I’ve been waiting to find the right forum to ask this question. I know I’m gonna sound like June Cleaver gone loonie tunes so here goes:
When I trained for IMLP last year, I barely had enough energy/time/motivation to do laundry (only because I needed the technical clothes to train) and dishes. In the 3 months before IMLP, the carpet was not vaccuumed, the kitchen floor and all the bathrooms were not cleaned. EEEUUWWW, I know. I’m usually very OCD about the cleanliness of my house, but I had neither the physical or mental energy to clean it or deal with the guilt/shame of its squalor.
My question is: Have any of you hired a maid or cleaning service during IM training?
Can’t afford a maid, but I have a roommate and although she is a bit on the messy side herself, if I let it slide long enough she’ll do it. Bonus being I do the big training in the summer when my kid is gone to Kona and that eliminates a big part of the daily mess.
Totally valid question, IMO. Last year when I was training for a half IM my husband took over many of the household duties. I was finiding it difficult to do more then the bare minimum to “get by”. There were many “discussion” during my training (my husband is also OCD with cleanliness) about the sharing of the workload and how it wasn’t even, especially since he was trying to train (for cycling events) as well and he ended up skippiing his training and to do the chores. We didn’t consider getting a housekeeper, mostly because we have had a few bad experience with them. In the end I had to really “plan” my chores into my schedule so that I wouldn’t neglect too much. I think my husband survived knowing that the end was in sight. After my half I really considered entering a full Irondistance (GF) but I decided not too because we had reached the light at the end of the tunnel and I’m not sure the extra stress it would have placed on our marriage was really worth the training.
I would if I could afford it. I do take all non-workout clothes (jeans, t-shirts, sheets, towels, etc.) to the wash and fold on the corner and let them do it. I don’t have laundry in my place, so I have to cart the lyra stuff up to the corner laundrymat (wash only; take home and hang up to dry).
IM #1 - was in an apartment. Housework was a non-issue but laundry was a huge problem because there was 1 w/d for all three floors in the building. I ended up hanging a lot of clothes to dry because I didn’t have time to wait for the dryer to finish. Work clothes got left at work and the local drycleaners made some good $ off me.
IM #2 - my own house. Took the spring off work to travel and train. Housesitter did the work. I did it in the summer but I was still off work.
IM #3 - my own house. Grass grew long and housework was an occasional vacuuming. A few plants died. The layer of dust was out of control. Everything cooking-related went in the dishwasher. At least the laundry always got done.
It’s the cooking that kills me… during IM training I snacked a lot but rarely made a sit-down dinner. I focused on high nutrient content snacks and ate mini-meals per/post workout rather than a formal supper.
Yes I have a maid come once a week. I do the laundry and have recently taught my kids to do their laundry. I should have done that earlier. It takes a lot of stress off b/c I’m not cranky about getting it done. It is so worth it. I think it’s even worth it if you are not training for IM.
I’ve had someone come in to clean my house every other week for the last couple of years and it’s a godsend. If I didn’t have this done, I think the only thing that would get cleaned is the bathroom and kitchen. It is really worth the money if you can afford it. Even if you just have someone come once a month, it will really ease the burden of keeping things clean.
I’m going to generalize now, but I really think this is something that guys have an easier time with than women. Many, many single guys will automatically get a cleaning lady, but women put it way down on their list. I had a hard time with it first (it just didn’t seem “right”), but it has taken away so much stress it’s amazing.
When I was training for IMF I bought a Roomba so I didn’t have to vacuum all the dog hair all the time. It’s not perfect, but it is good enough so you don’t have to vacuum a lot. I think I was down to once every other week (and I had a maid that comes that often). I stopped folding laundry, just left it for the maid to fold when she came. I still did the laundry, and sorted it in laundry baskets so I could find what I needed. I have almost a 2 weeks supply of most things, just had to do two loads a week (one of training clothes and one of other stuff) of things I sorted. The rest she did, I just put it away the night after she cleaned. Now if I could just find some way to deal with the dishes. I’m training for IMAZ now, but not working nearly as much, so I haven’t gotten the maid yet, but I might just because it’s soooo nice to come home to a nice clean house with fresh sheets on the bed even every once in a while.
It’s the cooking that kills me… during IM training I snacked a lot but rarely made a sit-down dinner. I focused on high nutrient content snacks and ate mini-meals per/post workout rather than a formal supper.
