Training when time is short (or nonexistant)
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mwconstruct1972 posted 26 weeks ago.
Definitely not a veteran of tri, but life teaches us to play the hand we are dealt. In your case you are right to prioritize. Take care of your responsibilities and train when realistic opportunity presents itself. Where would the bigger guilt come from? Failing a class and possible academic suspension or missing a week of training. Tri is a luxury. Your education is a necessity. Catch up on the training after you take care of your responsibilities.
Hope this helps.
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Ironmom posted 26 weeks ago.
There's nothing wrong with taking a recovery week when you just can't fit anything in. Sometimes life throws you curveballs and you just have to adjust. On the other hand, learning to manage time is probably as important a subject in college as any that you have final exams for. Believe it or not, it doesn't get any easier after college. In fact, you'll probably look back on college as a time in life when you had relatively few responsibilities, believe it or not. Slotting in workouts is not any easier with careers, families, taking care of aging parents, 5x a night getting up to feed babies, 2nd and 3rd jobs to pay the mortgage, and other assorted life responsibilities that might come later.
So I'd say concentrate on getting through your week right now, but learn to plan and manage your time wisely as that will come in handy forever.
Blue Skies, -Robin-
http://ironmom.blogspot.com/
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Pantani13 posted 26 weeks ago.
Take the week off serious training and give the finals your best shot - for the sake of one week its not worth adding additional physical stress to the mental stress of finals week as it could leave you depleted in energy for some time.
You asked for suggestions - If it is really driving you mad doing no exercise then you could always try reading notes while doing a (very!) easy spin on a stationary bike - I still do that now when I've got lots of work to prepare for the next day.
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jsk85 posted 26 weeks ago.
+1 on taking the week off...you won't lose a noticeable amount of fitness in a week, and obviously finals come first.
I'm impressed you have the mental stamina to study that consistently...when I was doing finals, I needed to be able to step out for a 25-30 minute run or other quick workout pretty much daily. My mind can only focus intensely in about 1 hour blocks...if I didn't take small breaks after that I'd just basically stare at the notes while my brain was shut down and not retaining anything, or I'd shut down completely and fall asleep.
GL with the finals
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DannoE posted 26 weeks ago.
I always found little breaks in studying helped me focus. And more to the point, if your mind gets tired, it seems unlikely that you're still studying well. Finally, you'll retain information better if you study before sleeping, and you'll test better if you're well-rested. Since exercise often helps with sleep, keeping some semblance of your normal routine might help more than you think.
I don't know that I would take more than 20 minutes away (if you're REALLY behind), but I think that 20 minute break might help.
DannoE
"You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one..."
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Anton posted 26 weeks ago.
Sounds like you need a break! School first. You're a strapping lad so missing a week of training won't hurt.
However, being a mess during finals week could hurt too! Make sure you take a little time for yourself. A short walk...a brief run, ten minutes worth of sit-ups and push-ups....a power nap...something to help clear the head and renew focus. Eat breakfast and get as much sleep as you can.
Best of luck!
"If e wishes to sweem in dangerous waters, oo are we to deny im?
-Chef Skinner
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prendergi posted 26 weeks ago.
Sounds like you need the vent, so vent away. I have a friend who has a line that fits here: "It's all about choices." Meaning what you choose now will effect later. Fitness will still be there in two weeks. Your finals won't. Get through these and I am sure there is a lesson to learn in there. If finals last a week - you are half way there!
I am like the others - I couldn't hit the books without some outlet.
Good Luck!
"The pain of discipline is far less than the pain of regret" - Sarah Bombell
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firegirl posted 26 weeks ago.
i can relate to the academic rigors, but i have to say, +1 to 30 min of exercise each day. it will amazingly improve your focus and decrease your tension. i spent a good hour everyday in med school reading on the stationary bike.. not the greatest workout, but kept my brain and my legs moving. and marathon study sessions at yale, i'd drop and do pushups or situps every couple of hours just to get my blood pumping for a bit.
good luck on the exams
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TriSooner posted 26 weeks ago.
amorelli wrote:
I sometimes feel like hitting the pavement for a quick 3 or 4 miles would help settle me and clear my head
Being a vet of both tri and grad school, you can spare :30 for a run. I understand not going on a 3-hour ride. We all know the physical benefits of running, but it clears your mind and eases stress too.
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dbos2002 posted 26 weeks ago.
Yeah I'm actually in agreement with TriSooner. Take 30 minutes and get a workout in. Just a few high intensity interval sessions can not only hold over your base fitness, but also improve your top end speed. They also help get out the frustration and stress from school/test/work. Find a hill and run up it 4 or 5 times, then get back to work.
