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Anybody Here do a HIM or IM While Working For a Big 4 Accounting Firm?
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| General Discussion | Triathlon Talk » Anybody Here do a HIM or IM While Working For a Big 4 Accounting Firm? | Rss Feed  |
 2008-12-03 9:42 AM |
Master  1882     Chandler, Arizona |  Subject: Anybody Here do a HIM or IM While Working For a Big 4 Accounting Firm?Thought I'd run my question by you guys here since I don't know anybody that I can ask directly. I'm currently 1/2 through my Master's of Taxation graduate program and this May I'll graduate and start working for a big 4 accounting firm. I have a two month period before I start work after graduation and I will begin studying for the CPA exam full time and my goal is to pass it within a year (hopefully before December). My 2009 season includes 2-3 sprints, 2 Oly's and my A race which is a HIM. In November 2009 I'll register for IMAZ 2010. Anybody here have experience with training for a HIM and or an IM while working at a big 4 accounting firm? Fortunately I'm not starting during busy season (except for all the corporate extensions from April that are due in the summer) but I was wondering if anybody can offer advice on balancing the demands of training with those of starting a career and studying for a professional exam. I know 4-5am will become my prime training time but I'm a little anxious about being able to focus on both without either suffering. Thanks for any input!
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| 2008-12-03 9:57 AM in reply to: #1836410 |
Regular 72 Boston, MA | Subject: RE: Anybody Here do a HIM or IM While Working For a Big 4 Accounting Firm? I worked at a big 4 accounting firm for 4 years and currently at a consulting firm with the same time constraints and demands of working at large public corporations with deadlines. I just began my training for the RI 70.3 ironman July 2009. I am also studyign for parts of the CPA exam. This is my plan. 5am, 5am, 5am, 5am, 5am workouts during the week. Weekends early workouts also, but not that early. I will carve out 1-2 hours at work to study and study on the weekends. Now that you can take the exam in seperate parts, you should be able to pass a section every 3 months. I am in your boat. Its not going to be easy. |
| 2008-12-04 10:19 AM in reply to: #1836410 |
Pro 4672 Nutmeg State | Subject: RE: Anybody Here do a HIM or IM While Working For a Big 4 Accounting Firm? I work in Big Law and did IMKY in 2008 and am planning on doing IMKY and IMAZ in 2009. Biggest thing is being flexible. Lots of 4 a.m. workouts, lots of late nights. I found it very useful to have a good coach who is flexible and would let me know what was really necessary to get done when I was getting slammed with a 90 hour week and what I could skip. |
| 2008-12-04 11:48 AM in reply to: #1836410 |
Master 2125 | Subject: RE: Anybody Here do a HIM or IM While Working For a Big 4 Accounting Firm? Same as everyone else. I work at a big 4 accounting firm and did Kona this year. 1. Wife/significant other/family HAS to be on board. Life was on hold for me for 4 months. 2. A select few at work should know. I found that for most folks at work that it was more harmful for them knowing what was going on. 3. Early morning workouts and late evening workouts as described. Treadmill and trainer during the week are your friends. 4. I developed a schedule pretty early in the training cycle that worked and I stuck to it: Mon - swim AM, run PM Tue - Swim AM, bike PM Wed - run intervals Thu - swim AM, bike PM Fri - run Sat - bike long Sun - run long Generally speaking, HIM training is doable (I'm doing 2 this year) but with IM training it gets sketchy. The finally training weekends before taper (100 mile rides on Sat followed by 20 mile runs on Sun) meant that NO work got done on the weekends. I peaked at 17 hours training. I know folks that keep the same work schedule as me that peak at 11 hours (never do a ride longer than 80 miles) and do just fine. In retrospect, I could have done less training and still been fine. Your schedule for this year looks completely doable. The real test will be 2010. Keep water and energy bars in your car. I got real used to eating while commuting. |
| 2008-12-04 11:51 AM in reply to: #1836410 |
Master 2125 | Subject: RE: Anybody Here do a HIM or IM While Working For a Big 4 Accounting Firm? Another thought: Folks are quick to rush to do an IM. I have no idea how long you have been training but THE thing I learned from Kona is it takes a LONG time to build IM fitness. Kona was done in my second year. My plan is to spend the next few years doing HIM as the longest distance and tackle the IM distance again down the road. Of course, people gave me this same advice and I didn't listen to them. The call of IM is strong. |
| 2008-12-04 9:49 PM in reply to: #1836410 |
Veteran 164 | Subject: RE: Anybody Here do a HIM or IM While Working For a Big 4 Accounting Firm? Can you work at firm number five which did make your list? You might have more time. I work for a company(standard 40 hours), married(full time), going to grad school(15-20 hours), dad(full time) and plan on doing IMKY again next year. Keys to success are early morning workouts, prioritizing, fitting in afternoon workouts when possible, and watching my nutrition. It can be easy to slip on the nutrition with a busy schedule. |
| 2008-12-04 9:52 PM in reply to: #1838576 |
Veteran 164 | Subject: RE: Anybody Here do a HIM or IM While Working For a Big 4 Accounting Firm? "The call of IM is strong"
How true that is.