Because of our work schedules, my husband does most of the cooking, but I can share some of his quick-and-easy dinner ideas: Several companies make frozen “Crock Pot Dinners” that just require you to dump the contents in a crock pot in the morning. We add a bag of frozen veggies to the crock pot after adding the prepared meat/veggie/sauce, and that makes a nice sit-down dinner for three. 45 minutes before dinner: Put rice in rice cooker, go do something else. 10 minutes before dinner: put boneless, skinless chicken breast on the George Foreman grill. 7 minutes before dinner: put frozen veggies in microwave. Dump prepared salad in salad bowl. Add fake crab, cheese, and pre-chopped veggies from the store. Pour salad dressing on it. Serve with bread dipped in olive oil.
We put EVERYTHING through our dishwasher, so cleanup just involves rinsing the cooking implements and dishes and tossing them in the dishwasher. (OK, we just rinse the George Foreman grill really well and put it away.)
I cannot afford a cleaning person. When I was training a lot i put my rest day on Sunday. That was clean the house/do laundry/cook for a week day. Maybe my rest day wasn’t very restful but it worked. Schedule looked like this most weeks.
Sun-clean cook laundryMon-swim AM run pmTues-Swim AM, Ride PM
Wed-Long runThurs-Group ride pmFri-Swim AM run PMSat-Long Ride
I was going to ask this same question…but about yard work. I don’t know how many times last summer I had to choose between the long run/ride and mowing. Since my kids JUST aren’t old enough for major chores yet, this is a perpetual ‘get up earlier’ solution.
I’d love to be able to afford to pay the kid down the street, but like others have said, the maid/lawn boy thing is out of the price range at this time.
It is “nice” to see that so many struggle with the same issues.
A maid is a lifesaver and in my opinion, a relationship saver. My girlfriend is SO much happier now that we bring in someone to vacuum/wash floors and what not. And that gives us more we time together. Don’t feel guilty at all. Who the heck wants to waste their precious time in life doing crappy stuff like cleaning the toilet. No pun intended. Same as the folks who spend HOURS in their cars every week. What a waste.
Seriously, don’t feel bad/guilty. If I could afford it, I would have maids/chefs/gardeners/a whole team of people to do the crap I don’t want to do. life is too short.
Mark
I have someone come every 2 weeks to clean and it’s a lifesaver. I’m only training for a HIM, but it helps so much! Lately I’ve been putting a load of laundry in the wash when I wake up, and into the dryer before I leave for work. That way I’ve done a load of laundry when I get home, and it’s only about putting it away. The big thing for me is cooking. I wish I could cook more, but by the time I get home from work and working out, all I want is PB and banana or a Boboli… luckily my BF is fiercely independent, so he’s always off doing something on his own, and doesn’t expect dinner to be on the table when I get home.
Can’t wait to see what happens when I start IMAZ training…
Yep, a maid is REALLY nice. But, at $125 every other week… Well, my husband and I enjoyed it for several weeks, and then cut it out for budget reasons. I don’t think we would have tried it except some neighbors of ours recommended someone. So we didn’t feel like we had to go through a search process. It took me a little bit to not feel ridiculous for paying someone else to do something I was perfectly capable of doing. But the upside was more time with hubby, less time arguing over housework - the only thing we ever argue about - and freedom from guilt at coming home to a yucky house.
Now, we’re back to spending a few hours every weekend to clean. I’m just glad we don’t have kids to clean up after - we make more than enough mess as it is.
You don’t sound like June Cleaver to me. You sound more like a busy woman trying to juggle too many things. That said, we (hubby & I) have an incredible cleaning service. However, incredibleness is costly-$175 a visit, so we only have them in once a month for a super cleaning, then do the touch-up stuff ourselves in between (I have found that if I can hold off long enough, my husband will sweep the floors). Maybe you could try that schedule to keep the cost down.
what’s a little dirt? eh? I put the cleaning on my active rest day or easy day- I don’t keep the place show place clean and am currently training the 3 boys in the house to put their things away-that’s a biggy!
hey this is a real topic, seriously, i went through this training for IMWI last year and it caused a sore spot in my marriage!
my husband is really great, he picked up the pieces (literally and figuretively) for months without uttering one complaint. but one day i had been out for 8 hours on a bike ride (this was ride time, plus travel time to drive to the actual ride), came home exhausted and collapsed in a chair. it all came to a head right then and there and he just let it all out. whoops!
i don’t know what to tell you but agree this is a real issue. if you could do it, hire it out if you feel that works for you. i wouldn’t think twice about it, as doing so could take alot of pressure off of you.
but if you live with someone i think communicating about the situation and options is very important.
sounds like you’re totally aware of what is happening. it’s hard to do everything, something has to give (be it giving up the money to have someone do it for you, or settle for less cleanliness, or juggle time/plan to clean, or train less, etc).
Same as the folks who spend HOURS in their cars every week. What a waste.
life is too short.