how can I fit in running to my schedule?

Maybe you could run to and from work. That'd give you a good amount of mileage.

I've thought about that and even have a nice route planned out, the only problem being how do I get my lunch out there....

It is in an industrial part of town w/ no grocery store closeby, some guys from work go out for fast food evryday at lunch, but I dont wnat to be trying to train at a high level and then feeding my system Mcdonalds/wendy's everyday...

Maybe there's a fridge nearby work? You could store a couple of days worth of food in there. And on construction sites wouldn't there be a mobile canteen somewhere nearby? They may have some sandwitches there.

I have had to deal with a similar schedule. I used to get up at 6:30 am and do 4 or 5 miles about 3 to 5 times a week. This will add on quite a bit to your weekly mileage total.

Sacrifice, Sacrifice, Sacrifice.

You have to get up earlier and run.

It will hurt fro the first few weeks

but then your body will get used to it.

When I was in college I used to run at

5:30 am to about 6:15

Your current schedule seems fine to me. Its only for the summer, it can't be that bad. You could wake up earlier and go to bed earlier, you know shift the day up a bit. Your body will get used to it. I had similar problems for a while as i work 45hrs a week, run 90mpw and sit in traffic for like 1.5-2hrs a day, but after about 2-3 weeks I was totally adjusted You have to treat your running as your hobby/free time and not like a chore. Enjoy those times you are running (even the hard days). I say just stick to your current schedule and when school starts up you'll be ready to go.

aight, I appreciate your guy's responses...

Yes we do have a fridge, and I thought of an idea...

say I pay one of my co-worker's who lives in my neighbourhood a monthly fee, say $40, to come pick up my lunch, water, and work clothes from home each morning and take it with him to work (as he drives) and place it in the staff fridge....

This way I could eat a healthy lunch each day and not worry about getting it there....

otherwise, getting up at say 6:30 for a 5 mile run, showering/eating and biking to work for 8:00 AM (takes 20 min to bike at least) and biking home for another run would probably leave me exhausted. (I'm not training for a triathalon here!)

Ok, I'm gonna go against the grain here and say that maybe you should eat the fastfood at lunch. If there's a McDonald's you can eat their grilled chicken sandwich, and drink some Hi-C, it has lots of vitamin C and isn't carbonated like other soda. If there's a Wendy's, you can get a grilled chicken sandwich there too, along with a baked potato with brocolli on it (skip the cheese) and either Hi-C or water to drink. Either of those meals would be fine for a runner, especially if it's just one meal a day. In highschool, I worked at McDonald's and ate lunch there everyday. I used to eat the chicken mcnuggets with fries and Sprite, and after work I'd go for a run and feel great. I don't know why but I did, consistently too.

I understand your dilemma fully, canada_runna. I work full-time, am completing a Ph.D., plus generally log 70-100 miles per week (highest mileage week 130). I have done the run to and from work thing at various stages in my work life, but have generally found that it is preferable to set aside a separate time to 'indulge' in running as something more than a means of transportation :-). So, that said, I like your original schedule. As another poster said, try to enjoy every minute of the running that you do, so that it doesn't seem like a chore (I'm sure that you do this with your piano).

I almost forgot the social life thing...believe it or not, it IS possible. It's important to take a day off every now and then, and when you do, make the most of it. It IS tough to do everything, but if you're like me, you wouldn't be happy doing less. Take care and good luck.

Do you get to shower at work or do you just bring some cologne to cover up your sweat?

I don't currently run to work, but when I did, I had access to a shower. I work for a large organization and fitness facilities/lockers, etc. are available. I imagine that the truly creative, however, could get by without a shower i.e. by cleaning up with a wet towel and loading on the deodorant. Then again, as a woman, I don't find that I get particularly smelly when I sweat, though of course it is probably different for a guy.

No shower here, just a dirty locker room

I wear cover-all's all day and "smelling nice" is really not one of my concern's

What a sweet situation you have on your hands! My recommendation is that you use your feet to get to and from work. You don't have to run every step either, as you may not want that type of mileage to be ran every day. Get a good water filter to use at work, they are around 30 or 40 bucks, that way you eliminate the heaviest part of what you bring to work. Keep your work shoes/shirt/cover-alls at work as well. Get a small solid lunch box to carry the lunch, who cares if it has a puff the magic dragon cartoon character on it, and fasten it(by glue, velcro, whatever) to the top piece of a set of earmuffs that can be placed on your head in a firm manner. This will have the effect of making you look totally crazy, but at the same time totally functional because you are placing the unnatural weight directly over your center of gravity and you have something to tell you if your head is bobbing. It can be compared to Josef Hoffman's teacher (Rubenstein?) mandating that he play piano, or at least run scales, while balancing books or other objects on the backs of his hands.

dude quit your bitching and run. every one else is in the same boat as well. oh yea quit piano...have you ever seen elton john run?

Can you also consider chaining your bike up at work so that you don't have to cover 26 miles everyday (seems a bit extreme). That way, you ride to work, run home, run to work, ride home, etc.?

when I said 13 mile round trip, I didn't mean 26 total, it is 6.5 miles approx. one way! so 13 each day....

and quit piano? lets get real here

I have enough ideas now so we can put this topic to an end

thanks for the suggestions

One last response.

Write down your long term and short term goals. Eliminate all waste from your life. If something does not contribute to running or music goals eliminate it from your life.

Life is short.

Sounds a bit anal to me. Go eat some ice cream and be a couch potato for a day dammit.

fred wrote:

One last response.

Write down your long term and short term goals. Eliminate all waste from your life. If something does not contribute to running or music goals eliminate it from your life.

Life is short.

Alter egos.