THE ANNUAL RUN in the Dark event is taking place on Wednesday 16 November in Dublin, Cork, Belfast and 52 other cities around the world.
Ahead of this year’s edition, coach John O’Regan will be bringing us some running advice in the build-up. This week, we take a look at time management.
Not enough hours in the day to do all you want to do? Exercising for 60 minutes per day can seem time-consuming especially when we feel that we don’t have those 60 minutes to spare, but when you think about it, 60 minutes is a very small portion of the 1440 minutes available in a day.
Now I know that the majority of those minutes are spent working, commuting and sleeping but if you look closely you’ll soon discover that a lot of our daily minutes are actually wasted.
Getting yourself organised and a bit of forward planning could make your day a bit more productive.
Not having enough time is probably the most used excuse for not exercising but the reality is we all have the time and it’s more a matter of priorities and how much you value your health.
Even those with the most demanding of jobs find time to fit exercise into their daily routine as they realise the harm that the lack of exercise can do and more importantly they realise the benefits gained from including some form of daily exercise.
We can’t make time but we can make the most of it.
You’ve heard it said that time is money and if you think of it in that way then you might be less likely to waste it.
If you do an audit of your typical day and week you should find that windows of opportunity do exist but we have allowed them to close and with a little bit of strategic planning we can re-open them.
1. The running commute
Do you live within a reasonable distance from work? If yes, then you could try the occasional run to work as this is a very time efficient way to fit in your training.
If this is inconvenient due to lack of showering facilities then you could try running home. I find that the run home can be invigorating and helps to clear your head rather than falling asleep on a bus or train leaving you feeling lethargic for the rest of the evening.
2. Reclaim your lunch hour
Do you have access to shower facilities in work? If yes, then it should be possible to fit in a time- based session to ensure you always finish and have time for lunch.
It’ll take a few attempts to get into a routine and work out potential routes but it won’t be wasted time. As an example, you could run out for 15 minutes and then turn and retrace your steps.
3. Look for windows of opportunity
We all need some downtime but there’s also wasted time. Do you drop the kids to football practice or similar and wait around for them to finish or drive home only to go out again?
Is there a particular programme on TV that you try avoid but your partner watches? There are many other similar examples.
4. Keep travel to a minimum
A run can start from anywhere so rather than wasting time driving to a start point just start from where you are. The travel time can sometimes be as long or longer than the actual run time. This saves the need to be packing spare clothes and saves further time.
5. Get it done early
Try to run as early in the day as you can, as the longer you wait then the less time you have. Do what you can when you can.
6. Follow the same morning routine at weekends
Do you get up at 7am Monday to Friday? Do the same at the weekend and you’ll mange to fit in your run without impacting on your day and it may even give you a few extra hours that would have been spent in bed.
As an added benefit it’ll also make getting up at 7am on the following Monday a lot easier.
You need to do the things that will move your fitness forward and bring your goal closer.
“Those who think they have not time for bodily exercise will sooner or later have to find time for illness,” Edward Stanley, Earl of Derby, once said.
Sign up to Run In The Dark on Wednesday 16 November to run 5km or 10km and support The Mark Pollock Trust to find and connect people worldwide to fast-track a cure for paralysis.
I think he’s right! But the stable door has long since closed on that one.
I look forward to hearing what Gary Neville has to say about the Catholic church’s position on marriage. It will be approximately as relevant.
I thought that would have been in the running for comment of the week. Just goes to show.
Quality comment!
About as relevant as yours
Pope warns against money in football from his gold throne.
So true. the man lives in a palace and I imagine it costs a fortune to send him around the world to wave
Actually, this Pope doesn’t. He has moved to an apartment which was previously used by staff. I’m no fan of the Catholic church but at least blame them for what they are guilty of.
Grand so, Padraig McHale
Their are guilty of:
- covering up sex abuse of children for decades
- Fast tracking John Paul ii to saint hood even though he was the man heavily involved in cover ups for 25 years!
- In 2014 refusing to co-operate with UN investigation
- Refusing to compensate abuse victims
- Trying to influence Irish Government legislation by threatening our government ministers that if they don’t vote a certain way they’d be banned from communion.
- Silencing priests with progressive views such as, priests should be allowed to marry, gay marriage should be allowed etc
The Catholic church are hardly in a position to lecture anyone in relation to rights and wrongs in this world.
