As the race season rapidly approaches, the school year comes to a close, and vacation season is in full swing, how we balance our time and commitments is often at the forefront of our minds. How can we keep or build healthy relationships while engaging in double-digit hour training weeks? How can we emphasize our fitness build while maintaining strong performance at work? All these components are necessary and desired for well-balanced and thriving lives. My goal is to share just a few ideas to help make it all work a little bit better. As with so many (not so new) ideas, knowing about concepts and strategies is only helpful if we put them into practice. So, my first suggestion is to maybe pick one of these tips and work towards it for 1-2 months. Then consider adding another one. With that, here are a few tips for managing your time as an endurance athlete.
I know… kinda obvious one here, but planning really does sit at the center of managing your many commitments and training. Take a look at your work, family, and training calendars to identify the amount of time you have available for training most weeks. The key here is to be completely honest with yourself about your availability. We all have aspirations to squeeze in training with every free hour, but for most, that isn’t a sustainable reality. If you’re training for a 70.3 or Ironman this could mean carving out anywhere from 2-8 hours in a single day. Without a conscious effort to make sure this fits, you may end up with some unhappy housemates. With just a little forethought, you can work with your various other commitments and set expectations for the time you’ll have available and adjustments you may need to make to accommodate the increased training load. Another key move is to combine or share your TrainingPeaks or Todays Plan calendar with your family. This allows them to see what you’re planning and raise any concerns or at least be aware of your schedule. If you approach triathlon with the goal of integrating sport with life, it almost always yields a lifestyle that can be stable and enjoyable. Not sporadic and hectic! Finally, do occasional reviews or check-ins with your family… Is the schedule working for everyone? Are people feeling neglected or alienated by your triathlon life? Open and honest communication can be the difference between strained and flourishing relationships. If something isn’t working, be ready and willing to change it. Different seasons of life require adjustments to the plan, so adapt as needed!
On a weekly basis, another key plan to incorporate is aiming to do the same types of workouts on the same days. This allows you to get into a training rhythm, while the intensity, volume, or specifics of a swim, bike, or run change. You can generally know what to expect. Really, the level of planning needed to drastically improve the overall balance is quite small. But taking the 20-30 minutes each week to plan ahead can make all the difference between a stressful, guesswork week, and one that flows smoothly.
Along the same lines as planning out your training schedule, food choices and meal prep can occupy a lot of time and mental energy if left unchecked. Whether it be coming home from a long session, finishing a busy day at work, then straight to the pool… You get back and open the fridge not having the discipline or fortitude to make smart and healthy choices. Let alone want to take the time to cook. Finding meals and snacks that are nutritious, simple, and easy to make in batches can create time in your schedule. Maybe, more importantly, build a system that reduces decisions and choices at times when your defenses are down. Finally, if it fits the budget, take a look at the various meal delivery services out there as a supplement to your daily meals. Maybe lunch workouts are your thing, so incorporating 3-4 ready to make meals can let you eat and run… or run and eat in time to get back for that afternoon meeting. Nutrition plays such a crucial role in our performance. So simplifying our choices as well as planning ahead can leave precious space in your day!
Where’s my heart rate monitor? Ugh, my watch is not charged again! Where’s the sunscreen? These are all things I’ve anxiously said to my wife when getting ready to do a workout. And usually, it’s because I haven’t done the little things to make the hard part… training, a priority. All these little time-sucks add up considerably when taken in total. So, my advice is to take the time to have a place for everything, and put everything in its place. Have a central charging station for all the tech you’re using on a frequent basis. Keep your kits, shoes, and gear in proper order with like items so when you go to do sport X, all the necessary bits are right there. On a different note, when we swim, bike, and run so much, mobility and bodywork tend to take a backseat. So another little tip is to double-up streaming/tv time with your foam roller or stretching routine. Consider building in a bit more time at the pool (if there’s a gym) so you’re not needing to make an extra trip for that strength session. The point here is to find all these “small” inefficiencies and put routines or habits in place to eliminate any unnecessary ones. When you’re putting 10-20 hours of time toward training, you’re not losing precious minutes turned into hours by nailing the little things!
When it comes to not only maximizing but optimizing your time spent training for the greatest effect and impact. Having a predictable training plan is one of the best tactics you can take. As a coach, this always feels a little weird to suggest, but as an athlete, I can say it with confidence. Doing the work of executing the training for endurance sports is extremely challenging, both mentally and physically. So, layering on building our own training planning on top of that can be daunting. All of the Organic Coaches also have coaches for this very reason. As well as the extra accountability and reassurance that the effort we’re expending is as effective as possible. A good coach or pre-built training plan will take all of the guesswork out of building your annual, monthly, weekly, and daily training schedule. Not to mention adapting sport to fit your life and not the other way around. This is a central tenet all of our coaches coach by, and for good reason. We want triathlon to be part of your lifestyle, and not something your life must revolve around. Whether it’s finding a plan for your race goal distance or hiring a 1-1 coach, make the investment and your tri-life balance will thank you!
Carly and Tyler Guggemos built Organic Coaching in 2014 with a simple philosophy that works. The idea is to take what you have and grow it to get faster, fitter and stronger. And to do it with the time you have – not the time you wish you had.
For athletes who are ready to take their training to the next level while still thriving and succeeding in their professional and family life.
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