Earlier this week I took an hour off
from my day and got coffee with a girlfriend (something we’ve been trying to
plan for at least two months now). In
catching up on each other’s lives she finally looked at me in wonder and asked,
“How do you have time for ALL of that?!”
Good question. As a full time
graduate student with a job I’m pretty booked up. Throw tri training in there and that doesn’t
leave a whole lot of breathing room. For
the most part though, I love being reasonably busy and wouldn’t have it any
other way! I wrote an article for my
team’s newsletter on this subject a few months ago so I figured I’d kill two
birds with one stone (saving time, hint hint) and rework it for you! I apologize in advance that much of this post
is from a student perspective but I’ll do my best to broaden the scope.
We’ve all heard it (and said it more
than we’d like to admit): “I don’t have time to train.” Whether you’re a student like me, a parent, a
working professional, or any combination of the three, we all undoubtedly have
a slew of obligations. I firmly believe that
getting it all done is a matter of prioritization and time management. It took me until the second half of my second
year of grad school to really figure this out, so hopefully you can learn a
little from my mistakes!
First rule: just say no. Despite popular belief, you do not need to be
everything to everyone. Yes, hobbies are
important, but there are not enough hours in the day to do it all, so try to
pare it down to those which you are most passionate about (ie triathlon). Also, you don’t have to be on every
church/club/school/community board, you don’t need to volunteer to be in charge
of every position, and you don’t need to lead every group. Figure out what is important and what is
possible and don’t take on more than you can handle.
Make creative social and family time. Hopefully you are friends with people who
have similar interests to you (such as everything swim-bike-run). Then, organize study groups with friends,
runs with a buddy, and rides with your significant other, make training fun and
social! I don’t have kids but I’ve heard
a running stroller or a bike trailer are an amazing workout. This will encourage you to train and keep you
from feeling isolated and overwhelmed with all you have to do. This may require a little planning in
advance. Even if you’re lucky enough to
have a triathlete for your better half (like me), chances are you aren’t the
same pace. It’s easy to do a trainer
ride, track workout, or a pool swim with multiple ability levels but that doesn’t
mean you have to confine yourself to these areas. Ian and I figured out that his easy
runs/rides are about the pace of my steady but tough tempo work.
Create a schedule every day, every
week. I cannot express the importance of
scheduling enough.
I’ve found that the more time I think I have, the more time I
waste. Therefore, it is beneficial to
write out a plan of what I’ll be doing every hour of the day. Include as much as possible in your schedule,
including classes, workouts, homework time, meetings, family time, and social
time (it may be excessive but I even include things like eating and
showering).
Multitask! It’s true, sometimes there are simply not
enough hours in the day to do everything we need to. Therefore, from time to time you need to make
your time count double. Set your bike up
on your trainer or go to the gym for a spin or treadmill workout and bring your
books! While obviously not fun or ideal,
workouts can offer a few hours of uninterrupted study or paperwork. If you have a trainer, set it up by a counter
or high table with your computer directly in front of your aero bars. It can be difficult to type and search during
hard sets, but it’s more than possible while in a long or recovery set. If you’re a student and classes are recorded,
you can also re-watch them as a study tool while riding. When you swim, put key concepts or difficult
study materials on a piece of paper in a plastic bag. Put it at the end of the lane and check in
with your material between sets. School or
work ultimately come first so find ways to make life and training work
together.
Balancing triathlon training with
your daily obligations is a matter of prioritizing. Decide now what you really want out of this
season and what you are willing to sacrifice to get there. If your only goal is to stay in shape and
have some fun that is more than fine!
However, if your goal is to compete at a national championship or to set
a particular pr, training needs to be a constant part of your life. Good luck and happy training!
My multitasking bike setup
Couples who train together ...
(to be fair, we weren't actually working out here, even if we're dressed for it)
That's it. Prepare to get dropped.
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