running and having a job

the great thing about distance running is that you can do it for life on some level.

the main thing is just don't give up.

the first year out of college is, for many people, the hardest time in life, especially if you end up moving far from where you went to school... i say this not to scare you, just to prepare you.

the real world is not always friendly and accomodating.

also, most people these days do not glide right into employment...even if you have the grades, volunteer experience, interview skills, etc. you may end up in retail or waiting tables temporarily, etc. but, don't get discouraged with that either.

i gave up on running for awhile after i got out b/c i just got discouraged by all the changes and the feeling that i was past my prime, but then i realized i HATED the sedentary life.

two years out, i am starting to get back in shape and actually look forward to life. many athletes actually peak in late 20s, and i think it's a maturity thing. when you get out of college, you have a perfect opportunity to reflect on what you did well, what you did poorly. without meets every week and without having to try and peak 3X per year, you can listen to your body more and set up the workouts that work for you....cross-train if you need to, etc.

so don't despair. it's not all bad. but, don't expect to peak 6 months out of college. if you maintain your current level of fitness you are doing well. 6 months out of college, i was running about as fast as i did as a highschool freshman.

Well, you don't have to give up running to make a decent salary.

Sure, I don't have as much time to sit around and stretch and drink gatorade and talk running after my runs, but I still get them in.

I make a fairly good salary, and while I would refrain from calling myself a "baller," I do quite fine for myself and my wife. I am living where I want to live - and where the misses wants to live, which is more important.

I run, not as much as I would like, but I run a good amount. I run about 85 miles a week on average, and I run more if I get the chance.

If you care about supporting a wife that you love, being a bum seems less important. I have found that I care more about her concerns than my own, and the money that I make is less about material things, and more about financial security.

It is all relative I suppose, but I always want to have at least a year's salary set aside in case of an emergency, so that we could withstand losing a job or hospital bills without digging into our savings. I also dream about using this money to take a year-off and train, but I am doubtful that will happen. But you never know!

You can do it, good luck, you will find what suits you.

i am currently in the situation the original poster is talking about. i actually have a couple more classes to take in the spring to graduate, but i'm not taking classes now and i'm just working and training for my final track season. its given me a glimpse into what its gonna be like next year when i'm out of college for good and trying to work and train seriously. and i'm also a low to mid 15's 5k guy. all i gotta say is you just have to be really dedicated to your running or else its easy to slack off. most weeks i'm not working 40 hours a week but on the days when i do work the full day (10-7) its tough. i either gotta wake up real early to workout (run and lift) in the morning, or i gotta split it up into run in the morning and lifting after but that kinda sucks cuz then i still need to wake up early but then i still have to workout after work and usually i'm tired after a 9 hour day of work. or if i wake up late i have to spend the majority of the night working out to get in my run and lifting. so it kinda sucks but as long as you dedicate yourself and get the runs in before work its not too bad. as long as you love it.

a college runner wrote:

actually I'm a third-year sophomore

CONGRATULATIONS, YOU'RE HALFWAY TO BEING AN EIGHTH-YEAR SENIOR. OR BEING AN ASSISTANT MANAGER AT TACO BELL.

what's your problem with taco bell managers? so you have a better paying job....good for you. now go off and be an elitist snob.

At the age of 43 - I have many times contemplated why I continue running and where it has led me. Especially when my son, now a junior in HS can run faster than I ever did in college already, and faster than you have for 5K already...but...you do what you do because you enjoy it. Someday, sooner than you may think, that will be the only reason you run....no matter how fast or slow you are running, training or racing - If you race at all. Like all things in life, if you enjoy it - and it is not destructive, you will probably find to to do it. And if you do not truly enjoy it - or if it becomes destructive (because of other responsibilities), you will soon give it up, maybe even before you graduate. So do not worry about it...life has a way of taking of itself.

Jiggles, I like your hours, even full-time. You get to run during daylight, even in the winter. Out of curiousity, what do you do?

Another thing one should realize from all this is that your life doesn't end if you don't train super serious all the time. You can't put your life on hold to break 15 minutes in a 5k...different story if you're gonna plan on running 12:40 next season.

You adapt to new changes, and create a new lifestyle. I cannot see myself without training, but I also do not worry about how my job is going to affect my training (called prioritizing). Another thing is that you will learn to value different things, and perhaps different sports. Training for new sports is more fun because you have to concentrate on basics, etc. Triathlon training breaks up the monotony of running constantly, and also creates a more well rounded athlete.

ebrunner,

its jiggles but i actually remembered what my password is this time.

i just work at the local running store. hopefully next year after i graduate i'll get a real job. and yeah my main problem i guess is just waking up early. i've been sucking at it so far. but i guess if i got used to getting up early it'd be fine. i just hate when i have to work all day and i wake up too late to do my workout before work then i have to wait till after 7pm. and now that its winter its dark long before i get out there. but yeah i'll admit that in the working world not having to get into work till 10 and having work only be 5 to 10 minutes from my house is just about as good as it gets for training purposes. people who have work at 9 and have to commute... now there's a tough situation.

don't worry, i doubt you'll ever keep a job

* wrote:

You can't put your life on hold to break 15 minutes in a 5k...

Why not? What if that's what you truly love?

my dog runs, mostly after balls, but he's been really slacking on getting a job. Chewing on trees ain't gonna put kibble on the table.

No, tough is having to be at work at 7am. My commute's only 20 mins max though, which is not too bad. I've just made myself go to bed a little earlier, cut out some things I did in college that I don't need anymore (go out three nights a week, watch tv, play video games). Like one of the posters said, you just have to prioritize. I train about the same amount I did in college (80 mpw) while working 50 hours each week. I don't have too much else going on right now, and my girlfriend is very understanding (she's a runner too...a big big help). I even have time to have fun with other hobbies. When I have a family I'm sure it will be different, but that won't be happening for another 10 years or so. I enjoy the amount that I run. I even tried to be more of a recreational jogger for a while (30-40 mpw, no workouts) and found I didn't enjoy that nearly as much. Then again, I'm not one who is married to my job. I basically work so I can have a comfortable lifestyle. Money isn't a huge issue with me, and I'm definitely not driven by it as much as some people. To each their own!