Saturday, May 22, 2010

Hours in a Day

At a post t-ball dinner recently, one of the other parents asked me about my training and, in what I perceived as perhaps a slightly accusatory tone, asked me whether my training takes up 30% or more of my time. Intuitively I said no, but admitted that training is a significant time commitment.

The conversation stuck with me and I decided to play around a bit in Excel to see exactly what percentage of my time I spend doing various activities in a given week. I am a total data nerd, I know ... so, how do you spend your time?
The hours left represent, well everything else, including quality family time - a big priority for me (one that I could not quantify by a daily time allowance). Thankfully, I also get family time during meal times, commuting (when I take the boys to/from school) and at church. I could have attempted to put in even more categories, but really, the remaining items are so diverse they would not make up a statistically significant percentage of my weekly time.

What this exercise showed me was that sleeping and working take up the majority of my time, followed by "hours left" -- and it really confirmed what I already knew, that is, that I make time for what is important to me.

6 comments:

ONEHOURIRONMAN said...

As you get better at this IM thing, you can lower your finishing time expectations and free up all kinds of time for family.....that's my story and I'm sticking to it.... (of course that's why I'm mid pack, but that's OK)

Patrick Mahoney said...

wow this is a great analysis. Mind if I borrow it?

Allie said...

I LOVE the Excel! And it makes me wonder if I could also fit some serious training in my life! :) Maybe for the SF Nike Women's next year!

Unknown said...

Great analysis!! Geesh, I think there might have been a little jealousy in the other mothers voice??! You deserve time to yourself and if that means some training time so be it!

jessithompson said...

Really cool.

Mark said...

Anne, you somehow manage to balance it all. It is surely an amazing balancing act that we all do, even mid-packers like Bob!

That "accusatory" tone that I have sometimes been on the receiving end of is usually a manifestation of someone's jealousy who cannot possibly conceive why any parent would want to be both an incredible role model and inspiration for their children. So what if you are not president of the P.T.A. (you're not president of the P.T.A., right?,) or spending your discretionary time at knitting socials... keep on keeping on!