail Running Series, which they believe is an important learning lesson and direct result of their involvement in leading an active lifestyle.
“Even my four-year-old daughter Addyson wants to run the Wild Soles by herself, and I would like to think I have had that influence on her, and my oldest daughter Caillie,” says Vicars.
Vicars is adamant about living an active life and passing it onto her children, just as her parent did for her and her siblings.
She recalls after completing the Kamloops Sprint Triathlon a couple years ago, her 10 year-old daughter Caillie asked to do the Kids Try-a-Tri because she was inspired by her mom.
“To see my kids want to follow after me and live actively, that’s what fuels my passion to run,” says Vicars.