The balance between life & training

This is a challenge we all face.  I see it when training with my pals and they are fitting their training around a young family or a high pressure job, or both.  No time for a coffee after the run as they have to get back having burned up the "brownie points".  Being slightly older I don't need to worry about the young children but the older ones need your attention as well.  And there are other pressures such as running a business, building a new house and selling our existing house.
This week I had to take two days off the scheduled training as I donned my marigolds and, together with my wife and daughter, we scrubbed the house from top to bottom as we had viewers coming to our house for a second time and we wanted it to look it's best.  I wish I'd worn my garmin as it was a tough workout!  I find selling a house quite stressful.  It's like a roller coaster of emotions and although the couple obviously liked it, there was a potential deal breaker to do with a right of way.  Yet another restless night's sleep or lack of sleep.
On Friday we headed up to Aberdeen to drop my daughter off for her final year at University.  During the car journey we got news that the right of way wasn't a problem, followed by an offer for the house which we accepted.  Again a roller coaster of emotions whilst driving and avoiding speeding while negotiating on terms.  Six hour round trip in the car left me tired and my hammy reminding me it still not 100% better.
On Saturday it was back to Chatelherault for my favourite runs and as I got there very early and did a 4km warm up before our 10km run as a group - my group consisted of 2 as I was looking for a slower steady run and Johnny had an ankle niggle and was happy not to run fast.
My coach is mixing up my training and reintroducing with more strength work and some cycling.  Sunday's training was a turbo session on the bike and it was tough.  Despite leaving the garage door open and a nice breeze blowing, I sweated buckets.  I'd done a gym and bands session immediately before it so I was warmed up so it was a tough session.
This week coming will be three runs and three bike sessions and gym and band sessions.  I'm really looking forward to it and I've got my "winter training mojo" back.  Always hard when you have no events on the horizon to train for.  My view on training is that it is part of my life , not a separate element,but at the end of the day it's not my "day job" and family life comes first.  Juggling schedules and priorities comes with the territory and sometimes we have to step back from training especially when out of the race season.