Number one scarcity...time

The "Blog Squad"...oh yes, we have a name, is at it again this week.  We're talking time management and I have not managed my time well this week and am LATE in posting this.  But that means that I've had the opportunity to catch up on all the other gals' takes on this topic and have taken some notes and laughed out loud at others.  Check out the other reports here Laurel, Erin, Christine, Liz, Caitlin, Jen and Elizabeth’s 

As I was reading all of these blogs, I got to thinking about time.  When we're little, it can't go by quickly enough...you want to be old enough to do X and a day takes FORever.  Then as we age, suddenly time seems to shift and all of the sudden, I can't slow it down.  I want to savor the moment longer, but alas, time waits for no triathlete.  So here are some of the things we do to keep doing what we like as often as possible.

• Outsource.  Yes, outsource everything you can possibly afford.  Some things like grocery shopping are so commonly done now (Amazon Fresh, Instacart, and your local market) that they don't even cost anything.  When folks OPT to go to the store instead of freeing up an hour by having it done, I can't comprehend (again, it's free).  Yes, I like picking out my produce too, but not more than I value that hour.  The other night, I was on the trainer exchanging texts with my Instacart shopper and just feeling so damn happy that I use this service.  My dad always says do whatever puts a smile on your face. Triathlon does that, so I try to make sure I'm doing what makes me happy as often as possible.

• Divide and Conquer.  This is where the "we" above comes in.  Mark and I don't do a lot of chores or house stuff together.  If I do want to go to the grocery store, he doesn't come...he stays home, works on house projects or maintains my bikes.  Or he goes and exercises on his own.  I would love it if we cooked dinner together more, but often, it's just me making dinner while he does X/Y/Z for us.  We're a total team and by doing tasks separately, we create more time for the things we really value like time together, time with friends, and training.

• Always pack your gym/work/food bags, pump tires/lay out kit the night before. I've yet to end up after a masters practice with two discolored shoes/no pants, etc since I get it done the night before....although those posts make me laugh so much!  And kudos to those that can get it done in the morning, but I really like to sleep!  I wake up 10 minutes before i leave for the pool, so it's literally wake up, brush teeth, GO!  Most of the time, my bags are already in my car and I just grab my food and go.  

• Find supportive co-workers.  I am incredibly lucky that my closest colleagues are BEYOND supportive of triathlon.  I have some that will run with me and others that will bring me back lunch from wherever they've gone so that I can get my lunch workout done AND eat when I get back :)  While I'm good about packing breakfast, I do rely on lunch out nearly every day.  

• Socialize in training.  I'm lucky that most of my closest friends, also do triathlon.  This means I never feel "cheated" because we don't go out often, because I likely have just spent all day long with my buddies on the bike, or just did a tempo run with them.  Yes, we lead what most would consider "boring" night lives, but I'd rather be swim/bike/running than out on the town most of the time, so it's worth it.

• Try to become OK when shit doesn't go to plan.  You miss a workout, you had a meeting, whatever comes up, sometimes life just doesn't go to schedule.  I've tried to become more OK with that, and that can create- less worrying/stress, which can create more time, right?

That's it...hoping this is somewhat helpful!  Onto the next topic...what will we think of next?!!