Congrats on the Kona slot by the way. |
 2008-12-05 10:17 AM in reply to: #1836410 |
| Subject: ... This user's post has been ignored. Edited by bachorb 2008-12-05 10:18 AM |
| 2008-12-05 11:39 AM in reply to: #1838560 |
| Master 1882 Chandler, Arizona | Subject: RE: Anybody Here do a HIM or IM While Working For a Big 4 Accounting Firm? jonathan22 - 2008-12-04 9:48 AM Same as everyone else. I work at a big 4 accounting firm and did Kona this year. 1. Wife/significant other/family HAS to be on board. Life was on hold for me for 4 months. 2. A select few at work should know. I found that for most folks at work that it was more harmful for them knowing what was going on. 3. Early morning workouts and late evening workouts as described. Treadmill and trainer during the week are your friends. 4. I developed a schedule pretty early in the training cycle that worked and I stuck to it: Mon - swim AM, run PM Tue - Swim AM, bike PM Wed - run intervals Thu - swim AM, bike PM Fri - run Sat - bike long Sun - run long Generally speaking, HIM training is doable (I'm doing 2 this year) but with IM training it gets sketchy. The finally training weekends before taper (100 mile rides on Sat followed by 20 mile runs on Sun) meant that NO work got done on the weekends. I peaked at 17 hours training. I know folks that keep the same work schedule as me that peak at 11 hours (never do a ride longer than 80 miles) and do just fine. In retrospect, I could have done less training and still been fine. Your schedule for this year looks completely doable. The real test will be 2010. Keep water and energy bars in your car. I got real used to eating while commuting.
