Group Discussion: Balancing Training and Graduate School

I am now in the third year of my PhD program, which means the research and writing is in full force. Now that my IM training has been ramping up, I've been finding it a challenge to juggle the demands of graduate school with the demands of training (case in point: I am writing this from the Air France Lounge in the Paris Airport en route to a conference--been traveling for two days on two red-eye flights, have gotten a grand total of 4 hours of sleep, and am considering running up and down a flight of stairs to get a workout it). Although I can somehow manage, I feel a lot of guilt: guilt that I could/should be putting more time into my PhD. I decided to gather a gaggle of some of the blogosphere's finest female graduate student athletes to address the pressures we face and get tips on how to juggle everything. What follows is a round-table discussion (of sorts) that we had about balancing it all.

The players:

• Megan K (Endurance Meg) Twitter: Megan Killian

• Beth Twitter:BethRunsBoston
• Nicole (Geekturnedathlete) Twitter: geekturnathlete

• The Nerdy Runner Twitter: TheNerdyRunner

• Heidi A (Tri Angel)

• Margot
• Xenia
• Frayed Laces

1. First off, I would like to get everyone's athletic history. Have you been involved in sports your whole lives? Just picked it up? If you have been involved your whole lives, why did you continue sports into graduate school? If you recently picked it up, why did you decide? What do you currently do (marathons, triathlons, etc)?

MEGANK- I've been running since middle school. I ran track and xc in high school, and continued through college -where I ran competitively for Michigan Tech (Div II NCAA). It wasn't really a thought of whether or not I was going to keep running when I got to college, and continuing into grad school was the same. I did take ~6months-1yr off after I graduated with my bachelors, mostly because my senior year involved three season (xc, Nordic ski, and track) and I was burnt out and adjusting to grad school-age. My second year of my masters was back into the habit, thanks to new roommates, new lifestyle choices, etc. I ran my first marathon the spring of the second year of grad school and haven't looked back. I did my first triathlon (half-iron distance) last June, my first Ironman that September, and really quite enjoy the diversity and ADD-compatibility of the "three-sport"-sport.

BETH: I did gymnastics all through high school, and then got my black belt in taekwondo in college and was the instructor for my local club. I had "run" cross country and track in high school, but they were definitely secondary sports for me, just a way to hang out with my friends in the off season from gymnastics. After college I couldn't find a taekwondo school in the area that matched the intensity of my college club, so I stopped practicing. I took almost a year off before getting into running. I can definitely speak to the burned out feeling that Meghan mentioned, but for me that had a lot to do with coming off a super hectic undergrad career and transitioning to a full time job, grad school and an evil commute. I've been running since last September (~18 months) and I'm training for Boston as my first marathon this year. I got offered a charity spot and here I am! Since I started running I've dropped 7min off my first 5k time, and 18min off my first 10k time. I love the competitiveness of running, but the competition is always with my last time, which is cool, and better on my friends :) The running definitely helps me break up the craziness of working full time and then going to grad school at night. I want to get into triathlons, but I need to learn how to swim first!

Nicole: Um no. Am I the only h.s "geek" on this questionnaire? haha I was a speech and debate and drama girl in high school. I tried out for the swim team when they were practically taking anyone and didn't make it. I was the last one to be picked for any sport. I started running in college after the dreaded "Freshman 15." After that, I was pretty much hooked. I was lured by the "bad-ass" association that triathlons seem to have attached to them. I'm currently training for my first marathon, and am trying to decide when my first half-Ironman will be this year. If I don't die, I want to do a full by the end of 2012. Although, I'm still a geek, things have changed dramatically for me since h.s. in the athletic field. I'm now a spin instructor, and I am always the first to be picked for adventure races with the boys!

TheNerdyRunner - I have actually never been a runner (up until April 2009). I danced for 15 years. Most of my childhood was spent doing studio dance, but once in high school I joined the dance team/pom squad and my running consisted of the 1-mile run before practice for "conditioning." Once in college, I joined the dance team my freshman year, then moved back home to get married and transferred schools during my sophomore year and that's where my dance career ended. After getting married (in 2005), I started to pack on a few pounds, until a few pounds turned into 50 after only 2.5 years of marriage. I tried to lose weight in 2008 (the start of my grad school career) for my sister's wedding, but I only lost 25 lbs. and was unable to keep it off successfully. Then in April of 2009 I finally decided I'd had enough and was going to give the "Couch to 5K" training plan a shot. I actually hated running for the first half of the program. But somehow, miraculously, I started to enjoy it. I found it to be an incredible stress reliever and was amazed at the changes I was noticing in my body, not just the weight coming off, but my energy levels too. After my "graduation 5K," I decided I wanted to continue running and signed up for a road race series that my local running club puts on every year. I was able to increase my mileage from the 5K to a half marathon in about 7 months. My progress amazed me. So this year, my goal is to complete my very first marathon. I'm debating between the Andrew Jackson Marathon in Jackson, TN or the Country Music Marathon in Nashville, TN, both are in April of this year (right around the 1 year mark of running!).

