Track and Field Blogs - Reid Coolsaet

When I talk to people about being a full-time runner they usually ask me what my day consists of. When I used to work 30 hours a week right after University I would be much more efficient at errands such as grocery shopping, laundry etc. Now those are events in my day. Also, since I have the time, meal preparation takes longer and I’ll bake cookies instead of buy them, those kind of things.

Normal day…My Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays are pretty much the same. Tuesdays and Thursdays are pretty much the same and Saturdays and Sundays are similar. I’ll give and overview of Monday and Tuesday this week.

Monday:
8:00 - woke up, had breakfast, read the paper, brushed teeth etc, checked email
9:00 - 30 minute run, 30 minute of stretching (I probably get 10 minutes of good stretching in that 30 min)
10:00 - shower
10:15 - Internet: FloTrack, Letsrun, TnFNorth, Eliterunning, e-mails
11am - Grocery shopping - I do this 3 times a week, everything fresh - I almost always ride my bike or walk
12:00 - lunch
12:30 - read a book
1:00 - Nap, 1 hour
2:00 - today I worked on Athletes Now Fund Application, if I have nothing on the go it’s usually something like watching Entourage or Prison Break, lately it’s been updating www.guelphrunning.ca or getting stuff ready for National XC
3:15 - Prepare dinner so when I get back from practice I only have to heat it up
4:00 - leave for practice - biking to school only takes 10 minutes
4:30 - get the workout from Dave but we usually don’t leave until 4:45
- 20 minute warm-up, cruise tempo of 10 minuters where I got my ass handed to me by my training group. I’m out of shape right now, but it will come around in a couple of weeks.
- 20 minute cool down
- strides, drills, stretching
- cold tub, shower, bike home
8:00 - dinner time
- usually screw around on the computer watching shows, or hanging out with roommates
10:30 - get to bed, sometimes it’s 11:00
- I read for 30 minutes or so, depends on how tired I am.

Tuesday - Since I woke up at 7am yesterday and had an 8:30 meeting and went to work from 3-7 I’m going to give more of an average day. 95% of the time I work it’s from 12-4pm.

8:00 - wake up, have breakfast, read the paper, brush teeth etc, check email
9:00 - 30 minute run
9:30 - stretching and core routine (from January to Sept that also includes weights)
10:30 - snack,shower
11:00 - Internet again, check emails and sites
11:30 - lunch
12:00 - Work at the Running Room until 4pm - I usually work once a week in the fall, more towards Christmas and less during the summer track season. Once every week or two I schedule a massage for a Tuesday or Thursday afternoon. Sometimes I go to Chapters and read magazines if I have nothing on the go.
4:30 - off-day run with the group or solo for 60-70 minutes
- sometimes I do my core routine after this run
6:00 - shower
6:30 - make and eat dinner
7:30 - normal evening stuff that anyone would do, Internet, movie, read, phone, hang out with friends
- on a Thursday I go to the Moulton Distance Project and watch the Office (I don’t have cable)
10:30 - try to lay down for reading before I sleep

I usually have something going on for the weekend and when I don’t I head home to Hamilton. Saturday and Sunday I only run once a day. Short on Saturday with core (unless I take a day off) and long on Sunday, up to two hours.

So that’s what it looks like.