How do you find the time for other things?

[emuni04]

I work FT (with a 2 hour round trip commute) and I have a toddler. Frankly, my only extracurricular activity these days is exercise. Well, and watching TV and sipping red wine.

These days, I do my best to make my weekends count (thanks to naptime) and do shorter, HIIT style workouts after work for maximum impact.

[gumi]

Apr 4, 2014 10:09:17 GMT -5 Wines Not Whines said:

I think this is also making me realize I need to find a new running group (my old one kind of disbanded) and/or some new friends who enjoy the same things I do (running, yoga, etc.). Not that I want to replace my current friends, because I love them. But if I can combine socializing and running, that would be great. Multitasking!

plus, you meet people and get connections. 
which leads to free races, free swag, etc.  So, really, it's almost like working    

That is what I tell my husband before a 2 hour bike ride.  It's not training....it's NETWORKING.  Thanks for watching the kids! (hot)

[jordylee]

No kids yet, but DH and I both work full time. H&F stuff and travel are my only real hobbies. We are still figuring out how to fit travelling into our lifestyle now that we're both full time, and that meant taking jobs with flexible scheduling and that let us take unpaid time off if we want to. H&F I make time for on the regular, but other than that... I don't have much else in the way of hobbies and I'm okay with that. I know what I enjoy and I do that. I'm open to new things, but as far as making them a priority... I'd rather not spread myself too thin.

[jchokie79]

I really feel like sometimes I don't have time for other things.

It's just DH and I, no kids. With training for a Half, I try to run in the mornings before work so I can free up the rest of the day. But on the weekends, I'm doing my long run, running errands and doing the usual house chores that I often feel like I don't have time for other things.

I used to read a lot before I started running and that's cut down at least half now if not more.

[otowngirl]

I usually work out in the morning before work, so that leaves evenings free for other stuff.  I'm only doing one thing a day in terms of exercise, though.

[finallykrisb]

Three kids, three dogs, and a full time job and I have to have hobbies or I get stressed and anxious. I've recently taken up sewing and I usually sew after dinner when I would have been watching tv.

Working out happens before work and at lunch.

[mrsjthompson]

We're DINKS, and I work pretty much a 40 hour week with a bit of travel here and there, and I rarely have time for any other hobbies. Except travel. We always make time to travel! But between an evening workout, making dinner, and getting together lunches, I might plunk down on the couch for an hour to watch TV before bed. When we were HM training it was much worse and my house was just not cleaned for almost a month. I do enjoy photography and scrapbooking, and might get to do one of those for a couple of hours on a weekend once or twice a week. Right now I've got to devote some major time to pulling weeds in the yard during spring.

I can't find enough hours in the day, so I sure don't know how y'all with kiddos do it!

[agswife]

Running and exercise are my hobbies. I participate in running groups, have friends at the gym, take bootcamp classes with friends, etc. I work FT and have an almost 16 month old. I guess my other hobby is family time (and I'm totally ok with that - it's what we've worked pretty hard to be able to have.)

[beachygal]

Being a teacher with no kids, I typically have a fair amount of time for things. That would be very different if kids were in the picture. Either way, I like thinking of fitness as my "hobby". I'm not particularly crafty, and I don't like spending money on things. Everyone needs to workout, so thinking of it as my hobby is a good reason to get a cute headband every once in awhile, or to spend a gift card from Amazon on a Garmin (versus something we need, like paper towels). I don't know if that makes any sense, lol.

In any event, if you're looking for a new running group, check on the MCRRC's First Time Marathon program. The name is apparently a total misnomer--it is popular with first timers and seasoned marathoners alike. There are many that do it every year because the program is supposedly very well run. Starts up in May. They also build mileage slowly, so this might be good if you're coming back from an injury (I think that's you). I just finished a winter training program with this club, and have no complaints.

[Wines Not Whines]

Apr 5, 2014 8:01:31 GMT -5 beachygal said:

Being a teacher with no kids, I typically have a fair amount of time for things. That would be very different if kids were in the picture. Either way, I like thinking of fitness as my "hobby". I'm not particularly crafty, and I don't like spending money on things. Everyone needs to workout, so thinking of it as my hobby is a good reason to get a cute headband every once in awhile, or to spend a gift card from Amazon on a Garmin (versus something we need, like paper towels). I don't know if that makes any sense, lol.

In any event, if you're looking for a new running group, check on the MCRRC's First Time Marathon program. The name is apparently a total misnomer--it is popular with first timers and seasoned marathoners alike. There are many that do it every year because the program is supposedly very well run. Starts up in May. They also build mileage slowly, so this might be good if you're coming back from an injury (I think that's you). I just finished a winter training program with this club, and have no complaints.

Funny that your mentioned that program. I've been thinking about signing up for one of the MCCR marathon training programs, but they also have one for "experienced" marathoners. They sort people by pace group for both programs, so I wonder what the difference is between them.

[derbycitycook]

I'm glad to see this thread--I'm starting to think about how I'll fit it all in when I go back to work. Seems like flexibility and a supportive DH is key.

[jamalynn]

No, I don't have any other hobbies. I work p/t, have 2 kiddos, and a DH who works long hours. Working out is my me time. Just recently, I have found a few girls who run the same races as me so we carpool. I consider that huge. Yes, I am lame.

[libbygrl109]

One kid, full-time job, but thanks to my profession, I have most of the summer off (in a good year), so I have a lot of flexibility in the summer, but I still feel like I run out of time to do things. I garden and do projects around the house during that time, in addition to training. (which is why I was crazy to do an early spring half, because during the school year I'm lucky to get the minimal amount of running in) I am very lucky that DH teaches at a college, so he's off with me, too, and is beyond amazing about letting me do my thing when I need to.

As for my other hobbies - baking and decorating cookies and cakes - that happens when I need them to - holidays, birthdays, special events, so I work my schedule around when I need to get them done. My first hobby, scrapbooking, I have barely touched since DS was born. I hope to get back to it soon, but need to clean out all of the crap in my basement to carve out my space again.

[itsme]

After work, working out, and making dinner there's not much time to do much else. DH and I usually watch a few episodes of a show to wind down. I read in bed right before going to sleep. That's my life 5 days a week.

Weekend activities vary. I scrapbook but it's been well over a month since I've done anything with it. It's really hard to do that with a kid running around wanting to touch and eat everything she sees. When I do have down time I have to pick and choose what to do. Unfortunately scrapbooking has taken a back seat to watching TV, reading, or playing video games which I can do while the kid runs around the living room. My scrapbook stuff is in another area not safe for this kid.