HEIDI A: Similar to Megan K, I’ve been running competitively since I was a little kid. I think my mom entered me in my first 5k race around age 11 and I haven’t looked back since! During my younger years I competed at the Junior Olympic level and then later on in high school and DIII in college. I ran for a tiny college in New England. I was mostly a middle distance runner/hurdler and also did the heptathalon. After graduation, I became bored with running and wanted to try something new and exciting. I began teaching spinning classes at a local Gold’s gym and later on decided to enter my first triathlon. One thing lead to another and here I am signed up for my first ironman this fall! 2010 will be my third year competing in triathlons. I like to maintain balance outside of triathlon and also enjoy yoga, surfing, and snowboarding. We need an escape right???

Margot: I also started running fairly young. I have an uncle that is very active (one of his most recent achievements is competing in the world xtterra championship, at the master's level) and the first 5k I ran was one that he helped organize. I think I was in 3rd grade. Mostly, I remember that the shirt was huge on me. I ran track in H.S. and had a coach that shared his love of running with me. I did my first two years of college at a DI school. I talked to the coaches about running there and one of the first things they told me was that I would need to lose weight. That was a big red flag for me...I was nervous about running at that level anyway and that was enough to send me away. I transfered to Michigan Tech for my jr. and sr. year and ran with their cross country and track teams. I think I really came into my own a few years after college. I ran a lot, mostly because I was in Houghton and it's beautiful here...and I liked it. It became clear that I could run a marathon. So I ran a few marathons...and then ran a few more...had a couple sub-3 hrs...and started allowing thoughts of the trials to creep in. Somewhere around that time that I was thinking, "maybe I should really give this a go...," I began having some pretty chronic issues with my hip. It turns out there was a tear in my labrum. The experts did not want to attempt to repair it because there was a good chance I'd end up worse off than I am. To manage that, I've had to change my training...no more 100+ mile weeks for this girl (and I do miss them) and lots more cross training than I ever thought I'd do. I am slowly learning to like biking in the summer and skiing in the winter. Why did I keep training in grad school? Because this is what I do. That's the best answer I can give. Training is when I feel most at peace and most in tune. What do I currently do? Since I confirmed the labral tear (2008), I haven't run a marathon. Stuck with 25k and under. This spring I'm going to give a 50k a whirl. I think I've figured out my training and my body enough to pull it off.

Xenia: Good god, you guys put me to shame. I was an uber nerd in high school. I played JV basketball for two years and, as a freshman, I got conned by my older sister to join the track and field team. I did shotput and discus. All I remember is the first day of practice the coach made us run two miles. I hated every stinking step of it and was, of course the last one to complete it. I swore off running then and there. I pretty much remained inactive from then on out with the occasional inspiration to try hiking, fencing or the gym scene. It wasn't until I came over to England for graduate school and gained even more weight that I decided I needed to do something about it. I figured running was the cheapest activity since all I had to buy was shoes, so I tried a walk-run program in late 2007 and ran my first race (a 7k) in April 2008. Then I went all gung-ho and ran my first half marathon in August 2008 and my first marathon on my birthday in November 2008. I'm now currently training for my second marathon which takes place in May. Running has inspired me to pursue other goals too. I finally got around to taking swimming lessons and now swim two or three times a week. Also, I purchased a bike and use it as my main mode of transportation. I know it sounds like I'm becoming a tri-nutter, but it's not going to happen any time soon. Spandex and I do not mix.

Frayed Laces: Like Xenia, I was an uber nerd in high school. I started going to the gym when I was teaching high school after college. I liked running on the treadmill, and eventually started running on this 2 mile path in a park. One particularly bad day, I decided to run until I couldn’t run any more. I stopped after 12 miles. It was then that I thought I could actually train and run more. I bought my first Garmin, and never looked back. I like creating new challenges for myself, so my racing/training is always changes. 6 months ago, it was ultramarathons. Now it’s Ironman.

2. What does your balance look like? What percent of your week do you devote to grad school activities, what percent do you devote to training, and what percent do you devote to free time?

MEGANK- Balance really depends on the week. Sometimes things are pretty even-steven, and I can do my 40hrs in the lab/office, 15hrs of training, and 8hrs of sleep a night. Other times, it's 60-70hrs in the lab, I'm lucky to have 5hrs of training, and I can't sleep because I can't workout and I'm stressed. The best times? When things are slower and/or smooth, I can work ~30hrs a week, and train train train my butt off (~20hrs a week). I don't really do much other "stuff" in my freetime, because I live with my boyfriend (bonus "ambient" time spent together and we help each other with cooking) and I don't have cable, and I don't go to the bars much. I do spend a bit of time blogging (5hrs a week or so?). I've only pulled two all-nighters in grad school and they weren't exactly ALL-NIGHTERs, I went to bed at 2am one night and 4am the other.

