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Time saving tips when you are training a lot?
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Hello
That thread about housework and some of the info there (like clean one room a day, etc) got me thinking...what are some time/energy saving tips you use when training a lot and trying to stay 'on top' of things? Maybe these are things you 'just do' now without thinking, but we could benefit by sharing some?:
Me:
-sundays I make something yummy and healthy in the crock pot, veg chili, pea soup, lentils, rice etc. so have something ready to eat during the week when we get home
-premade (ie chicken, masala patties, etc) from TJs in freezer for some nights (the cost is totally worth it, and the cost I think not really that bad)
-dry clean a lot of shirts etc I COULD wash (hate ironing and its convenient to have nice boxed shirts, easy to carry to gym, etc)
-bike commute to train a couple of times a week (gets in training and can read and relax on the train rather than drive)
-make lunches for week on Sunday nights (I find we need to pack a LOT of food!)
-deep conditioner/mask on during swim once a week
-ok admit weird but: wash out shorts and bra (summer) in shower after ride/run then hang...do this 2 or 3 times before doing a full load of tech stuff

any other ideas?
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Re: Time saving tips when you are training a lot? [kbee] [ In reply to ]
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Put laundry in the wash when I wake up to get ready for work. Put it in the dryer before I leave for work. One load done when I get home, and I just have to put it away.

I second the pre-made loads of food to just throw in my lunch bag for work.

Hopefully I'll have more when IMAZ 09 training starts!





Come crawling faster
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Re: Time saving tips when you are training a lot? [kbee] [ In reply to ]
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I try to fit in exercise whenever I can, bike to work, walk the dog (fast), walk while talking to a friend, stretch and do abs before bed rather than take a class... keep the furnace going as much as possible since I sit at a computer all day. I also fit in my major workouts into my life rather than planning my life around workouts. I don't do group exercise things anymore since that requires me to stick to someone else's schedule and that gets too stressful.

My best time savers are with food, we buy bulk foods at Costco, a cart of this stuff will last about 3 weeks:
  • A bag of apples, oranges or other fruit for snacking
  • A bag of broccoli, carrots, snap peas, avocados for salads and snacking
  • A box of bars like Kashi rolls or Nature Valley granola bars
  • Bulk instant oatmeal that I take to work is the one thing I can eat pre swim that doesn't cause acid reflux
  • A box of Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches (140 calories)
  • Yogurt (Nancy's or Activa)
  • Bag of nuts
  • Individually wrapped Foster Farms chicken breasts (excellent for cooking for 1 or 2)
  • Beans and tortillas for super fast burritos
  • Hummus
For lunch, I have Lean Cuisine a couple of times a week on really busy days. They market their meals as no preservatives or artificial flavors or colors and some meals are whole grain. They also have decent levels of sodium so they aren't horrible for you. Hot and easy low cal food. We rarely eat out, I think it's the fastest way to get fat, eat bad, and spend your money. We supplement Costco purchases with high quality local food from the area Coop.

I would love to hear more ideas on how to save time!
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Re: Time saving tips when you are training a lot? [kbee] [ In reply to ]
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Thanks for a great topic - I am always trying to figure out ways to be more efficient.

A few things that have really worked for me:

1- Run to and from work or work out on way home from job. That way, there's no wasted time. Just change and go. Obviously not everyone can do this depending on work scenario.
2- Grocery store salad bars for healthy quick meals. Most stores around here have pay-by-the-ounce salad bars with great selection. I also have a few *relatively* healthy fastfood options (shouldn't admit on ST) like Qdoba burritos, Panera soup and salad, Harvest wheat frozen pizzas that save time and are ok nutritionally.
3- Use 10 minutes here and there throughout the day to work in core and stretching.
4- Get rid of television. For me, this was huge in reducing wasted time even though I didn't feel like I watched much to begin with. Now, if I could stop reading ST, I'd be set.
5-Handsfree phone - I try to get all of my personal phone calls done while doing housework. I don't think my friends and family care.
6-skimp on hygeine. Just kidding. sort of.
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Re: Time saving tips when you are training a lot? [kbee] [ In reply to ]
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I wash my clothes in the shower after a workout as well. I've been doing it for years. It seems to work--I've got some sportbras that are 15-16 years old, and still doing just fine. I have shorts that are even older.


