"Mr. Rodgers, you have to decide which is more important, your vocation or your avocation".

So said the school principal to the great Bill Rodgers. At that point in time (sometime in 1976), Bill Rodgers was a school teacher who was training very seriously for his chosen sport- the marathon. Professional running was still years away- meaning that runners could not run for a living as running (and most sports) was seen as an amateur sport, and any athletes found to be making money off their sport would be deemed to be professionals, and that would kill off their eligibility to compete in the Olympics. For those of you who still don't know Bill Rodgers, he is one of the all time marathoning greats , winning the New York and Boston marathons 4 times each, with timings of around 2:09/2:10 and change. Frustrated by the archaic rules, Bill Rodgers ultimately ushered in an era of professionalism, enabling athletes to earn money for a living.

All well and good. But the point I am trying to make is that Bill Rodgers was able to turn his avocation into vocation, because he was already a world class athlete. We, the mere mortals, are running because we love the sport. Even with training, it will be difficult to run world class times. We can train towards our own personal records if time permits. But above all else, please put running into perspective. Don't do it to the point that it becomes detrimental to your family and career. Family and career comes before running.