BETH: I work for as a researcher for a biotech company full time, usually 40-50 hours a week. I have about 10 hours of commitments related to my grad classes with travel time and classroom time, plus another 5-10 hours of work related to classes. Luckily, my research at work fulfills what would be the thesis requirement for a more typical masters program. I spend probably ~15 hours a week working out, more on the weeks with long runs of 15+ miles. I tend to consider my workouts my free time... For a while I had a hard time balancing the friends and boyfriend aspect of my life with everything else, but I've solved that a little by getting them all into running, and so I have running buddies and we can all go out after a weekend run :)

Nicole: I live in Europe, so my grad school situation is a little different than most people attending grad school. Since, I'm not fluent in German, it probably wouldn't be a wise thing to go to grad school here. So, I am attending UF through a distance learning program with environmental engineering full time. This alone right now is kicking my butt. I teach anywhere from 3 to 5 spin classes a week, plus training plus some other volunteer work. I am devoting at least 30-40 hours a week to school, 5-10 hours for teaching, 10-15 hours for training, ~5 hours blogging, 0-20 hours volunteering. I pretty much don't have any free time, and the time I do have I spend it with my hubby when he is home or my friends or I travel (hey, I'm in Europe!). I only watch two shows on TV a week. Other than that, it remains unplugged.

TheNerdyRunner - Hmmm, balance. That's a really good question, and all I can really say is that I am an organizational freak. If you are a fan of "Friends" at all, then you'll know what I mean when I say I rival Monica. I plan out my time to a ridiculous level. I make a list/schedule every week of what I need to get done and do my best to stick with it. It's really all about the time management for me. I've never actually thought about how much actual time I spend on each aspect of my life, but now that you've asked I will. I probably spend around 8 hours a week on training right now, but that's increasing as I increase my mileage for marathon training. I work a 20-hr a week graduate assistantship at my school and am lucky that a lot of times I am able to work on schoolwork while I'm there. Class and practicum hours are probably close to 15 hours a week, with an additional 10-20 hours spent on schoolwork at home (not including time I spend working on stuff at my GA). Unfortunately, about twice a week, I am stuck on campus (for work and class), for over 12 hours. Plus I have around a 45-minute commute each way. Luckily, my time management is helped some by the program that I am in, instead of having a required thesis, I’ll have a 1-year internship. I try incredibly hard to give myself at least one day off from schoolwork a week to spend with my husband (I'm not always successful, but I do try) and I need at least an hour to unwind at home every night before I head to bed, even if it means skimping on sleep.

HEIDI A: Right now my life consists of 2 things: physical therapy school and training. Although my program is 3 painful years long, it was designed to be front-loaded. The hardest part for me academically is pretty much over. Right now I train 15-18 hours a week and go to class about 25 hours a week. The remainder of my time is spent mostly on homework, outside class work, and research. I make training my social time. Things will likely change in May as I have to complete a year long residency. Ask me then- and things probably won’t be so peachy with IM training!

Margot: My experience in grad school is that there is a serious ebb and flow to the work. So...I agree with Megan, an "easy" week of grad school is 30 hours. Those weeks have been less and less frequent for me in the past few years. But, I defended in December and since then I've had a lot more control over my time. I try to keep school in the 40-50 hour range. In the time leading up to my defense, or the periods of time around paper/proposal deadlines...60-70 hour weeks were fairly "normal." I'd say that I train 15-20 hours a week fairly regularly. I also live with my significant other and he trains quite a bit...he's a skier, though...so, in the summer we train together fairly frequently, but in the winter couple time dwindles a bit. When he's in town we try to eat dinner together every night.

Xenia: My schedule has been all over the board, but now that I am in the final year of writing up and hopefully submitting in December, things are serious. I need to work about 50 hours a week on my dissertation, train about 8-10 hours per week, though that is increasing as my training mileage increases over the next three months and I try to get a minimum of 8 hours of sleep at night otherwise I'm just not functional. This week I've had to cut back on training (no swimming), up the work hours and I've gotten very little sleep which is affecting me greatly at the moment. I don't watch tv because I don't have time or access. I still manage to socialize but that's often limited to academic functions or meeting friends for a quick coffee or the occasional informal get-together at someone's house.

