Does your job impact your training?

[Anth_F]

Seems to be quite a few retired 50 something year-olds on here. Not sure I'd know what to do if I didn't work, would hate to vegetate.

The secret to life is you need hobbies and something to get up for in the morning, OTHER than work. If you have turned your life into just work you have been institutionalized.

As they say when your work interferes with your hobby, quit work.

Actually I thing the original statement was "When work interferes with your Golf, quit work"

It's a ballsy thing to do "quit work" not a whole lot would. Kinda like the ones who have a dream and drop everything else in pursuit of it (follow your dream)

Definitely true about needing hobbies and something to get up for every morning.

[jackarabit]

Definitely need a hobby worse than your job--something you wouldn't do if paid to do it.

[Rod]

Seems to be quite a few retired 50 something year-olds on here. Not sure I'd know what to do if I didn't work, would hate to vegetate.

I'm pretty busy most of the time and wonder how I ever managed to find the time to go to work!

It's nice to be able to go to the gym in the morning, a journey of about 10 seconds as it's in my back garden, much better than when I had to face a long journey on the motorway every morning.

I'd hate to vegetate too...so make sure I don't and it's not difficult I assure you!

[MPx]

The last few years when I was working we had a Gym at work which had three Concept2 Ergs in. I had one of those 12 hours a day in the office and log back in when you get home jobs - but I also had a rule about the Gym. Either a 60 or 90 minute session every day in the gym (admittedly in lieu of other breaks). My sec could move the session as she needed to, but couldn't delete it. Worked really well for me and actually worked better than having to motivate myself outside work.

Once I retired, I quickly filled my time with never ending projects and ventures that I enjoy. They've gotten out of hand a few times - hence my absence from here for extended periods, but I always feel better when I can set up my life to stick to my old work regime and stop what I'm doing early enough to spend an hour in the Gym (at home) before dinner.

[gregsmith01748]

This is a terrific topic and right on point for me. My work responsibilities really ramped up last year and it has taken a real toll on the quantity and quality of my training.

My total meters for the 2016 season were 1M lower than the year before (2.9M vs 3.9M), and the amount of high quality, intense training has come down even more.

The biggest challenge that I have is dealing with business travel. I used to work around travel by treating travel days as rest days and sort of powering through. But over the past year, the amount of international travel has gone way up (I've been to Korea 3 times since February, plus about 9 other trips) and I've found that I am really foundering.

I think the best that I can do right now is minimize the fitness loss by squeezing in whatever I can, whenever I can, but it sure makes me depressed to not be able to be working on improving.

[G-dub]

Back when it was all amature sports people found a way. I think the biggest thing that enables me to spend the time I want is I never had kids, so one big piece of the time responsibility wasn't there for me. I've also become self employed which allows for a different view of time each day - my view rather than someone else's - which is also a bonus. But I agree with those that say that work is important to self, even though the accountability and people nuisance part gets a little old. I would go nuts without work, even though it sounds nice to not have to do it.

[jackarabit]

Wow, just think what it would be like with six kids and NO job.

[G-dub]

I couldn't imagine. I don't even have a dog.

[Carl Watts]

I couldn't imagine. I don't even have a dog.

Yes well no wife, no ex-wife and no kids here so I guess you have alot more options when you hit 50. With no one else spending all the money you have 100% control over your finances and once your Mortgage is paid off, the pressure really comes off and your whole attitude changes to life.

[Cyclist2]

My daughter (30 years old) is wrestling with the work/profession/hobby thing right now. It has pointed out to me that there are two major routes a person can take: 1) Find your passion in your work (which then isn't really "work") and enjoy that to the exclusion of any serious hobbies. Still stay physically fit, healthy, etc., but just as a general way of life. Unless that passion is professional sports or some physically taxing thing, you could probably do it until you die and be perfectly happy. Lots of examples. Or 2) Use work only to provide the paycheck for life. Sure, find a job that you don't mind getting out of bed for, but it is only the means to the end. It may still mean sacrificing hobby/kid/training time occasionally, but only that - the main focus is what you're doing outside of work.

I took the second route (not entirely by choice, but it worked out OK), and now that I'm retired, I have lots of hobbies and activities to keep me enjoyably occupied. It will make the rest of my life much nicer, I think.

Raining, again, so I did 3x(13' R2') intervals on the erg at 20spm, 2:05 pace. Now I'm working on some of my other indoor hobbies. Life is good.

[Edward4492]

This is a post dear to my heart. At age 60, I won't be retiring anytime soon. No need for the details, but I'll be working for a long time to come. Fortunately I work for good people at a good company. I wouldn't go quite as far as calling my work a labor of love, but it's not bad. Longish hours, 7:00 to 5:00 every day and about 30-40 evening training sessions each year. So rowing is certainly do-able but requires some focus. This week I was up at 4:15 three days to get on the river, get a shower, and be in the shop at 7:00. I'm getting 50-60k OTW, so I'm getting it done. As they say, "where there's a will there's a way". I'm determined to get fast OTW and it's so much fun that I simply cannot get enough of it. This is nothing new to me, when I was racing bikes I did some insane training regimes. On the erg... the same thing. What's nice about the erg is sessions WILL happen if you want to do them, no weather issues etc. Like Carl said, you better find something. People who say they don't have time to work-out, or get in shape simply are not making fitness a priority in their lives. You need to find something that pulls at you. For my wife it's yoga. She's miserable if they cancel a class. Cut out some of the TV time, etc. And accept the fact that there will be times when training has to take a back seat. But if life and work threaten to shut down your passion.....well, maybe it's time for a change.

[Anth_F]

People who say they don't have time to work-out, or get in shape simply are not making fitness a priority in their lives. You need to find something that pulls at you. For my wife it's yoga. She's miserable if they cancel a class. Cut out some of the TV time, etc. And accept the fact that there will be times when training has to take a back seat. But if life and work threaten to shut down your passion.....well, maybe it's time for a change.

Spot on, Ed.

I used to watch lots and lots of TV before i decided to take up rowing and get myself back in shape! These days i hardly watch any TV at all, and that was never even a conscious decision lol. If anything, i prefer to listen to some music in my free time these days.

Interesting how some things can pan out.

[Edward4492]

Judging from your picture Anthony the fitness thing is working for you!

[Anth_F]

Judging from your picture Anthony the fitness thing is working for you!

It sure is Edward... it's amazing how quickly you can transform if you really dedicate a bit to general good diet and some fairly regular exercise.

[maestroak]

Yeah quite a bit, particularly because I travel for work as well. I'm not sure what camp I'm in when it comes to work, I don't have any hobbies I love so much that I feel like I'm missing out. It would be great to erg more, get out on the water more, but it would just be more of what I already enjoy. I could easily "retire" if I could financially pull it off and I certainly don't see myself needing to work from a mental perspective, but at the same time my work has given me a wide variety of experiences most don't get to have in their life that far outweighs the grind. But since I hopped on the erg I've made this hobby a priority and make time. The trick for me isn't just work it's also family time which is as important as everything else. But I think I make it work fairly well.

-Steve