French Linen

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Time Management II (Cathy)

Yes, people also often ask me how I can find the time to exercise. I commute 3.5 hours per day from my home in CT to New York City and typically work a 10 hour day. Fortunately, most of my commute is through public transportation so I can be productive either for work, or reading up on triathlon training.

So, here's how I do it:

1) I'm a member of 2 gyms that are both conveniently located -- this is really key. One is in my building at work and is good for circuit type training. A big part of my training is often running down and back up the 19 flights of stairs -- who needs a stair master when you have a skyscraper! In warmer months, I love the running track that is on the top of the building with a view of the Empire State Building and the Hudson River, including the Statue of Liberty and all of the cruise ships (oh yes, and the US Airways flight that landed in the river last year). The other gym is in Connecticut which also includes the pool and is on my way home from the train station, and is also convenient for weekends.

2) During the week, I get up at 5:45am and just throw my clothes on to get the 6:30am train. I'm at the gym by 7:45am and at my desk by 9:15am. Working out in the morning assures I get it in before the chaos of the day hits.

3) I do my long workouts on the weekends. I also try and stop by the pool a couple of nights on the way home. Previously, I could never work out at night because it got my adrenaline going too much. But, I find swimming relaxes me after a long day -- as does a dip in the whirlpool, which a great reward and stress buster.

4) I don't watch much TV, except sometimes as I eat dinner or when I run on the treadmill or ride the bike.

5) I say no to other things (but not everything). I still make time for my book club. I recently said no to be on a charitable committee -- as much as I would have liked to, I just can't fit it in right now.

To train for a Sprint Triathlon, most training plans just call for 4 - 6 hours per week. If Barb and I can do it, you can too!

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