Hi, my name is Molly Hurford and when I was eight years old, I had an inbox and an outbox, a filing system for correspondence, and had read every book that the Hunterdon County Library had on organization. I love a good organizational/productivity book, article or tip that I can try. My to-do list has a to-do list. This morning, when writing in my training log, I apologized for the early entry since it was a rest day, but explained that I wanted to check it off my recurring task list so I could move on with my day.

ANYWAY. The idea of combining the productivity methods and ‘hacks’ that I’ve used over the years to get my work done into how to make a runner’s life and training more efficient? F yes. Over on MapMyRun, I do just that—I looked at the typical productivity systems like doing a weekly review or ‘multi-tasking’ and figured out how they best work for a runner’s efficiency and peak productivity. The smarter we can be about our training, the more time we have for the actual running itself and the better the chances of us sticking to our training plans and goals! Take a look at let me know if any of these are things you already do, or things you’re going to try to implement.

(I love a good habit, and you can get our free healthy habit kickstart series here.)

Personal favorite that works great for me: Habit stacking.

Habit stacking is a sneaky way to start adding new, good habits to pre-existing habits, making the new ones more likely to stick. To add some sneaky strength training, take a page from ultra-runner and coffee entrepreneur Jax Mariash’s morning routine. As her coffee brews in a French press, she does air squats. You can do the same or try something like calf raises while brushing your teeth. By adding these quick little exercises on top of things you’re already doing as part of your routine, you can make it through an entire bodyweight strength-training routine in a day just by moving while waiting.