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Re: Time saving tips when you are training a lot? [kbee] [ In reply to ]
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- One day a week, buy groceries for work. I would buy cereal, milk, you, nuts, PB, boost, gatorade, clif bars, fruit, veg for salad, cans of tuna... you get the idea.
- Train at lunch. Quick navy shower, rinse hair only. Suck it up princess. ;-)
- Second the rinse or hang-dry of the drifit and try to get a 2nd or even third wear out of it. Most times you can get away with it.
- I have curly hair that knots easily, so I put my hair back in a braid while training AND (most important part) I get the bottom 1" or so of my nape shaved off. This stops the huge crow's nests I used to get at the base of my neck.
- What ever you are making for dinner, make double and you have lunch the next day or day after.
- Always keep chocolate milk in the fridge for post workouts ;-)

AP

------------------------
"How bad could it be?" - SimpleS
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Re: Time saving tips when you are training a lot? [BigV] [ In reply to ]
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I did the opposite - bought a bigger tv. My bike trainer is in the living room, and I sit on it and pedal instead of sitting on the couch. An s-video cable and a wireless keyboard / mouse (on sale this week at Future Shop for 39$) and I'll be reading slowtwitch there soon, too!

I like the handsfree phone idea - I use a headset, and move around. Life is going to be great once the wifi cellulars arrive!
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Re: Time saving tips when you are training a lot? [mmrocker13] [ In reply to ]
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In Reply To:
I wash my clothes in the shower after a workout as well. I've been doing it for years. It seems to work--I've got some sportbras that are 15-16 years old, and still doing just fine. I have shorts that are even older.[/quote] HA! I am not the only one who washes clothes in the shower then. Well, I rinse them after a workout... then do laundry at home on the weekends (I'm a college student, no laundry machines in my apartment... and at home my mommy will do it...)

I rinse my swimsuits in the shower TOO!


maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
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Re: Time saving tips when you are training a lot? [kbee] [ In reply to ]
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I just discovered the joys of slow cooking this year - wish I'd had a slow cooker last year while training for IMC! Being able to put in the bulk of the work for dinner early in the day before I'm exhausted from my workout is a great way to ensure I have a good meal, plus I'm cooking for one person so a full slow cooker meal will keep me going for a couple of dinners and a several lunches.

A rice cooker is invaluable, one less hassle for cooking dinner plus I often make twice as much rice as I need so I can use the left overs for fried rice.

I have a divided laundry hamper - sounds stupid but the process of sorting my laundry made me less inclined to do it. Now I dump the dark stuff on the dark side and the light stuff on the light side and don't have to sort before washing. Also, my appartment building has two washing machines so I can easily do four loads of laundry in an afternoon and get it all out of the way.

I own almost zero clothes that need ironing.

I like the idea of washing your gear in the shower, however I'm not sure if my roommate (a guy) would appreciate having wet sports bras hanging in the bathroom.

Having a roommate who's seriously relaxed about housecleaning helps - before I got into triathlons I'd get annoyed at how little he cleaned, now it's nice to know he can deal with a mess.
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Re: Time saving tips when you are training a lot? [kbee] [ In reply to ]
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we have a great meats shops down the street; they have a deep freezer chock full of good eats; like sweet and sour chicken; vegetable lasagne, chicken tenders, etc etc etc. Brother Ed, one of the guys, prepares all of this himself and it's very good quality, healthy and tastes terrific. so i would get alot of these entres and make several during the week.

another thing i did that helped was to make a big pasta dish and have it all week. generally this was either a cool pasta salad for summer, or a baked style pasta for winter (with cheese, spinach, mushrooms, sauce, onions, etc).

here are some other things i did during different seasons (mostly for food, but some other tips here as well):

winter--soup. make a big pot every week. it's easy with boxed stock, frozen vegetables, whatever. soup is easy and you can walk away while it's cooking. i never had a crock pot, but people say you can plug them in and let 'em go all day long.

summer--cut up in-season vegetables ahead of time and have them ready to go. or, buy them already chopped up! it's quick to make a vegetable salad, just season with EVOO, S&P, red chili flakes, whatever. same with fruit--by it cut up, or once it's home, cut it up and have the portions all ready to go; you could make a GIANT fruit salad and portion it out in plastic containers for your lunch or snacks for pre/post training, and your family would enjoy it too.

winter--Bernard's deli meats, bakery bread and good cheeses makes a hearty and fantastic hot sandwich that is fast and keeps my husband happy. (Bernard's is free range). this with soup is a gut bomb and fills up the tummy very good. plus, it's damn good eats! if you're vegetarian, you could just layer up hearty vegetables and slide the sandwich under the broiler! you could make "pizza baggettes" this way--with really great bread, some sauce and cheese. DAMN! it's good.

winter--buy whole chickens, slap on EVOO, S&P, slam it in the oven on 400 for 60-90 minutes (until themometer reads DONE!), along with some cut up potato, baby carrot, whatever and this is a very easy to prepare hearty meal. at the last minute pop some gravy in a skillet and slide in the oven and your family will think it took you hours and hours of hard labor. the best part is that while it's roasting, you're free to do other things! butternut squash and basically anything vegetarian, it's the same principle. marinade it, and roast it. bing, you're free to go, and the oven helps warm up the house.

summer--pre-marinate meats, vegetables in ziplock back. use a little EVOO, a little lemon, fresh herbs and black pepper. when you get home it's marinaded to perfection and you can fire up the grill. takes 10 minutes to grill it! if you have a cast iron skillet you can put that puppy on the grill and sautee your vegetables right in it without having to fuss with vegetables falling through the grate, or fuss with skewering them.