Great advice Joanthan thanks! I'm fortunate that my wife and I don't have kids and she has her own career where she works about 60 hours a week. We might not get to see each other much during the week but that's nothing different then our schedules now since I'm in grad-school. 2008 was my first season and I got into late due to early season surgeries on both my legs. I think I'll see how the 2009 season goes, focus on my Oly's and my HIM and make a determination on IMAZ after my HIM in October. I know there is no rush but you're right about the IM call being strong. I figure you only live once and why put something off that you can do now. It will be hard to juggle work (especially during busy season) but I know it's doable. The managing partner of the office here did IMAZ two years ago so I'll be picking his brain about how to handle everything. Edited by Mirg 2008-12-05 11:45 AM |
| 2008-12-05 11:40 AM in reply to: #1839632 |
| Master 1882 Chandler, Arizona | Subject: RE: Anybody Here do a HIM or IM While Working For a Big 4 Accounting Firm? joerigg - 2008-12-04 7:49 PM Can you work at firm number five which did make your list? You might have more time. I work for a company(standard 40 hours), married(full time), going to grad school(15-20 hours), dad(full time) and plan on doing IMKY again next year. Keys to success are early morning workouts, prioritizing, fitting in afternoon workouts when possible, and watching my nutrition. It can be easy to slip on the nutrition with a busy schedule. 4>5
I think I'm going to fall in love with a 9pm bed time and a 4am alarm clock! |
| 2008-12-05 11:42 AM in reply to: #1840150 |
| Master 1882 Chandler, Arizona | Subject: RE: Anybody Here do a HIM or IM While Working For a Big 4 Accounting Firm? bachorb - 2008-12-05 8:17 AM I got into tris while I was working at a small financial services firm whose clients were the Big 5 IB's (now the big ummmm.....zero). I never worked less than a 50 hour week and 60 hour weeks were pretty typical. Nonetheless I was able to do 2 HIMs, 2 Olys and 2 Sprints and placed in my AG in an HIM and a sprint. Lots of 530am workouts and late nights. I did not get as much sleep as I would have liked but I managed. I probably missed one workout a week so it wasn't ideal but I still made it work. I felt like the stress of work was such a great motivator for me to train. I am a full-time grad student now which is a HELL of a lot easier than working and although now I never miss a workout, that burning sense of urgency of "train train train" isn't as strong because I have less stress. You can definitely make it work - you just have to make it a priority and do as much as possible to integrate your social life and tri life
I never thought I'd say this buy grad school is by far better then work! I'm enjoying my program and while I'm anxious to enter the "real world" I know I'll never have it this easy again. Thanks for the advice! |
| 2008-12-05 11:44 AM in reply to: #1836410 |
| Extreme Veteran 680 Boulder, CO | Subject: RE: Anybody Here do a HIM or IM While Working For a Big 4 Accounting Firm? Mirg, Not a Big 4 firm but I was a partner of a private equity firm and trained for five IMs -- my first marriage ended in this period. Between work, self, others -- I have found that I can do one "well" and one "ok" -- the other item falls. So... if work and tris are a priority then you will (very) likely find that your family/personal life suffers. What helps is to sit down and have an honest conversation with yourself about life priorities (not just sport, or work). Once you are straight, then have a chat with the key people in your life. Communication does wonders to build support. g |
| 2008-12-05 11:47 AM in reply to: #1840300 |
| Master 1882 Chandler, Arizona | Subject: RE: Anybody Here do a HIM or IM While Working For a Big 4 Accounting Firm? GordoByrn - 2008-12-05 9:44 AM Mirg, Not a Big 4 firm but I was a partner of a private equity firm and trained for five IMs -- my first marriage ended in this period. Between work, self, others -- I have found that I can do one "well" and one "ok" -- the other item falls. So... if work and tris are a priority then you will (very) likely find that your family/personal life suffers. What helps is to sit down and have an honest conversation with yourself about life priorities (not just sport, or work). Once you are straight, then have a chat with the key people in your life. Communication does wonders to build support. g
Good points, thanks for the reminder! |
| 2008-12-05 12:25 PM in reply to: #1836410 |
| Veteran 379 NYC | Subject: RE: Anybody Here do a HIM or IM While Working For a Big 4 Accounting Firm? I worked for a Big 4 firm out of school but that was prior to doing triathlons. I was concur with the poster above who suggested not telling the people you work with. The Big 4 are a great place to start a career, the training and experience you receive are unmatched. But don't believe the whole work/life balance bit, the culture doesn't support that like they say they do. You don't want anyone to question your commitment to the firm if you take vacation time for races or training/recovery. It's just better left alone in the early going, you may even run into some people that would be really jealous of your out of work activities (especially managers who think that tax returns are their purpose in life  ). If you feel after the first 12-18 months that it's all working out in a balanced wa, then maybe you can be more open. But you want people to develop an opinion of your work and performance without other influences like what you do in your personal time. No doubt you will have a full schedule and will need to be very good with your time management, but you've really achieved great things by completing the masters, getting a great job, and racing triathlon. Very intense work hard/play hard lifestyle of which you'll reap the rewards in the future. Good luck! |
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