I know the guilt.
I've felt it too.
I'm Ryan — a husband, a dad, and an ultra marathon runner. For a long time I wrestled with something a lot of parents know well: the feeling that going for a run means letting someone else down.
What I've learnt, the hard way, through a lot of early mornings and honest conversations, is that making time to run isn't selfish. It's what makes me better at everything else. A better dad. A more present husband. A calmer, clearer version of myself.
Running has given me something I didn't expect: the ability to be alone with my thoughts and actually work through them. Miles of trails have helped me find my purpose, process the hard stuff, and come home ready to show up fully for the people I love most.
I'm a certified running coach, and I work with parents who want to find that same thing — whatever it looks like for them. Chasing ultras? Let's go. Just wanting to run three times a week without burning out? That's just as worthy a goal. No minimum. No maximum. Just balance.