Groceries--make friends with your local butcher. you can call ahead, place your order and pick it up after work or whenever you can. if they offer delivery, that's even better!!! probably, you could do the same thing with a small market in order to get really good produce, etc.

laundry--by things you can wash and wear. save handwash for garments you love, or for special things unless you like the dry cleaners. since i never liked dry cleaning, everything is wash and wear; handwashed things are easy too, just dunk in a little soap and cold water, rinse, squeeze, and voila! it's dry in no time.

email, email, email! i don't like to talk on the phone because of my career in executive recruiting. it's no fun to talk when i have to do it all day at work. so i email and this is actually a much faster, more enjoyable mode of communication (IMO). it might help you save time too.

employ your kids! i don't have kids, but if i did i would try to inspire their ability to help. kids can wash clothes, care for pets, and do lots of things. if they get paid for chores, or get other rewards, then that's a win/win for everyone, and kids feel a sense of responsibility and accomplishment with positively impacting the household (and their wallets ;)

do business online! if you can do business online, great. this might save you from ushering yourself all over town and spending time on errands.

good luck in your training ladies. these things helped me during IMWI training last year (with the exception of kids, we found pugs are basically good for nothing outside of being adorable, loving, and squishy. my husband still hopes that one of them will get a job, but i keep telling him it's hopeless. :)
Last edited by: kittycat: Feb 12, 08 21:56
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Re: Time saving tips when you are training a lot? [kbee] [ In reply to ]
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Here's another that I do often: Its very unsexy:

I have to get up VERY early some days to run and its very dark and ccccccold out. Sometimes I will sleep with base layer on (not bra, constricting) and the alarm goes and I get up and go!
This isnt something I do EVERY night...just when I have those 430am wake up calls and every second counts!
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Re: Time saving tips when you are training a lot? [kbee] [ In reply to ]
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so are you saying that it's unsexy to go to sleep in your clothes, wake up in the clothes, walk the dogs (because they are dying to go potty) and continue working through the day in those same clothes?

not that i do that or anything...nervous laugh...

is it wrong to wear a designer cashmere sweater, sleep in it, and wear it the next day (without ever taking it off?) LOL

just kidding everybody. i won't lie, it happens on a rare occasion. my husband says the way i work is like a 48 hour shift. i work and work, take a few hours nap and continue on without missing a beat. in this context i guess when i do something like that, it's not so bad. :) (either that or i'm just lying to myself. lol)
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Re: Time saving tips when you are training a lot? [kbee] [ In reply to ]
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Ok, like do you guys have kids...??? I shouldn't complain, I have teens, but my daughter is heavily involved with sports and lately I've been a 1 sport woman.

Sooo, the slow cooker thing is great. Love it. Tho some of the meals I make can have alot of prep time.
When I worked very early down in La Jolla, I would get my runs in at 3am, tho I didn't sleep in my tech gear, but that is a wunderful idea. ;-)
Protein shakes...got some muscle milk (yeah a little bit high in fat, but the best tasting stuff), take it to work, and a yogurt. I drive alot, so I can
stop if needed. Tho I have the problem of not eating enuf on some days.
I also am hands up on the dry cleaning. I threw out my last iron when it rusted (yet another one) and gave it up entirely. It is so worth it to spend the $$
sometimes. I also will find a housekeeper to come in, even for a 1x/mo. that would make life soooooo very much bueno.
I'm with KC employ your kids if possible. Mine are so, so with certain things, but they do have weekly chores which help for the most part.
Cram in workouts when you can in the day. If you have a lunch break do a workout if you can, if you have time before/after work before you have to
be obligated to husband/kids/pets do it. Make it like brushing your teeth, something you do everyday.
Tho I don't shower with my workout clothes on and wash later, that is a pretty good idea.

