A.M. Dash

on December 6, 2011

I’ve written about this before, but I am one of those people who are perpetually running late. It’s mostly because I ALWAYS overschedule myself. I seem to think it only takes me an hour to eat, run, shower, get dressed, and blog. And it obviously takes more time than that! When am I going to learn?! Possible New Year’s Resolution for 2012, because I’m sure having a child is going to make this issue a LOT worse!

Despite the fact that I’m now completed harried, I managed to squeeze in a workout.

So warm that I could wear SHORTS! Very exciting, indeed. I ran a (relatively) fast 5K, with only a few walking breaks. I’m getting pumped for my 5K race on Saturday… it feels nice to have a goal again.

Brekkie was consumed approximately 15 minutes before the run. Dairy + acidic fruit = not the best pre-run fuel. Ooof.

At least it was tasty going down. Being burped back up… not so much.

Thought of the Day:

“If you want to make good use of your time, you’ve got to know what’s most important and then give it all you’ve got.” – Lee Lacocca

{ 58 comments }

Angela @ Eat Spin Run Repeat December 6, 2011, 10:02 am
Ooh great quote! Lately I’ve found that I’ve been overscheduling myself a lot too, which I’ve learned is totally stressful once I stopped to realize how tense my body was all the time. I now have a bit of a promise to myself that I’ll only schedule a few commitments in each week, and I usually plan for them to take longer than they should just in case. I hate being late!
Allison December 6, 2011, 10:05 am
My Dear tells me the same thing, about overscheduling myself, all the time! I just want do everything that I wanna do 😛 I always feel great checking it all of my list, but then I feel bad when I’m late to something or to meet someone…
Christine @ BookishlyB December 6, 2011, 10:08 am
I sometimes think, personally, that having a baby would actually lighten my schedule! I think a lot of my time-consumers are more social or family, making the “I have to stay home with the baby” excuse legit. I say that now 😉
- CaitlinHTP December 6, 2011, 8:00 pm
  @Christine @ BookishlyB: Good point 🙂
Johanna B December 6, 2011, 10:17 am
I am never late. I always allow too much time for everything which is why I always carry reading material with me. Maybe my lifestyle could meet yours somewhere in the middle and just be on time.
Ashley O. @ The Vegetable Life December 6, 2011, 10:19 am
I have the same problem I always think that it takes me 20 minutes to shower and get dressed/ready but that is never the case, yet I never learn to schedule more time!
CJ December 6, 2011, 10:26 am
Great quote and I am with you on the time crunch. I think it’s “Lee Iacocca” though.
Liz @ Tip Top Shape December 6, 2011, 10:26 am
I’m always rushing in the morning, no matter how early I wake up. Enjoy the rest of your morning 😀
Laura @ My Pink Thumb December 6, 2011, 10:28 am
Just love the quote!!
I’m also a tad jealous of the fact that you got to wear shorts this am, while I saw cars this morning coming from just north of me with snow on them!!
Army Amy* December 6, 2011, 10:29 am
I can’t do oranges or orange juice + running. I need bland bland bland before I run.*
Radu@Alcomixer December 6, 2011, 10:29 am
Who doesn’t rush in the morning? I always am in a rush and always getting late to my job. Is a nasty habbit.
- Amber @ Busy, Bold, Blessed December 6, 2011, 12:44 pm
  @Radu@Alcomixer: Agreed, I’m the worst in the morning. I hate that snooze button, but oh I love it too.
Averie @ Love Veggies and Yoga December 6, 2011, 10:40 am
“I am one of those people who are perpetually running late. It’s mostly because I ALWAYS overschedule myself…”

ME TOO!! And yes, having a child will compound the matter by 2x! Or more. So if you run late by 15 mins now, 30 mins is more like it with a kid.

Think you will get somewhere between 10 and 11am…try noon. At best with a kid.