Frayed Laces: I have no life outside of grad school or training. Seriously. This week I trained for 19.5 hours. Usually it’s between 18 and 21. I try to get as close to 8 hours of sleep as possible. Often I’ll go a few days with 6-7 hours and then pick one day when I “sleep in” (I usually wake at 4 or 5) so I can catch 9 hours of sleep. I work more than 40 hours a week, often doing work in the wee hours of the morning prior to training and right up to bed. Weekends I work after my long workouts and a nap. Thankfully, my advisor is flexible with my hours so I never have to be in the lab at designated times. As with a lot of students, I take my work everywhere: home, the bus, while on the trainer…I even tackle tough mental problems while on a run. I am VERY fortunate in that I literally have a private ocean swimming channel right by my office door, so if I need to think I’ll dive in mid-day for a quick mile swim. I try to give myself at least one hour a night of “me” time where I’m not training or working. Usually this involves eating dinner while standing over the kitchen sink and skyping with Dr. C. I couldn’t imagine having a “real” (aka non-long distance) relationship right now.

3. I have had fellow colleagues make passing comments such as "if you were a REAL graduate student you wouldn't have time to do all this training nonsense" and "well I must not be working you hard enough if you still have energy for your workouts". Have you ever dealt with this? How do you defend yourself? Does this ever get to you mentally?

MEGANK- My advisor is very supportive, and although she'll tease me sometimes about how far I can run and workout and stuff, she never has said "I must not work you hard enough"- I think, because I am a grad-school-shadow of Margot (on this forum), I don't see the blunt of it, since she is the original endurance-guru of the department. But, truth is, I am on campus at 8am every day (practically), and I usually stay until 5 or 6. I get my work done, I publish, I submit to conferences, and I contribute, arguably moreso than other graduate students in my building, so I don't think people really say much :)

BETH: I deal with this at work all the time. I run during my lunch break because it's the only real time I can get out and go, and where I live it's not ideal to be running alone in the dark. Some people are really cool about it, and everyone in my company knows I'm training for the marathon. A lot of people do make side comments about me not having enough work; it's always meant to be teasing, but often doesn't feel like teasing. I usually just smile or brush it off, or say that I'm way more efficient after my run. My company is still really young and pretty small, and it's commonfor people to work 70-80 hour weeks. I still get more accomplished in my 40-50 hours than a lot of people do in more time, but I hate that feeling of "face time" mattering more than actual work produced.

TheNerdyRunner – Because my GA isn’t actually in the department I am in school for, I don’t see my classmates that often outside of class, so they really don’t get the chance to pick on me too much, and when they do it’s generally friendly (there’s only 10 students in my specific program and I like to think that we’re pretty close). And my major professors completely understand that exercise helps keep me sane, mainly because they also have their own way of working out their stress.

HEIDI A: First I would laugh in their face! But, I think it ultimately depends on your program design, demands of your program, and your juggling skills…I’m not going to lie and say I could have balanced the volume of training I’m doing now during my first year of PT school. I probably would have failed out…Although my load has lightened, I still have friends who just don’t get it. I think it takes a special type of person to balance it all. People will always think we are crazy!

Margot: I think Megan is giving me too much credit for "paving the way" in our department. I did face a bit of resistance, initially (my advisor definitely didn't get it...), but I think my advisor came to understand this was a very important part of my life fairly quickly...and he also was aware that I was NOT at the bar, was NOT watching TV, and was NOT doing much else besides school and training. I think I was/am lucky because he (and others) seem to value that I am "different" that other grad students. I will say that probably has more to do with me being a woman in engineering than an athlete, but I'll take it. I can also say that I live in an "active" community. There are people that make my training seem tame, which probably helps.

Xenia: I don't get these comments much, because I try not to talk about this aspect of my life with other people. My supervisor knows about my running and is supportive, but was a bit wary when I was training for the marathon the first time. Some friends and colleagues are a bit baffled by my training when it does come up in conversation, but more often than not I've received praise and encouragement, so I've been pretty lucky in this respect.

Frayed Laces: I try to ignore it, but I can’t lie. It gets to me. I think that the people who say these comments don’t realize the sacrifices I make to keep up with my training. I really think that they assume that I have this abundance of free time. They assume that in addition to my training I do the same things they do with their time, like watch tv, hang out with friends, or go shopping. If they knew what my life was really like, I know they wouldn’t say such things. I look forward to Saturday nights because it means I can go to bed at 7:30 if I want to (and I usually do). I DON’T do happy hour, and I couldn’t tell you what the “hot” show on TV is right now. The one thing that keeps me going is my advisor is really supportive and introduces me to other professors as “this is my student, X…she does research on X…and also runs marathons.” Since my goal is to enter the post-doc, academic world after graduation, I think (hope) that my athletic side shows my hard work. I like to think it gives me a bit of a professional edge.

4. I tend to feel a lot of guilt: either guilt that I'm training too much and not devoting enough time to my research, or guilt that I'm devoting too much time to my research and not enough to my training. Do you experience the same? How do you deal with it?

