It’s Friday so I’m also linking up with Fairytales and Fitness for the Friday Five linkup! Join in! Don’t forget to link back to your hostess and visit some other bloggers.

My Topic today is: Gardening and Running

When I was a teacher, I had the summers off and I had a big perennial garden.  (I was not a runner back then).

Then I changed careers and started working during the summers.  So I let this garden die grow wild. I eventually also started running.

This summer with working from home and taking down a huge pine tree, I decided to create a new perennial garden.

Here are 5 reasons why both running and gardening are very similar:

1.Start small.

It is not recommended to start off by running a marathon.  You start with one mile and continue onto a 5k.  Maybe at some point even a half marathon or longer distances.

Your plants will not be full and tall right away.  If you plant too many at first, you will have to split them or your garden will be too crowded.  So buy a few the first year and add more each year, as necessary.

2.Progress happens slowly.

Remember how slow your first 5k or half marathon time was?  Everyone progresses differently.  And some runners progress faster than others. And of course, there will be setbacks (injuries or illnesses.) Patience!

Some of your plants may die, get diseases or eaten by predators.  Others may take a few years before they bloom.  Patience!

3. Hydration and fueling are complicated.

Of course, we need to hydrate when we run.  But when and how often?  Do we carry water?  Is it different for different weather conditions or distances? And what and when do you eat?  How often do you eat during a race or run?

And yes, plants need water to grow. How much? When is the best time to water your garden? How often do you water?  And fertilizer…what kind, how often, etc?

4. Consistency is important.

We all know that to move forward with your running, you cannot skip a lot of runs. You need to get out there several times a week.  If you take time off from running, it is definitely harder when you do get back into running.

With my garden, it’s weeding.  Not a pleasant job, but if you let it go, OMG, it is so much worse. I have to do it EVERYDAY.

5. Set and Re-adjust goals.

It’s great to have a running goal…maybe even something like a BQ.  It gives us something to work towards. But as we know, injuries happen, life happens (hello, pandemic), we have to re-adjust. Hey, I thought that I was going to run one half marathon each month in 2020.

My new goal is just 3 shorts run during the week and 10 miles on the weekend with a new focus on nature walks. The 12 half marathon goal will have to wait.

My initial goal for my garden was to have a beautiful flowers, mostly pink and purple perennials.  Obviously a long-term goal. Some of the plants were eaten by deer, some died, others were not flowering well or yet.

This year’s goal is now to fill up the space with other pretty objects such as a bird bath, annual flowers, solar fountain, sun catchers, ornaments, etc.

A work in progress (like my running)

Happy Running! Are you into gardening? Or do you have another hobby that has similarities to running? Please share.