I have to allow wayyyyyyy more time than I think in order to just stay remotely ontime. I hate that I run late and it’s something I am working hard on b/c I realize it’s inconsiderate if I am keeping others waiting…but normally it just boils down to missing something, i.e. a yoga class or a trip to the groc store or whatever. I just end up skipping it.
Ali December 6, 2011, 10:40 am
I loved reading this because it made me feel better about the fact that I always overestimate how long it takes me to do things. My fiance is constantly saying things to me like “uh, we have to leave in half an hour, do you really think you have time to run/do yoga/shower and eat?”. I find that doubling my estimation of how long it will take to accomplish things gets me closer to “normal” people’s sense of time 🙂
- CaitlinHTP December 6, 2011, 8:01 pm
  @Ali: 🙂 hahah yeah! I really just need to recognize I do not get ready at warp speed.
  - Jen December 7, 2011, 12:45 am
    @CaitlinHTP: YES! For some reason, I always convince myself that I can just “kick it up a notch,” cut a few corners, etc. When will I ever learn?! 🙂
Kath December 6, 2011, 10:43 am
I am perpetually late now too – thanks to KERF! I forget I always have to blog before I leave my house..
Elizabeth @ reads recipes runs December 6, 2011, 10:43 am
I AM THE SAME WAY. I try to blog, get ready, drink coffee, and then I realize I am in my PJs and the bus will be here in 7 minutes. Today I forgot makeup and my wedding ring. I need to pull it together.
Khushboo December 6, 2011, 10:46 am
Im the opposite- I’m too punctual..to the point that I tend to be the one waiting on others!
caitlin December 6, 2011, 10:57 am
I always start really stupid projects right before it is time to leave for work always making me late. Like today I decided to clean out my junk drawer right before it was time to go to work. Needless to say I was late but hey, now my junk drawer is clean! 🙂
Sarah @ w30 December 6, 2011, 11:01 am
I used to be really punctual – almost smugly punctual – and now I can’t be on time to save my life. Seriously, it’s embarassing and I need to get it together! My former smug self is eating her words.
- CaitlinHTP December 6, 2011, 8:01 pm
  @Sarah @ w30: hehe i like the idea of being smugly punctual. 🙂 better than being stupidly late.
Sarena (The Non Dairy Queen) December 6, 2011, 11:08 am
I am ALWAYS late. I hate that! I want to be better, but it seems like even when I plan more time…I’m still late!
Chelsea December 6, 2011, 11:10 am
Ack I hate burping food back up mid-run. It makes me not want to eat that food again for awhile lol.
kathleen @ the daily crumb December 6, 2011, 11:12 am
acidic fruit is a BIG no-no for me, pre-run. surprisingly dairy is fine. a big latte is one of my favorite pre-race rituals!
Annette @ EnjoyYourHealthyLife December 6, 2011, 11:20 am
Haha–yep acidic fruit does nothing for a run. But during it I love it! I bet you feel awesome squeezing that a.m. run in 🙂
Corrie Anne December 6, 2011, 11:33 am
Oh man. I would love a morning run in shorts!!!! Yeah, but oops, that was an iffy pre-run breakfast. Looks good anyways!
Ali December 6, 2011, 11:37 am
I go both ways! And it’s annoying! I’m ALWAYS late in the morning! I push snooze a million times, thinking I can get ready in an hour or less. When it comes down to it, though, making breakfast, packing lunch, feeding my cat, showering, etc., etc., etc. gets me in the end. I am perpetually 15-20 minutes late to work (thank goodness I have a flexible schedule!). If I have to be somewhere later in the day, I am ALWAYS early! By like 10-20 minutes and I get annoyed from waiting. If only there was some way to get myself to be right in the middle all the time. Guess that would mean giving up the snooze button. 🙁
Rachel December 6, 2011, 11:42 am
Having kids actually helped me with this issue. Instead of me making myself late it turned into me making the kids late. I had to step up my game to get them to school on time.
Jessica @ The Process of Healing December 6, 2011, 11:49 am
I’m the same way. I TRY to be early, I have the best intentions… but it never quite works out :/
Rachel December 6, 2011, 11:49 am
I don’t know how I managed to do it, but I’ve made a lot of progress this year in terms of getting places on time.

If I was ready to be somewhere early, instead of going ahead and leaving, I’d wait until there was exactly the amount of travel time necessary to reach my destination. Well obviously this doesn’t account for traffic, getting lost, or any other number of things that can cause delay.

Now, I make sure I am ready early, and then I LEAVE EARLY. That was key for me. Something always happens to come up, so I wind up getting where I need to go exactly on time.
Alett December 6, 2011, 11:52 am
Wow! I’m lucky if I can run & shower in that time!! LOL.
Allison December 6, 2011, 11:58 am
It’s Lee Iacocca! And it is a great quote.
Katie @ Peace Love and Oats December 6, 2011, 12:06 pm
I have to either wait 2 hours or eat just half a banana before running or my stomach gets very upset at me!
Sarah@The Flying ONION December 6, 2011, 12:20 pm
I love that last quote! I could use some prioritizing in my life. 😉
Kristen @ livinlifeinlouie December 6, 2011, 12:24 pm
shorts! you are so lucky! I woke up w/ flurries of snow
Paige (Running Around Normal) December 6, 2011, 1:10 pm
Ugh. I’m the exact same way! Every day – no matter how much time I have to gget ready – the last ten minutes ar espent rushing around the house trying to leave on time!!
KellyK December 6, 2011, 1:11 pm
Seriously I suffer from the same over-scheduling obstacle! I just love to be involved in everything and hate missing out on anything. Prioritizing and learning how to say NO has balanced things out a bit. Hard, but as anything else, easy once you get started. Have a great day!
Amber K December 6, 2011, 1:14 pm
I’m actually the opposite, I blame it on my mother. She’s always like an hour early anywhere. She’s the one who will call at two asking where you are when the plan was to meet at three. lol

I’m usually about 15-30 minutes early. I always assume some sort of huge snag will occur so I get things done way in advance. It’s quite awkward when I get completely ready for something like 1-2 hours in advance. If no snafus happen then I mostly just sit around. But still, it makes me way less anxious than running late does.
briana December 6, 2011, 1:14 pm
I think busy people in general struggle with being late (total generalization–I know this isn’t true for everyone!). Because, in some ways, attempting to utilize every possible minute is an important skill that busy people have acquired.