MEGANK- Guilt is definitely there. I prioritize- and it usually errs on the "need-to-work-more" side of things. I will scrap a workout for sake of spending a few hours in the lab. But, I do travel a lot (have to because of where I live) and this cuts into my work-time. I feel guilty, and I try to make up for it by putting in more time before or after my trip.

BETH: Usually I feel guilty that I'm not working as hard as I should be or putting in enough face time at work, especially with running at lunch. I definitely neglect my reading for grad school and then get really frustrated with myself when the articles build up and I'm trying to read them on the train to and from school or on the treadmill at the gym. I'm not really willing to cut the running, but sometimes an experiment runs long at work or my boss has a question or I end up in a meeting and there goes my run. If I don't get it in during lunch, I usually don't have time to get it in between work ending and getting to class.

Nicole: Yes, sometimes. I just have to schedule the workouts in. If I know that I have a paper coming up, I need to prioritize and not go hang out with a friends for a few days to get it done.

TheNerdyRunner – I feel this way a lot. I think to myself “I get up at 4:30 in the morning to run 8 miles, but I absolutely hate getting up that early to work on schoolwork; I must be an awful student.” But then I think about the quality of work I would produce at that time in the morning and how after my runs I am generally functioning on a much higher level. I just have to keep reminding myself that my workouts keep me sane and allow me to give my best work in other areas of my life.

HEIDI A: Sometimes I do feel guilty. BUT for me, I would rather get average grades and have a life outside of school… Maybe again I’m a slacker: ) Luckily in PT, it seems more acceptable to be an endurance athlete. BUT when papers are due and finals come around, my training usually takes a back seat.

Margot: Sometimes I feel guilty...but, I'm trying to get guilt out of my life. As several of you have mentioned, priorities are important. If you know what YOU really need to do (and don't worry too much about what everybody else thinks), the rest will fall into place. I will also admit that when I'm not sure what I really need to do, I work more and I work harder, because I'm scared of not doing enough or being good enough. I think I feel more guilt about the beating my personal life takes when I go into survival mode. I think that is where I tend to make the most dramatic cuts and I don't think that is always the best choice (I'm working on it, though...)

Xenia: I always feel guilty. Always. But my dissertation has to come first so if I have to I'll skip a workout, sleep less or become a social hermit. Yes, I hate skipping a training session and will always try to make it up elsewhere if I can, but completing my PhD has to come first

Frayed Laces: Well, since I asked the question it is obvious I feel the guilt. I really have it engrained in my head that a “real” graduate student shouldn’t have time to train for an Ironman. I grew up in an academic household and saw how “real” grad students spend every minute of their life in the lab. Again, I am fortunate that my advisor is so supportive. If I was anywhere else I don’t think I’d be able to maintain this level of training.

5. Do you do your training in the morning, evening, lunchtime, or both? I tend to feel a lot of anxiety until I get my workouts "knocked off my to-do list". Do you feel the same, or are you much more relaxed about your training?

MEGANK- morning and evening. I try for lunchtime, but never make it out the door. I really like to do my long runs first-thing in the morning, especially on the weekends, because getting it out of the way makes the rest of the day coast by. I am usually more alert and less anxious during the day if I do something in the morning, too!!!!

BETH: I run during lunch and usually do strength work or yoga at night or early in the morning. I love running at lunch and really look forward to it, even though I try to sneak out of my building and not get caught in my spandex by someone who's going to comment. If I don't get my run in at lunch I do feel a lot of anxiety about when I'm going to fit it in, if I'm going to be able to make it to the gym before class, or where/how I could run when class gets out at night. I have become better about not freaking out if I miss a planned run, but I still really don't like to miss it.

Nicole: All of the above! It depends on what time my spin classes are that I teach. I try to avoid taking two showers a day at all costs, but there are some days where there is no way around it. I would rather get everything in, in the morning and not have to worry about it for the rest of the day.

TheNerdyRunner – I typically try to do my workouts in the morning. Because I am only human, I don’t always get up for the time I set my alarm for and on those days I have to get my workout in when I get home in the evening. Unfortunately, I don’t get a lunch hour, I’m running around ALL day, so it’s either first-thing in the morning or when I get home. And yes, I feel the same way about having to get my workout in. The quicker I can get it out of the way, the quicker my day gets under way. I say that my running helps to “de-stress” me, but I am pretty strict about it; I feel a lot of guilt when I skip a workout and often beat myself up over it.

HEIDI A: I’m either a super early person or a late person. It depends on how much class I have that day and what I have on my workout schedule… If I know it’s going to be a crazy day and I can’t miss a high priority workout, I’ll do some 4:30 craziness. (That only happens a couple times a month.) I don’t have enough time over lunch to squeeze in a workout. Sometimes after sitting in class for 8 hours, the last thing I really want to do is a 3 hr workout. Caffeine always helps on days like these :) I'm so addicted. On weekends, I get workouts done first thing to cross them off my list.

