How to train for a marathon during a dull meeting or class

Has this ever ever happened to you?  You’re sitting in a meeting at work, listening to people talk about subjects of which you have little interest and you’re completely bored and annoyed. Or maybe you’re in a class like Organic Chemistry being lulled into a trance by talk of alkanes, alkenes, and ketones.

You could just sit there and zone out hoping not to be caught falling asleep. Or you could use the time to quietly train for your next marathon.  Here are some tips you can use to train during a brain drain.

5 Tips for Training During A Dull Meeting or Class

1. Hold your breath.  A great way to increase your lung capacity is to hold your breath for an extended length of time. This is a trick ventriloquists use and it will work just as well for aspiring marathon juggling runners.  Try to be inconspicuous.  No loud sighs or exhales.   And even if it doesn’t help your marathon time, this author suggests that holding your breath can increase your IQ.  Everyone wants to get smarter right?

2. Stretch.   Stretching is rarely a priority when most people work out.  Basically, there is just not enough time or interest.  However, being trapped in a meeting provides a great opportunity to stretch.  Neck rolls, finger stretches, and leg twists can all be done subtly as to not draw attention to yourself. Check this list of stretches you can do from a chair.

3. Flex.   While sitting in your chair try flexing some of your key muscles.  Biceps, triceps, thighs, calves, etc. can all benefit from a little flexing.  Try flexing and holding each muscle for about 5 to 10 seconds.  Repeat a few times.  Some might call this isometric exercising but it’s just flexing to me.  It can help build strength.

4. Visualize a run in your mind.  While joggling on a treadmill I can “see” the entire joggling path from my house to Lake Michigan. In my mind’s eye are the various cracks, signs, buildings, cars, homeless people, etc. With practice you can actually control the speed of these images and sync it up with reality. It’s a 7-mile round trip and I can watch it happen in 52 – 54 minutes. That’s just about an 8 minute mile pace which is what I usually run it in.

5. Visualize your juggling.  All this mind stuff can work wonders for your juggling skills too. As you sit in the boring class or meeting, see if you can actually see and feel the bags as they travel through the infinity pattern.

Of course, you should probably make every attempt to be engaged and focused during your class or meeting, but let’s face it sometimes things are just too boring.  Joggling is all about combining activities to make the most out of the limited time you have on Earth. Follow these tips and you’ll make every boring meeting more productive.