Leave it All on the Track

  “Leave it all on the Track.”  

Photo Credit TrackandFieldPhoto.com

This is a term I used as a mantra through my running career that I now carry over to my life as a mom.

In every race I ran I tried to run my hardest, run my fastest, give it everything I had that day. I always wanted to step off the track and be able to say “I left it all on the Track, I left it all out there. I have no regrets about that race. I did everything I could to run a great race.”  I didn’t want to take the race with me and know that there were things I could have done better.  I wanted to know that I did everything I could to run the race the best I could while I was on the track.

This is me in one of the few races that I fell to the ground completely drained, knowing that I left it all on the track. 

     The reality is that there were many races that I came off the track feeling like I could have done more, I could have worked a little harder in that 3rd lap or I should have gone with that girl when she made her move. Or I could have gotten on my toes and dug a little deeper at the end of the race instead of getting passed. But the reality is also that those races helped me become a better runner and try again the next race to do a little better and leave it all on the track again. There were very few races in my career that I felt like I did leave it all on the track. But as a whole as I look back on my running career I look back with fondness and great memories for the races, for the teammates and the friendships cultivated there. I also look back on who I have become through the sport of running, and I am pleased. I am pleased with the whole picture. As I look back on the whole I do know that I left it all on the track. I know that all races where not perfect. But I know that I worked hard, I gave it my all, I made mistakes, I worked hard to correct them and I improved my self. Some times I fell backwards and had to pull myself up. But over all I did Leave it all on the Track. 

As I have transitioned my life into wife and mom to four little ones my mantra has now become, “Leave it all in the home.”

     I try everyday to be the best mom that I can be to my kids and the best wife that I can be to my husband. I Work hard from sun up to sun down, and sometimes (or a lot of times) through the night as well.  I give everything I have to taking care of and loving my little ones. Teaching them and guiding them and showing them the world around them. Somedays I fall into bed at night exhausted, but pleased with how the day went, feeling accomplished, saying to myself “I left it all in the home today.” 
     Other days, or should I say most every day, I fall into bed at night looking back through the day at all the things I could have done better. I could have had more patience with my 2 year old when he wanted to go potty by himself and clean him self up as well, making a huge mess in the bathroom through the process.  I could have applauded his determination and independence to take care of himself instead of yelling at him for making a mess all over the place.  I could have controlled my temper when my 10 year old lost his temper. I could have been more understanding of why my daughter wanted to wear old holy leggings instead of cute new school clothes I bought her. (she wanted to wear the leggings because we were going on a run and that is what I wear to run.) 
     I could have done a lot of things better this day. But the reality is everyday is not perfect. There may be great moments in the day that I relish in and there may be crappy moments in the day that I wish I had handled better. But it is all those moments, the good and the bad that help me realize what I can do better the next day. So I try again. Day in and day out trying to leave it all in the home.  And when I look back on my life as a wife and a mother I hope to be able to say, with a pleased, yet exhausted body and soul. I did everything I could. I gave it my all at this mom thing. I left it All in the Home.