Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Multi-Tasking Triathlete

What do you do when there just are not enough hours in the day to squeeze in everything you need to? You multi-task! I have gotten quite good at multi-tasking. I like to consider it an art form.

My life if slighty busy right now with working 12 hour days, studying for the GRE's, other obligations, and -oh yea- training for an Ironman. I have had to get creative to squeeze in everything. Need ideas? Read on!

  • Aero bars make great book holders. When I need to get in a ride, but need to get in some study time, I set up the bike trainer in my living room and spin while I quiz myself on the quadratic equation.

  • Did you know that the ledge on the face of a treadmill seconds as a GRE vocab flash card holder? Because it does! I hate the treadmill in general and I hate it even more when I am running and trying to study words I can barely pronounce and will never use again after I take this test. Both running and vocab words are necessary evils and knocking them out at the same time makes it seem less painful.



  • While at work, go through your study materials for 15 minutes as you scarf your food down your throat so that way it stays fresh in your head.


  • Stretch while in the shower. You're supposed to let conditioner sit on your hair for 5 minutes anyway so while the conditioner is making your hair all soft and shiny get some yoga poses going in the shower. Please don't fall.


  • Hold planks while studying. It hurts. (ps- I challenged Phil's uncle to a plank holding competition...little did I know he can hold them for 10 minutes! TEN! Dont worry, Uncle Tom- I've been practicing!)




  • While swimming- instead of singing the whole Nsync album from start to finish, make a mental to-do list or quiz yourself on those words you can't pronounce.



  • Need to feel social? Invite friends over to hang out by the pool but then totally ignore them as you study in the sunshine only taking a break to take a picture for your blog so that it looks like you had a very social weekend.


    • To get quality time with the boyfriend and pug, have your smart boyfriend explain to you over and over how to find the area of a quarter circle that is embedded in a weird looking triangle. The pug just sits there and looks cute. She can't help with math.  
    •  Write blog posts fast so that you can go to bed because you just worked 13 hours and need to wake up in the morning and run...on the treadmill...while studying flashcards.
    am I missing anything? How do you multi-task?
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    10 comments:

    1. Mon AmourJuly 6, 2011 at 10:50 PM

      I like to listen to audio books while I am on the stationary bike or running. I feel more productive that way. I also stretch in the shower

      ReplyDelete
    2. JonJuly 7, 2011 at 6:10 AM

      Wow! You are ONE busy lady! Hats off to you!

      ReplyDelete
    3. Katy WidrickJuly 7, 2011 at 9:32 AM

      That is freaking GENIUS...I'm going to start propping books on my aero bars!

      ReplyDelete
    4. amyJuly 7, 2011 at 9:36 AM

      This is the greatest post. I'm with you on everything except the treadmill. No amount of multi-tasking necessary will ever get me to add it to my routine. PS - check out the stream of water coming from under my butt on the pool deck. I guess that's what happens when you get in the pool fully dressed :)

      ReplyDelete
    5. KatieJuly 7, 2011 at 11:51 AM

      I like that you call running a "necessary evil." also, you look jacked in that plank pic!

      ReplyDelete
    6. {will run for margaritas}July 7, 2011 at 1:01 PM

      You are a bad@$$ - that's all I can say about you! :)

      ReplyDelete
    7. AllisonJuly 7, 2011 at 1:26 PM

      I think I might get sick trying to read anything on the treadmill, but it's definitely a good way to add in more flashcard time! Do you Metro to work? That can definitely be used as study time. However, if you bike, I would not recommend attempting the aerobars/book trick! ;)

      ReplyDelete
    8. Chloe@321delishJuly 7, 2011 at 3:03 PM

      haha love these! I have been SO MIA recently, and unfortunately its not going to change until next week...or post HIM.

      Lets play soon though!!!

      ReplyDelete
    9. EmilyJuly 7, 2011 at 4:37 PM

      Brizzy is hysterical.

      I'll be making use of all of this when it's my turn -- soon!

      ReplyDelete
    10. Erin @ UntilYouTriJuly 7, 2011 at 10:55 PM

      Haha, aww, I feel for you! I can't believe you are doing all of that while training for an IM!! You rock, girl! I did so much reading for school on the stationary bike/elliptical when I was training for my HIM. I love the plank pic--you're buff (but I suppose I should expect that from a soon-to-be ironwoman;). Your pug is hilarious!:) Any more pool time going on this weekend?? I am sooo pale, I need to work on this now that school is almost over!

      ReplyDelete

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