Most people I know of complain they can’t exercise because they simply do not have the time to exercise.
WHAT!?
Lately, my schedule has been jammed, but not once have I come up with the excuse “I don’t have time”.
Running is my main form of exercise, but I have never really thought about how much time I actually spend running. It is actually kind of ridiculous now that I think about it.
Since I run about 70 miles a week (for now 
), and my average pace is usually somewhere between 7:50 and 8:00 for the total weekly mileage, I estimate that I run between 9 and 10 hours a week right now.
That actually sounds like a lot, but it is going to get a lot worse once the summer is over and I increase my mileage as the weather cools down.
If you are running high mileage like I am, I can see where you would have a problem fitting it in. But if you are running a couple of slow miles a week, you shouldn’t have any difficulty squeezing that into your daily schedule comfortably.
Even though it is summer right now, I am actually a lot busier than I was during the school year.Funny how that works out!
I am taking two classes, which is around 3 hours of class each day, along with 4-8 hours of work everyday. On a typical day, I am usually gone from 8 AM until 4 or 5 PM, but a few days a week I work a double shift until 8 PM which really sucks. Then when I get home, it is either time to do homework or possibly relax if I got all of my homework done at work. Luckily I am only taking class during one of the summer sessions 
You’re not going to be an Olympic contender when you have a full time job or a full day of classes, but there is no reason not to run or exercise because you are busy. Here are a few tips I have picked up over the course of my running career that might help you out when things get jammed.
- Run on your lunch break: Here is an hour that you may otherwise spend not doing anything important. Sometimes I have a break in between class and work or work and class. Instead of sitting around, I’ll sneak in a second/short run and just eat my lunch in class or at work. It also leaves me energized for the rest of the afternoon!
- Run early: Too many people try to work out after their regular job. This is tough because I normally want to come home, plop down on the couch, make some dinner, and relax. It might take some getting used to, but there is nothing more satisfying than having a 10+ mile run done before my 8 AM class. It is also a great way to start the day. On the plus side, you can come home, pour a glass of wine (or beer), and put your feet up
- Do the key workouts: Ok, so maybe you can’t run every day or you happen to get lazy. Try to do the “hard” workouts such as intervals, fartlek, long runs, and tempo runs. That way, your recovery day will most likely be an off day. Nothing wrong with that
- Worship the weekend: If you have a typical Monday through Friday job, try to at least be consistent on the weekends. There is no reason you can’t fit in two runs on the weekend, unless something really comes up, which happens at times and there is no reason to worry about it. I would also suggest running your long runs on the weekend. You have more time to run and RECOVER, which is important as well.
- Treadmill running: I know the treadmill can be boring, but it eliminates the excuses “The weather sucks” or “It’s too dark outside”. You can pretty much get in a run no matter what time it is or what the circumstances are. A run on the treadmill is better than no run at all.
- Double down: If you don’t have time to run your scheduled mileage in one run, split it into two shorter runs throughout the day. Sometimes a short shakeout run later in the day hits the spot.
For many people, finding the time to run is an easier excuse than anything else. A little running is better than nothing at all, and once you find that is easy to make the time, it will become more natural to stick with it.
And for kicks, here is a picture of me foam rolling at the airport in NYC
Most people I know of complain they can’t exercise because they simply do not have the time to exercise.
WHAT!?
Lately, my schedule has been jammed, but not once have I come up with the excuse “I don’t have time”.
Running is my main form of exercise, but I have never really thought about how much time I actually spend running. It is actually kind of ridiculous now that I think about it.
Since I run about 70 miles a week (for now
), and my average pace is usually somewhere between 7:50 and 8:00 for the total weekly mileage, I estimate that I run between 9 and 10 hours a week right now.
That actually sounds like a lot, but it is going to get a lot worse once the summer is over and I increase my mileage as the weather cools down.
If you are running high mileage like I am, I can see where you would have a problem fitting it in. But if you are running a couple of slow miles a week, you shouldn’t have any difficulty squeezing that into your daily schedule comfortably.
Even though it is summer right now, I am actually a lot busier than I was during the school year.Funny how that works out!
I am taking two classes, which is around 3 hours of class each day, along with 4-8 hours of work everyday. On a typical day, I am usually gone from 8 AM until 4 or 5 PM, but a few days a week I work a double shift until 8 PM which really sucks. Then when I get home, it is either time to do homework or possibly relax if I got all of my homework done at work. Luckily I am only taking class during one of the summer sessions
You’re not going to be an Olympic contender when you have a full time job or a full day of classes, but there is no reason not to run or exercise because you are busy. Here are a few tips I have picked up over the course of my running career that might help you out when things get jammed.
For many people, finding the time to run is an easier excuse than anything else. A little running is better than nothing at all, and once you find that is easy to make the time, it will become more natural to stick with it.
And for kicks, here is a picture of me foam rolling at the airport in NYC