Mom Turns Baseball Tournament Into Me-Time!
"Did you see her weighted vest?" they were all whispering.
As a momma to two boys who love to play baseball, I can confidently say I’ve been to about 3,278 baseball games in my lifetime so far. So far.
And if you know anything about baseball, you know that some innings can last for what feels like hours making it quite the painful sport to watch. (Sorry kiddos!)
So when we were attending a weekend-long baseball tournament in Maryland a couple of weeks ago, my friend surprised me by using the long innings as her time to sneak in a few workouts JUST SO SHE COULD FEEL GOOD ABOUT HERSELF. (Can you believe the balls on that one? But also, seriously… that’s genius and why didn’t I ever think to do that?)
I show up to games feeling like I have to endure every pitch, every foul ball, every error in an attempt to pose as the mom who is IN IT FOR THE KIDS LOOK AT ME BEING THE UPSTANDING MOM! LET’S GO BOYS!
That weekend my friend found these little pockets of time and turned them into glorious opportunities to do something different by doing something for herself. For example, when I said to the mom brigade that I was running to my car for something—I swear it wasn’t for the hidden flask in my trunk I save for occasions of boredom—she popped up and said, “I’ll join you, I need to get my steps in!”
I was like, “Right on girl! You go! Let’s get some steps in!”
(I’ve never put too much stock into my step-count, nor uttered the words “get steps in”—I know, trainers should never admit to things like that because it makes us look like we’re actual humans who don’t always think about fitness. 😬 In my defense, I’ve always been more of a “dedicated chunk-of-time” worker-outer.)
But a part of me was like, “Hmmm, there’s something here that I’m witnessing in action and I best pay heed.”
Later on, when we had a couple of hours between games, off went my friend to the parking lot, and this time she got in two 10-minute workouts. Yes—she legit worked out in the parking lot of the ballpark with her trunk wide open, phone propped up on her cooler, and she even donned a… wait for it… … … wait… … it’s so good… a weighted vest! Bitch travels with that bad boy! And yes, people were staring, smiling, and smirking, but she had no f*cks to give, this was her time!
And then, (this is getting absurd!) when she was charging her Tesla between games, instead of poking around on her phone or bingeing Nobody Wants This, she walked around that parking lot for 50 minutes.
And if that wasn’t enough, she also got in TWO MORE 20-minute walks—one that I joined in on because heck yeah, I was inspired since realizing I too didn’t have to sit there the entire time watching my kids—and did they notice I was even gone for an inning? Of course not.
Sometimes it takes a new perspective, or a motivated friend, to see what’s been hiding in plain sight all along—pockets of time.
Maybe we don’t always see the opportunities because we’re used to behaving a certain way—as in, I’m here at my kid's game to cheer him on so that’s what I must do. (Arms on hips, surveying the landscape, taking notes on which parents are absent.) Ew.
As parents, we often feel guilty when we put our wants ahead of our kids despite the festering brew-pot of resentment that bubbles closer to the surface each time we place aside our “me time” for them (or anyone)—but no worries, we’ll unexpectedly release that beast the next time the kids ask for extra time on the X-box.
We’ve simply fallen prey to our own programming and damn it feels good when you find a mom gone rogue and she’s doing her thing WHILE being there for her kid!
After that weekend I started paying more attention to how much movement I could get in a day outside of my workouts—how many pockets could I find became my daily scavenger hunt. So far, I’ve found bevies of time, and now I’m getting in over 12,000 steps per day.
Turns out opportunities are everywhere when we decide to get a little creative. Like going on a walk with a friend instead of going to lunch. Or a 10-minute early morning stretch session before starting your day. Or a before-dinner walk—yes, it’s ok, they will not starve if you take 20 minutes for yourself. This is the way we need to start thinking!
When you begin making it a habit to use these pockets of time for yourself, your stress levels begin to lessen—it’s like a nod from nature letting you know you’re finally in the know.
My friend told me after that weekend, “I’m not gonna lie, I did feel great taking all those little breaks for myself!”
That… that right there is it!
That’s all we want.
Now go find yourself a small pocket of time and do something awesome!
Till next time my pocket-finding friend!
❤️
am
Thoughts & Comments:
• Since writing this piece, I’ve attended seven more baseball games. The count carries on.
• Does this idea of pockets of time remotely inspire you to get creative and squeeze in some goodness for yourself?
• Have you ever uttered the phrase “I need to get my steps in!”?
• You should listen to this
• Did I just get you to click that link?
🎉🤣
Brilliant, my friend.