- Doran
"Ironman is not just a race, not just a title, its a lifestyle"
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Ironmom posted 26 weeks ago.
dbos2002 wrote:
Yeah I'm actually in agreement with TriSooner. Take 30 minutes and get a workout in. Just a few high intensity interval sessions can not only hold over your base fitness, but also improve your top end speed. They also help get out the frustration and stress from school/test/work. Find a hill and run up it 4 or 5 times, then get back to work.
+1 Or visit crossfitendurance.com for ideas of very short very intense workouts you can do in about 15 minutes or less!
2 x 8 Tabata run will blast you in 8 minutes, no lie. Completely clear out the old brain cells ;-)
Blue Skies, -Robin-
http://ironmom.blogspot.com/
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jhudalla posted 26 weeks ago.
TriSooner wrote:
Being a vet of both tri and grad school
Ha ha, being a vet. Being in grad school now I'm certain I'll be having flashbacks and cold sweats for years to come. Less than 1yr left on the masters... good grief, how do Phds stay in there?
Weary is the path that does not challenge.
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amorelli posted 26 weeks ago.
Hey everyone,
Thanks for all the advice - the reason I haven't hit the track for a workout or anything like that (I've done track long enough to know a bunch of killer workouts) is more of a fear thing than a time thing - I don't want the added physical exertion to add to the stress and anxiety and caffeine buzz etc and just trash my body. I figure that even though I'm not "training" this week, I'm putting myself through enough physical stress anyway.
In terms of the breaks, I've been doing that - someone down the hall has a pull up bar outside their room so whenever I get up to get food/bathroom/shower/stretch my legs I do a set of 10. I've even taken to doing running drills in the hall way outside our bathroom while waiting for the shower to warm up. A quick set of high knees and A skips seems to do the trick.
@jsk85 - it's not so much of an "impressive mental stamina" thing as an "I know if I don't study all day and into the night I may not pass" kind of thing. I re-learned all of Diff Eq yesterday, for example. That was fun.
I want to thank the Good Lord for making me a Yankee.
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kaolelo posted 26 weeks ago.
being a veteran of tri, grad, law and medical school, i can say that taking any kind of break (run, swim, lift, bike, play music . . . ) is pretty essential. no matter what, i would always take breaks. the best was in the first year of medical school (i went to school in grenada, in the caribbean). then, i would just go for a swim, usually between the atlantic and caribbean (the school is on a point between the two), and i would feel much better.
on the other hand, it's very individual. i think that studying steadily throughout the semester is key, and for me, i would try and work on outlines as i went. one of my roommates (whom i didn't get along with) was very ocd about studying, and would study most of the night. most of the research that i have read said that rest is more critical than cramming, and together with things in general, this was very irritating.
but most importantly, find a rhythm. unless you are getting ready to gradate, school is like a marathon, a very long marathon.
hope that helps.
ps: yes, i am crazy. i would still like to go back and get another phd, in molecular epidemiology . . .
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ChunkyB posted 26 weeks ago.
It's all a matter of priorities. "When free time disappears" kind of just means "when your highest priorities take more time than usual". It sounds like school is a higher priority than your training (which is probably a good thing if you want to graduate and get a job and stuff), and if that's the case, then just don't worry about it. I think the most important thing is just finding where training fits in your priorities, and then giving it an appropriate amount of time.
"The melting point of wax means nothing to me": Thrice
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Warrior posted 25 weeks ago.
I am a veteran of studying. Not of Tri. Here's my 2 cents worth. What you take in studying, stays deeper a longer if you take a break to digest it. I am not sure what your subject is, but going for a run or a bike ride , to reflect on the huge amounts of information you have taken in, is not taking time off. You can't eat food for 24hrs solid what makes you think your brain can. I would bet you will perform better on exam day IF you take a break for a run every day or two , than not at all. I would even hassard that taking a break for excercise is a must for finals.
Dreams are the stars which charter the course of our lives. Happy the one who follows their dreams
Wondering if any veterans have suggestions for this - I have finals this week at college and have barely set foot outside of my room except to take exams. I know that part of the reason is that I let myself get behind in classes somewhat, so maybe just generally being on top of everything is a prerequisite for getting your training in, but I haven't done any in a week now. I sometimes feel like hitting the pavement for a quick 3 or 4 miles would help settle me and clear my head, but the my school isn't exactly easy on its students, and finals have a tendency to bring people to tears. Justifying that hour (once you figure in running, stretching, showering, etc) is somewhat impossible - even this 5 minute post is making me feel guilty.
So basically I'm asking for suggestions (beyond simply be better prepared so you're not as screwed come finals time) on ways to ensure that you'll be able to fit in training when your free time disappears. Or would you say that when you're spending a week running on sleep deprivation, stress, and caffeine that it's better to just take a recovery week?
(This turned into more of a vent than I planned. Sorry. Stressful period, and you guys are just way too good at listening)
I want to thank the Good Lord for making me a Yankee.
-Joe DiMaggio
Twitter me: http://twitter.com/anthonymorelli