KK
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Re: Time saving tips when you are training a lot? [kbee] [ In reply to ]
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I have an extra set of run, bike, and swim clothes/gear in the car. About once a week I'm either delayed at work or have about 1-3 hours of downtime where I can't leave, so I'll go for a run or ride (if I can antipicate the downtime, I'll throw the bike in the car) or swim (if pool lap times are available) from work.
Also, I always have food and drink in the car in the form of dried fruit, trail mix, nuts, Clif Bars and bottled water/Gatorade/Vitamin water. It keeps me from drive-thru fast food when I'm post-workout bonking.
Also permanently in the car: an extra set of goggles, sun screen, chamois butter, pepper spray, head lamp (for night running), yoga mat, towel, Body glide.
Yep, I live out of my car.
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Re: Time saving tips when you are training a lot? [kbee] [ In reply to ]
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Maid Service, keep weights in the office (stretch often too) and the beloved crock pot.
B

"the only normal people are the ones you don't know"
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Re: Time saving tips when you are training a lot? [kbee] [ In reply to ]
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a lot of people seem to be using their crock pot a lot, i have one and barely use it. i would love some good recipes for it if you all wouldn't mind sharing!
thanks!
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Re: Time saving tips when you are training a lot? [tri2tri] [ In reply to ]
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I dont' use my crock pot a lot, but I use my rice cooker all the time. I put rice or quinoa in it and go for a run. It's done when I get home. Grill some salmon and my dinner is done.
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Re: Time saving tips when you are training a lot? [tri2tri] [ In reply to ]
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I bought the Company's Coming Slow Cooker Dinners in early January and have yet to cook something from it that I don't like. They have some recipes from the cookbook posted here. Most of the ingredients in the recipes are fresh foods, which is great as a lot of the recipes I found online were pretty unhealthy (a friend of mine joked that she was looking for slow cooker recipes that don't start with the instructions "Open a can of ...") and some were downright disgusting (first three ingredients in one: 1 can of chicken, 1 can of pork, 1 can of beef - I didn't know these meats came in cans!).

Trifuel.com also had a recent article on Quick Meals for Busy Triathletes. I've only tried the zuchinni pancakes, which weren't bad but needed some sort of sauce to go with them, all my condiments seem to be for SE Asian cooking and fish sauce or black bean paste seemed like a bad combo.
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Re: Time saving tips when you are training a lot? [kbee] [ In reply to ]
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Just chopped my hair off and the new do is cute too! Used to take about 6-8 minutes to dry the mop and about the same to "fix" it... 7 minutes total! That will save some time! WAHOO!



Tiger for Life -- War Eagle!

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Re: Time saving tips when you are training a lot? [KT-tri] [ In reply to ]
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I did the same thing and now HATE my short hair and find it's so much more time consuming. Not to mention how gross helmet head looks with short hair. I miss my long, wild "Brazilian" hair and will be growing it back out.

clm

clm
Nashville, TN
https://twitter.com/ironclm | http://ironclm.typepad.com
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Re: Time saving tips when you are training a lot? [ironclm] [ In reply to ]
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I've had short hair for a while now, so letting it get long, and by long I mean hanging below my chin a bit, was different. I look WAY more like myself this way.

Remedy for short hair on the bike: two little twiggy pigtails. That's how I have raced for the last 2 years, and worked out, except swimming. Makes the helmet head a little less AHHH!



Tiger for Life -- War Eagle!

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Re: Time saving tips when you are training a lot? [KT-tri] [ In reply to ]
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My hair is the shortest its ever been and I absolutely love it. Grown out, my hair is thick and very curley and needed attention every day so it didn't look sloppy. Now I shower, throw on some product and head out the door.

I set my clothes out the night before. I find I waste a surprising amount of time in the mornings trying to decide what to wear.
Set up the coffee maker the night before. I like to sleep in as late as possible and this is a time saver.
Make my husband take the dogs out
Do a little housework every night instead of having to set aside several hours on a weekend
Got a laptop and can now do email while watching TV. I am a TV junkie but multi-task while watching
Set up automatic bill pay for as many bills as I can. I hate paying bills
I also stock up the car so when I'm running late I can eat something on the way to wherever I'm headed
I cut up my veggies so it is easier to throw together a salad
Lots of Boca Burgers, Quorn cutlets, various frozen meat substitutes that can be thrown on the George Foreman grill (LOVE that thing!)
Premeasured serving sizes of different foods so I can grab and go. I'll cut up the tofu into 3 oz servings that can get marinated

Some of these things take prep time but I take the time to do it whenever the opportunity presents itself. I get organic veggies delivered every 2 weeks from a local farm and I cut up the veggies when they arrive so they are ready for me to throw together the salad.

I'm a vegetarian and would love ideas for slow-cooker recipies. I hate trying to decide what to have for dinner.

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Jen

"In order to keep a true perspective on one's importance, everyone should have a dog that worships him and a cat that will ignore him." - Dereke Bruce
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