I recently decided to take a big leap back into the corporate world and take on the job of Compliance and Legal head of a well-respected conglomerate.

Immediately prior to this, I had also accepted a major consultancy.

While I am thrilled about these professional milestones, I am also acutely aware these will entail major upheavals as far as life-as-I-know-it is concerned.

For about two years now, I had been enjoying the blissful freedom of being a solo practitioner after leaving the law firm where I previously worked as a Senior Partner. I had thought that, finally, after having worked full time since I graduated from law in 1994, I had now complete control over my schedule.

Since I could choose to work anytime, anywhere, I had more time for family and to pursue my passions, including running.

I finally got to maximize that expensive gym membership and became quite diligent attending training sessions with my running coach. I could also have long brunches/lunches and meet clients wherever convenient.

Indeed, I was able to run marathons left and right. Whatever free time my grown-up kids had, we would spend eating out or having coffee somewhere.

With this new chapter in my career, I know things will not be the same. And it will require a change of mindset.

Whereas before, I was very much dialed in on my running goals, achieving my desired weekly mileage and cross-training for strength and longevity, everything now needs recalibration.

Running had somewhat taken over much of my personality — a common tendency for those falling in love with the sport.

Now, whether I like it or not, it needs to take the back seat.

It is good that I have hopefully developed the discipline that will ensure a level of consistency in my training. Running has become the driver of not just my physical well being, but my mental health as well. Abandoning it is thus not an option.

Sports psychologists have long weighed in on the dilemma.

Krisin Keim, a clinical sports psychologist emphasized the importance of even professional athletes finding an identity beyond sports.

Indeed, juggling several important priorities at a time can actually put things in perspective.

Having to take on a corporate job reminds me I am lucky to not have to make a living as an athlete, otherwise, my family would have long been plunged into penury.

I have not been endowed with the physical constitution or genetics to professionally excel in this sport I love. But, thanks, to my other skills and career opportunities that have come my way, I don’t have to rely on running to sustain my family.

It is a passion and an integral part of ensuring I am fit to embark on my many roles as a mother, lawyer, etc. But it would be foolish for me to set goals beyond what is realistically achievable, or would get in the way of “living.” I run to help me thrive — not to win the Olympics.

Keim talks about “energy management” instead of “time management” or “work-life balance.” This makes so much sense. Having a full time corporate job will mean that one will have less time but not necessarily less energy. An office job may not require as much physical stamina, but the physical activities one engages in will certainly help one maintain the mental vigor necessary for work.

The challenge is how to integrate physical activities into one’s daily grind in a manner that will not be disruptive.

“When running is your job, when anything goes wrong — you get a little niggle in your achilles or something — it’s like the world ended,” said running coach Jerry Alexander, who has trained several United States Olympic marathon trials qualifiers. This is an example of how hyper focusing on one thing can be unhealthy.

My Boston dream is still very much alive and I will definitely still pursue it.

But it shouldn’t deter me from pursuing my other dreams.