Margot: I do mornings and evenings. When life is crazy, I make sure to get the morning workout in and if the evening doesn't happen or gets shortened, I'm ok with that.

Xenia: I prefer the mornings, especially for swimming because that is when the pool and gym are least busy. I also just like the feeling of having ticked off a major item on my to-do list so early in the morning. However, depending on if I've slept in, English weather is acting up or other factors, I'm flexible in rescheduling runs for later in the evening.

Frayed Laces: I, too, prefer mornings. Since I do 2-a-days (sometimes three) most days of the week, I try to get my main workout in during the pre-dawn darkness and a swim mid-day. I find that if I wait until the evenings to do my workouts, I am antsy all day. I get anxious that something will happen to interfere with my training. If something happens and I can’t get a scheduled workout in, I feel a sense of failure. Hmm…control freak, anyone?

6. Be honest---how much sleep do you actually get a night?

MEGANK- 8hrs. I don't wake up if I don't get about that much. Seriously, I will skip a morning workout to sleep more. My weakness, for sure.

BETH: so I would have sworn that I get 8 hours and that I'm super cranky without at least 8 hours. However, I've been using the sleep cycle app for my iphone and apparently over the last 2 weeks I've averaged 6 hours and 47min of sleep a night... maybe I should look into that... :)

Nicole: Lately, 6 hrs. I know that it is bad. The hubs is deployed, and I have anxiety that someone is going to kill me now that he is gone. Weird, I know. I am really cranky with less than 8. I'm hoping to get more sleep soon!

TheNerdyRunner – I generally get about 7 hours a night. Admittedly, some nights are much less. For example, last night I only got 6 or so. I know my body needs more than 7 hours, especially as I start running more, but that’s just not always a possibility for me. I know I’m not supposed to, but I generally try to “catch-up” on the weekends (when I can) and get 9 or so hours of sleep.

HEIDI A: 6-8 hours. Depends on when midterms and finals are… I like sleep like everyone else and have to have my weekend naps.

Margot: The goal is 8. The reality is that during the week I get 5.5-7. 8 doesn't even always happen on the weekends. During busy times, I can go to 4 for about a week before my nerves get fried. I really need to get more sleep. (I'm working on this, too...)

Xenia: This week I've averaged a dismal 5 hours per night, hence why I'm pretty sure none of what I am writing is making sense. I need a solid 8 hours per night which actually requires me to go to bed at least an hour earlier since it takes me so long to fall asleep. This is the aspect of my life I really want to prioritize. With more sleep, I'll be much more productive and efficient which I really need right now since my request to have the days lengthened by 4 hours is going unanswered.

Frayed Laces: I shoot for 8, but it doesn’t always happen. I feel like I could use more, especially with my training load. I usually have no problems falling asleep in 30 seconds flat.

7. Do you ever feel that you would be a better grad student if you just abandoned all your training and spent that time on research?

MEGANK - NOPE! I would argue that I would be a WORSE grad student without it. I am more productive and think more clearly, and do better work when I am training. I really think that getting my blood moving clears out my crap-space in my head.

BETH: definitely not! I would be a worse student and a much worse employee without my workouts, especially the lunch time runs. I get back from my runs totally ready to tackle the afternoon, and I think I get much more done when I get back then I would if I'd just been going since 7am. The change of scenery and just getting outside in the sun (though lately in the snow!) really makes all the difference.

Nicole: To be honest, when I have a paper or a project coming up the thought does cross my mind. But then, I snap right out of it. Working out is a great stress reliever for me, and it keeps my digestive track regular! It helps me clear my mind, and I actually get better grades when I'm training. I would be a nervous wreck if I didn't train! It is also hard to get out of the all or nothing mentality. It's okay if I don't have two hours to run, and I only have 45. I'll take it!

TheNerdyRunner – I may cut back or cut out a workout here and there if I have a major deadline coming up and am behind on everything, but generally my workouts are the last thing to get cut just because I know that they actually help me to be a better student. So no, I don’t feel that abandonment of my workouts would help me at all; I feel the exact opposite.

HEIDI A: NO! I know for a fact….. I fractured my pelvis last spring and wasn’t able to do anything for 4 months besides study…study… study… My grades were horrible and I was not a happy person to be around. Training is an enjoyable part of my day and I wouldn’t trade it for the world

Margot: Adamant no. My morning workouts are how I get my body and my brain going in the morning. I also think that training allows me some time for those creative/ah-ha moments.

Xenia: Hell no. I'm a better person, student and academic because of it. I've never doubted that.

Frayed Laces: I won’t lie. I often feel like I would be a better grad student if I cut back significantly on training. Again, the whole guilt thing about spending 20 hours on training while working on my PhD. But I just have to remind myself that for today, I am balancing everything OK. Day by day. I told my advisor that if he ever felt my training was interfering with my research, I would cut back immediately. So far he has no complaints!