Who is?
I completely agree Michael. That was precisely my point!!
*Martin, not Michael obviously.
“Actually, this Pope doesn’t” <- whether he lives there or not, the Vatican is a fecken gold laden palace. How is he costing them less by living in yet another residence?
Why not go out and sell your car, computer, sky tv box etc if you’re so concerned about worldly possessions making people greedy and evil. Go live on a deserted island with little luxury and then come back on here and talk about pots and kettles. Although if you sell your expensive computers and other devices then that may be difficult.
Actually he doesn’t. He lives in a small room in a seminary with other priests and brothers. If you’re going to attack the man’s stance, at least do it with the truth.
Add being guilty of the deaths of thousands in Africa due to their stance on contraception
Agreed Mr Bishop,
But the man still has a point.
@John O’Call
“Why not go out and sell your car, computer, sky tv box etc if you’re so concerned about worldly possessions making people greedy and evil.”
Most people haven’t lied, raped, pillaged and murdered others for the computers/phones/homes/clothes etc that they own.
If he doesn’t indulge in the luxuries like his predecessor then fair play but he’s still head of the Catholic Church. Go to the Vatican and witness the opulence for yourself and then tell me this is the religion of charity!
It is most definitely not the religion of charity….but then what religion ever followed its own teaching? I do actually think this Pope is better than his predecessors but that’s not saying an awful lot really. The Vatican is still one giant bureaucracy and no one person can change it even if they really want to.
I don’t like the Catholic church one bit but you can hardly expect them to but the Vatican on Daft.ie or start flogging works of art on ebay ? Or can we.? *moves eyes shiftly * .
@Padraig McHale
Nice work. I’ve never seen an example of nested tu quoque fallacies before.
Thanks Jimbo. Appreciated.
He is guilty by association padraig
They could and should fold their tent and sell off everything and eradicate starvation worldwide
Pots and kettles
Yet our former pope would have taken the cash for an ole champions league blessing
Anything about the Money in Religion and charities?
I can’t believe it but I agree with the pope.
Pity he couldn’t have said that to the private interests in rugby before they destroyed one of its best competitions, the Heineken Cup, all in the name of greed.
I’d be more worried about the money in the Vatican! Maybe they should buy a football team just to add to the corruption! How about Plymouth Argyle otherwise known as the Pilgrims or maybe go straight for a PL club. The saints had a good year!!
The last few Popes would know a thing or two about football.John Paul 2 was a goalkeeper but he and the repugnant Benedict were Defenders! Defenders of paedophiles.
The Vatican and all its wealth and pomp are the polar opposite of the alleged teachings of Jesus.
Lets see P.R Pope do a Bill Gates and donate the Vatican Billions.
Too late popey – far too late.
I chuckle to myself everything I see your profile name and photo :-)
*everytime
Vatican
Keeper – of wealth
Defenders – of filth
Midfield engines – of Propaganda
Attackers – of critics
When he and his cronies honour their supposed vow of poverty I’ll listen…..until then best to say nowt Popemeister!
http://www.nytimes.com/…/vatican-suspends-german-bishop-known-for-spendin…;
What vow of poverty? Only applies to some priests.
Money in football = bad
Money for systematically raping children = fine
He’s only discovering this now?
I’m warning the pope against money in the church. Three collections in one mass Francis, THREE!
I’d much rather see people be greedy in sport than greedy in the drugs business. Sport is a nice, safe place for greed, IMO.
Greed is bad everywhere.
Is Martin bishop a bishop just asking
Careful ladies James Franco is here. What’s the next statement from the church? Opinion on current state of music scene? Maybe a statement about good holiday destinations. Can someone please tell that the world is considerably better educated than it was a couple of 100 years ago they are no longer relevant and we know hypocrites when we see them.
Of course he is right. We need the fA to step in and hand Liverpool the title. Whether by linesman, or maximum 20 million plus player quotas.
I see the red thumbers. Good day to our American brethren.
I wish he told them to stop diving trying to cheat , not that the Vatican can preach to anyone, at least not yet
You see the problem with arsenal is that they just walk the ball into the net
The more I hear from this pope the more I like him, let’s hope he lasts in the oldest corporation in the world.
Trying to close another stable door long after that particular horse has bolted a long time ago.
Barrys or lyons lads? That’s the question!
Even il papa is on Napoli’s side.