But at the same time, I’ve really tried to work on my punctuality and what’s helped me to do so is to force myself to frame it as a matter of consideration for other people. When I try to squeeze in extra tasks before heading to a meeting, running errands with my boyfriend, or whatever, I am implicitly suggesting that what I am doing (i.e., my time) is more important than other people’s. Again, not saying this is true of everyone or that this will work with everyone, but it’s something I really noticed about myself and have been striving to work on!

That said, I, like you, have a job where I have a bunch of different balls in the air at once, so I make a habit to always have something with me that I can work on if I have an extra moment!
- CaitlinHTP December 6, 2011, 8:02 pm
  @briana: Agree! The one time I am on time is when I have someone else waiting on me – that MAKES me punctual!
Ellie@fitforthesoul December 6, 2011, 1:18 pm
whoaaa!! 15 minutes before?! Haha that sounds painful to me b/c certain foods really affect my digestion. Yesterday I waited 3 hours to workout and run after having eaten a veggie burger, but I was feeling it at the gym…lol. I think it was the bread that did it. And I think I’m happy to say that I’m getting better with punctuality?! 🙂
Lizz (leadingthegoodlife) December 6, 2011, 1:24 pm
I find there is this weird vortex/time warp between 15 and 30 minutes. Arriving somewhere 30 minutes early feels like too much, so I shoot for 15 and am somehow always late. Maybe I should just start shooting for 30 and see how it goes…
Kim December 6, 2011, 1:34 pm
I’m always early to work/appointments, but as a result I tend to feel like I need a LOT of time for things. Like when I wake up at 7:30 and want to be at a yoga class at 10 that’s a few minutes away, I think I absolutely do not have time to run and shower in between.
Mary @ Bites and Bliss December 6, 2011, 1:42 pm
Right along with you! I have a hard time saying no to opportunities and end up rushing with everything. Hopefully things calm down for you! You’ll have to work harder at it when the baby comes, though.
katie @ KatieDid December 6, 2011, 1:47 pm
Blogging always makes me justttt barely on time, as in basically late I just don’t like to admit it. I always have one more email or blog to check out. Gotta work on it too!
Rebecca @ Naturally Healthy and Gorgeous December 6, 2011, 1:57 pm
I can’t believe it’s this warm in December!
Lindsay @ biking before bed December 6, 2011, 2:01 pm
I am the worst with the AM dash syndrome. I don’t think I have gone to work without wet hair for months. I have been rocking the ponytail braid lately.
Irina G (Fit Flexitarian) December 6, 2011, 2:28 pm
I think you can tell by the comments here already that you’re totally not the only one who overschedules herself. My friends are constantly telling me that I do this WAY too much and then don’t give myself enough time to relax. That’ll probably be my big 2012 resolution: stop signing up for a million new things all the time!

SO proud that you did an AM run, though! Congrats. I can barely ever wake up early enough to do one, but I’d like to get in that habit too.
Melissa Myers December 6, 2011, 3:56 pm
Hey Caitlin–I’m attending the Mass Conference for Women on Thursday with a group of my colleagues and was so excited to see that you will be a featured speaker! I love everything about the Operation Beautiful campaign and have been a HTP reader for quite some time now. Hope I can make it to one of your presentations during the breakout sessions!
- CaitlinHTP December 6, 2011, 8:03 pm
  @Melissa Myers: Melissa! I am so excited to meet you too! I would love to talk to you before/after the event! Please come say hi!
Anna December 6, 2011, 5:15 pm
I do the same thing! It used to drive me crazy about my dad that he would always be like 15 minutes late..trying to fit in one more thing..now, I’m the same way! I’m trying to be better!
Julia H. @ The Petite Spiel December 6, 2011, 5:45 pm
Oof. Dairy before running. I quickly learned that the only time I should have that is if I want to have side pain 10 minutes in. AKA I never want that.
Rosa - Fitness Food Fulfilled December 6, 2011, 6:41 pm
I always underestimate how much time I need for everything. Drives me crazy because I also hate being late for things. I’ve been trying to not commit to things that aren’t already on the radar because I don’t want to turn into a crazy person! Especially not at 13 weeks pregnant!
megan December 6, 2011, 6:49 pm
I believe you mean Lee Iacocca, former CEO of Chrysler.
Chelsea @ One Healthy Munchkin December 6, 2011, 6:50 pm
I have the exact opposite problem – I always overestimate the amount of time I need. So I’m always way too early for everything, which means I end up sitting around and waiting a lot. 😛
Mel @ MelRuns December 6, 2011, 8:30 pm
Love that quote 🙂
trang December 6, 2011, 11:53 pm
I love that quote. I hate to break it to you, but time only gets worst after having kids. You’ll be constantly running late and catching up to do this or that. Enjoy.

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