8. Let's be honest: we are not leading the "typical" life of a young woman. Personally, I feel like I am leading an incredible selfish life right now, and can't imagine sacrificing any aspect of my life for a family. Do you feel the same?

MEGANK- Selfish? Probably. Could I have a family and children right now? Heck no. but the lifestyle I have is enjoyable, this is (probably) the only time of my life I will have the freedom to have a flexible schedule and race and push myself physically how I am pushing myself mentally. I have the ability and opportunity to do it now, so I might as well.

BETH: Yeah, I've actually been using the word selfish a lot lately. I cannot imagine having a family right now. I have a kitten and luckily she's pretty self-sufficient! I feel like this is the time in my life to just do everything, but I'm also really bad about saying "now I can put up with X, Y, Z so later will be easier." With this mentality I tend to just keep taking on tasks instead of putting them off, but then the easier part never seems to come!

Nicole: Training is selfish sometimes. I totally agree with that. I'm so busy right now, that I am actually glad that my husband is deployed. I wouldn't have any time for him! He has his own thing going on, and I have my own thing. We both like our space. If we were both needy people, I'm sure he would have a problem with the training. We don't have any pets yet because we both travel too much! I can't even fathom my life with kids. When I visit my sister who has kids, I can't stay with them for more than a week at a time b/c I can't concentrate on school while I'm there! I plan on going for my Ph.d. when I get back to the states, so it will be a while!

TheNerdyRunner – A lot of times when I head out for a run and my husband is home, I feel selfish, especially if he has offered to do the housework so that I can get my workout in. But he does a really good job of being a supportive, caring spouse and encourages me to take care of myself through my training. So while I frequently beat myself up about not contributing enough to our household (such as not contributing financially because of my status as a student and not helping with the housework because I’m hardly ever home), my husband assures me that I am not selfish (I’m still not sure I agree with him, though).

HEIDI A: Ummmm SUPER SELFISH! My husband doesn’t even live in the same state right now… (ooops) Upon acceptance to the University of Pittsburgh’s doctor of PT program, I left my hubby stranded in military flight school to fend for himself in Florida. Admittance into the program was something I could not turn down. I feel guilty at times, but know things will be better off long term…Luckily my husband is super supportive of my endeavors. The finish line is in sight as we’ve begun our 2 month countdown for re-uniting :)

Margot: My partner probably spends about the same amount of time on training/competition as I do, if not a little more. I guess I can say that my life is self-centered, but...I think that's ok. I do contribute to the local and academic community...and my relationship. I could probably do more in those areas, but I'm pretty comfortable with what I do contribute. I feel like my responsibilities are being met. I am not considering adding kids to the mix, because that is one SERIOUS responsibility I'm not ready to take on.

Xenia: I wouldn't be able to handle having a family now. I know some women who have had kids and still manage to make it through grad school, but I know I just would not have the patience or focus. Ultimately, I don't even know if I ever want to have kids, so this is not too much of a concern for me. I'm just happy my selfishness manifests itself in respect to wanting to stay healthy and become more fit. There are definitely worse things I could do.

Frayed Laces: Before graduate school, I was a high school teacher. And, in my opinion, a damn fine high school teacher. Teaching was easy and fun. I planned on staying in my small town and teaching forever. One day I looked around at all the middle aged disgruntled teachers around me and realized that I had a great change of doing this the rest of my life and abandoning my dreams. I always wanted to go to graduate school, and one day looked at myself and said “no regrets”. That is kind of my motto. Sure, I’m at the age where I should be popping out babies instead of publications, but my biggest fear is to look back on my life and say “I wonder what would have happened if…” I know that I risk never having the life I imagine (husband, kids, dogs, etc) by pursuing this career path, but I don’t think I could face myself if I just settled. So yeah, I am completely selfish. And loving every minute of it.

9. What do you think is your limiting factor with your athletic progress right now? Time? Money? Other?

MEGANK - Time. Because I need to sleep, eat, and work, and I won't give up any of these, I am limited to what I spend my "free" time on. So, for that reason... I don't consider training "free" time- It is a part of my day, and it is integrated in there pretty well. Money isn't an issue so much, bc I am still able to race what races I want to and travel when I want to (in fact, it makes the "chase" of the sport that much better when the trips are valued more). Plus I have two really nice bikes, who says you can't have nice bikes in grad school?

BETH: Definitely time. I'm still really young in my running experience and I've seen such changes in speed and endurance as I put in more of an effort and more dedicated workouts. Taking 18min of my 10k time in a year is insane! A year ago I struggled to run more than 6 miles, and now I"m cranking through the 18 and 20 milers happily. I do think I neglect a lot of strength training or cross training that could definitely be beneficial. I'm not sure how more money would make my training easier, unless I had enough money that I didn't have to work and could train all the time...

