We love workout details and vicarious living around here, so instead of just posting race reports, we’re also going to dig in and see how you busy, ambitious women fit in your workouts amidst school schedules, work deadlines, caring for aging parents, and everything else that fills your calendars on a daily basis.  

Our column’s guinea pig is Emily McConnell. Emily is an instructional coach in DeWitt, Michigan, and mom to three kids (Daniel, 9.5 years old; Elyse, 4.5 years old, and Wallace, 20 months) and Remus, a 8.5-year old lab mix. Her 2025 running calendar currently has a 5k on April 27th. She’s thinking about signing up for the Detroit International Half in October, but hasn’t committed yet. 

Emily, a member of Many Happy Miles, bravely documented her busy second week of the holidays as we flipped to a new year: December 30 to January 5.

I finally had a day to myself this winter break. With daycare already paid for, my husband, also a teacher, and I sent our two youngest kids for the day.

Last night, I mapped out my plan: drop the kids off, take the van for an oil change, tackle the Many Happy Miles workout, shower, then enjoy a mix of cleaning and reading. I like to do intervals on the treadmill because I can stay at the right pace; when I’m outside I feel like I only go one speed.

The workout was scheduled for an hour, so I started with an episode from the newest season of Virgin River. When that ended, I switched to the Choose Strong podcast, hosted by ultra-mountain runner Sally McRae and her husband, Eddie. 

As my Garmin alerted me that the workout was complete, I noticed I was just shy of 5 miles. Of course, I had to keep going for 20 more seconds to hit that satisfying round number– who likes ending a run just short? 

After the run, I was tempted to do some strength exercises, but knew what I really needed to do was fuel my body with lunch.

My only concrete plan today was a 9 a.m. dermatologist appointment for my yearly skin check. I’ll admit, I was tempted to cancel so I could make the live Joy to the Run strength workout but I stuck to my plan—and my skin got a clean bill of health.

The rest of the day was up in the air. I hoped to fit in an easy run and a strength workout, but with none of the kids in daycare, I wasn’t sure when that would happen. I figured I’d exercise during my youngest’s nap, but when I got home, my husband was already gearing up for his workout. We decided to let the kids have some screen time while we both squeezed in exercise.

I jumped on the treadmill and ran an easy 2.24 miles to close out 2024 (the “.” feels like a zero to me). I listened to Taylor Swift’s Reputation album, occasionally singing along. By the time I finished, my husband was done too, and he got the kids off the screens.

Checking my email, I saw that the Joy to the Run strength circuit had arrived just in time. I dove in, powered through the 45-minute workout, and ended feeling strong—though I won’t deny I was relieved to be done!

Happy New Year! Last night, I planned to get my run done on the treadmill after breakfast. Afterward, I’d tackle taking down the tree and decorations with help from my family.

When I checked the Many Happy Miles plan for January 1st, it suggested a rest day, walk, or an easy 20-30 minutes. Curious, I also checked my Garmin, which recommended a 30-minute easy run. That sounded perfect, so after a quick round of pre-run dynamic warmups (new year, new me?), I turned on another episode of Virgin River, set my incline and pace, and started running.

It wasn’t exactly uninterrupted—two of my kids popped in during the run asking for various things—but that’s just life as a mom. I finished the 30 minutes feeling good, added in a few arm exercises, and called it a wrap. Then it was time to spend the rest of the day with my family.

It was a busy day, and I wasn’t sure when I’d fit in my workout. I wanted to try the new Many Happy Miles strength circuit, but I wasn’t fully committed to running. The day was packed with daycare drop-off, a haircut, lunch with my accountability buddy from Many Happy Miles, and a 2 p.m. chiropractor appointment.

Eventually, I squeezed in two rounds of the strength circuit before throwing on my shirt and heading off to the appointment. Afterward, I felt surprisingly good, so I decided to hop on the treadmill for an easy 15-minute run as the plan suggested. I finished it off with a 20-minute walk, all while catching up on another episode of Virgin River. It felt great to check everything off my list, even on a hectic day.

Another busy day. After daycare drop-off, I ran errands: the grocery store, a children’s resale shop to sell some items, and then over to my sister’s house for board games. After daycare pick-up and dinner, I fully intended to get on the treadmill for a walk once the kids were in bed.

But by the time bedtime rolled around, I was exhausted. Between all the running around and multiple meltdowns from my two oldest during our game of Trouble, I needed some time to myself. Instead of exercising, I chose to relax and read.

It turned into an official rest day for me, and that’s absolutely okay.

We had friends visiting from out of town today, so I knew I needed to get my run done in the morning. I set an alarm to be up before my family, but of course, they woke up about 15 minutes later. My original plan was to run outside, but when I saw it felt like 3 degrees with 25 mph wind gusts, I quickly opted for the treadmill instead.

After a light breakfast, I got started. I passed the time with the latest episode of the Nobody Asked Us podcast, hosted by Kara Goucher and Des Linden. About 30 minutes in, I switched to Virgin River to finish the episode I’d started the other day. I fully completed the Many Happy Miles 45 minute workout for Saturday with 3.7 miles. Afterward, I was definitely tired.

The last day of winter break was a full one. I started the morning volunteering in the nursery at church, followed by a gift exchange with our neighbors. By the afternoon, during my littlest one’s naptime, I was determined to get outside for a run—even though it felt like 13 degrees. The snowfall was light and beautiful, with tiny flakes drifting down slowly, making the chilly air worth it.

I listened to the rest of the latest episode of Nobody Asked Us, then switched to the most recent Many Happy Miles podcast episode—where I was excited to hear my own voice memo! The 2.5 miles in 30 minutes felt good, a refreshing way to reset before spending most of the rest of the day curled up by the fireplace.