Nicole: Right now, it is time. I wish that there were more hours in the day! I also think that although I do a pretty good job at juggling everything, I could probably do better with my time management skills. Sometimes, I think it is money, but really, a new wetsuit isn't going to make you that much faster. You need to get time in the pool or a lake for that! I'm using an older road bike for all my triathlons, and it is still working. I don't need a new bike.

TheNerdyRunner – Definitely, time. Even with my obsessive scheduling, there never seems to be quite enough time to do everything I need and want to get done.

HEIDI A: I would say both time and money. Time is an obvious limiting factor. But money is also a problem when working is strongly discouraged in my program. Luckily for me, I worked a few years after undergrad and have a decent triathlon bike. Triathlon is one of the most expensive sports out there. There is so much equipment one needs just to participate in the sport ……and that doesn’t include steep entry fees and travel. And can’t forget the coach….

Margot: Time. I am also an obsessive scheduler, but I can't add hours to the day! I would love more time for yoga, massage, stretching...those little "extras" that do so much for recovery.

Xenia: Hands down, it's time.

Frayed Laces: For me, it’s time and money. Let’s face it, we can all use more time. Since I am starting to get serious about triathlon, I could also use a lot of money. I stopped driving my car so I can be able to afford things like tires or cleats for my bike. I eat a lot of rice and beans so I can afford gels and supplements. Some people say I have my priorities screwed up, but I think I’m doing okay.

10. Do you have any tips and tricks that help you save time throughout the week?

MEGANK- making a list would help, but I always lose my lists. Staying more organized has helped and I am getting better about it. This includes getting a designated external hard drive or jump drives or DVDs with your stuff saved on it. Using the folders-function on email and keeping the email inbox CLEAR of all emails that have been addressed or replied to. There is no better feeling than looking at an empty inbox. SERIOUSLY.

BETH: I need serious planning every night to make it through the next day. I usually prep lunch, dinner and snacks for the next day the night before. I also pack my running stuff, and an additional set of workout clothes if I'm going to hit the gym before class. If I don't get everything set the night before, I just never get on top of my mornings. If I wake up in the morning with all my food packed in the fridge and all my clothes in a bag by the door, I can usually get everything done.

Nicole: All of those tips are great, and I totally use them too! I also utilize my google calendar! If I don't schedule my workouts in, they won't get done! Also, be flexible with your workouts. I'm always switching my schedule around during the week if something comes up. For instance, if I can't swim one day when I'm supposed to, I will do weights instead, and swim later in the week.

TheNerdyRunner – I have an iPhone and my entire life is scheduled into it. I pick a training plan, modify it to my needs, then put it into Google Calendar and subscribe to it with iCal so that I can have my entire schedule, including my planned workouts at my fingertips whenever I need it. I am also a big list maker. I prioritize my to-do list frequently so that I know what I have to get done ASAP and what can wait a few hours or days. My scheduling definitely helps keep me on track. Packing my lunch and dinner the night before on those days that I will be on campus all day also helps to speed up my already hectic morning routine.

HEIDI A: Before the week starts, I ensure my workouts coincide with my school schedule. I shift things around if necessary before hand because I really don’t like skipping workouts. I also ALWAYS have lots of snacks with me. If I’m tired and hungry going into a workout it gets VERY UGLY. I also sometimes combine study sessions with my longer trainer sessions. Neither one is every very fun so why not knock them out all at once? I even keep highlighters in my bento box. Lol….

Margot: I think you guys have basically got it covered. I have a to-do list and use an electronic calendar. I do reading and grading on the ellipse machine. I get clothes and food ready the night before, and my desk is loaded with snacks (in case something runs long and I'm getting hungry). My advice on email is to respond right away to whatever you can and then file/delete. No point in re-reading and responding later.

Xenia: Ditto everything above. I need weekly planning and the flexibility to reorganize should things crop up. I'm a Luddite though so I use and carry around an agenda book as opposed to fancy electronic gadgets. :)

Frayed Laces: Me and electronic organizers never got along. I have a paper planner I use to keep track of everything. Each Sunday night I sit down and schedule my workouts around my week schedule. I usually make several days’ worth of oatmeal and coffee and keep it in the fridge so it’s grab and go in the AM. My “cooking” is done in large batches so I don’t spend time during the week in the kitchen. I do the whole bike/bus commute, so I will cycle home (about 30 miles) from work a few times a week to get extra workouts in. Like all these women, I pride myself on being efficient. I don’t get along well with people who aren’t like minded.

So, fellow grad students (and non-grad students) alike. What do you think about these issues? Anyone out there (men included) feel the same pressures and stresses? Feel free to vent or share your stories and tips in the comments below!