You all know how I sometimes get free schwagg to talk about on my blog, right? This time OutsidePR has sent me some sweet schwagg to share with you. Read on for details of how you can enter a contest to win some of this cool stuff…
What will you win?
Three winners will be selected at random from all eligible entries. Each winner will receive
- one pair of Ryders Eyewear cool sunglasses valued at $39.99-$44.99
- a coupon code for a free RoadID of your choice valued at up to $31.50
- 2 packages each of Gu Chomps and Gu Brew Recovery valued at $9.80.’
- That’s a grand total of up to $86.29 of free schwagg!
What do you have to do to enter?
Since starting working full time last November, I am having a very hard time balancing life, work, and training. So, I want to pick your brain! Please post your tips and ideas for balancing life/work/training as a comment on this blog article. Your comment must be at least 40 words! I don’t just want “get up earlier in the morning”. Tell me HOW you motivate yourself to get up earlier? How do you squeeze a decent lunchtime workouts in just an hour? How do you organize your gear to save time? How do you find energy and motivation after working all day to go home, feed your family dinner, and then do a workout? Oh, and how do you get more value out of less training…I’d love to know that secret. Please tell me! If you have a photo to go along with your idea, email them to ncskibum@gmail.com and I will add it to your comment. I can’t wait to read all of your ideas!
Legal Mumbo Jumbo:
- Contest only open to US and Canadian residents.
- You may enter now through Thursday April 1st, at noon (Eastern time).
- All entries will be placed into a random drawing.
- The 3 winners will be announced on April 1st at 8pm, and will be asked to contact me so I can get them their winnings!
A big THANKS to the people at Ryders Eyewear, RoadID, Gu Energy Labs, and Outside PR for being so generous! Thanks guys!
So enter NOW! You only have through Thursday April 1st at noon! Be sure to check out my review of RoadID…and stay tuned for my thoughts on the Ryders Eyewear!
Tags: contest, free schwagg, Gu, roadid, ryders
Thanks to all who submitted fantastic comments. I love them all and very much appreciate your tips. I will draw a winner later tonight!
I don’t want to close comments on this article, in case someone later comes along with a great tip to add. But anyone posting after this one, won’t be entered into the contest. Thanks again!
While I’m not following my own advice right this minute, I was using a very successful system earlier this year. Investing in the Mountainsmith Hauler Cube system was a very smart move. I have the four cube system plus my gym bag; the cubes are labeled Tuesday – Friday. Every Sunday night I pack my gym bag for Monday and the cubes for the rest of the week. Week nights I pull the dirty stuff out of my gym bag and load it with the cube for the next day. Not thinking about gear during the week saves a ton of time and eliminates an excuse to skip workouts. The other tip that worked really well was staying on a consistent sleep schedule. If I sleep in on Saturday and Sunday there’s zero chance I’m getting up at 5:00am on Monday. I’ll set my alarm for 5am on the weekend, get up, walk the dog, and then take a nap if I’m still tired.
Wow, This is a potentially more difficult question than it may seem because it depends on where you are. You obviously have had plenty of advice and there is also plenty around the internet. Therefore, my best advice is what has made the biggest difference for me. I have just this past 6 weeks gained much more energy to work out by changing my diet. I eat less meat, only (well mostly) meat or eggs that are grass fed, pasture or free range as it applies. I have also increased dramatically my vegetable and fruit intake. Anytime I want a snack, it’s a fruit or vegetable instead of a sweet. I’ve only had 1 pepsi before a 7k and absolutely no high fructose corn syrup and no sugar from outside the house. (If my wife made cupcakes or cookies, I’d have some of that.
The difference is that I have decreased my need for sleep by over an hour a night, maybe even 90 minutes.
I’ll let you know if this trend continues.
PS: Read Omnivores Dilemma if you haven’t had a chance.
My mini tip is involving those that support me in my training schedule as much as possible. It is all about being proactive. I keep my girlfriend updated on when I’m working out. Then we plan the timing of my workouts so we can still spend time together and with our friends.
If I know that I have to be social tomorrow night, it is that much more motivation to get up early in the morning for a swim/bike/run so that I can still live a relatively normal life in the afternoon.
first of all, I lately discovered that to have a balance life, you have to discuss what inner balance satisfies you with your husband/partner, especially if you live under the same roof and don’t share the same passion. Mine are running and lately swimming + biking for my first triathlon. The best way for me it to get up early and join my running group for 3 or 5 miles. How do I stay focus and get up to go for my runs? I am the one organizing the running meeting. People are counting on me and if they RSVP, there is no way for me to let them down and not show up. At first (and still sometimes) I wish I would stay in bed. However, these runs always put a smile on my face for the whle morning at work. Priceless!!
…sometimes I don’t stay motivated. But I do take these actions, which seem to help: 1) I make sure that I sign up for a bunch of races in December, plunking down a lot of cash, and keep those dates in mind as I go throughout the year. 2) I try to train “opportunistically” – meaning that I have a general training outline, based upon where I am in the season and what my goals are, then fit it in to life as it best makes sense and don’t stress too much if I miss a few days. 3) I surround myself with motivated people for whom fitness is a critical part of their lifestyle. 4) I figured out that I race to have an excuse to train, not the other way around.
My motivation to get up early is the way I feel after I do train as opposed to after I don’t. Just as I am deciding whether to hit the snooze button on my alarm clock, I think about how the little extra sleep will affect my attitude for the rest of the day compared to how doing a solid workout will make me feel. The workout always wins.
As far as how to get more out of short lunchtime workouts, let it go. When your training calls for long swims, runs and rides, the lunchtime workouts aren’t going to do it for you. On the other hand, I believe in positive thinking. If you are positive about what you are getting out of the short workout, e.g., a little extra work on your form, a short weight routine (really all it takes to help avoid injury), added flexibility from a yoga class, then, obviously, you won’t have to worry about needing to get more out of those short workouts. I love your blog. Good luck.
Balancing training and family is easy: family comes first, but remember that training is what makes you a better person to be around, healthier, and a good example to your children. I get up at 4:00 to get my runs and cycling in (mostly treadmill and trainer this past winter) and on the weekends I also try to fit in extra workouts by joining my son and daughter for a run (or, they run on the treadmill while I ride the trainer) – great family time! I don’t try to exercise at work, though I do research into training and nutrition when I can. Work time is recovery time!
Ahh the secret to balancing life & training! Well, I haven’t discovered the secret quite yet, but here’s some tips that I’ve picked up along the way to manage a full time job, full time grad school, 3 side jobs, starting a business, training..and oh, life! I plan my workouts for my week based on that week’s schedule- I can’t say every Monday is tempo day, b/c it may not work every Monday. I have several gym bags put together, so I can easily grab one based on the workout I’m doing- running, pilates, swimming. I think the MOST important thing is to learn that adjusting your training schedule is necessary- and missing a workout is not the end of the world. Also- have someone who will honestly tell you when you’re taking on too much or going crazy
As a deputy sheriff and student I have to find time to train between shiftwork (12.5 hrs/alternating days and nights every month) and it is often difficult to get long training sessions in. Luckily I only work 15 days per month but on days I work my training time is severely limited. I have to make sure every second I have training is used to the max so here is how I do it.
First, I know exactly what I am going to work out depending on whether it is my long week (Working 5 days) or my short weeks (Two days). I work out six days a week so on days I work I have my “short days” and my days off I consider them “long days.” My short days are usually spend doing strength training such as weights since I think that is imperative to year round training. On those days when I’m not doing strength training I’ll focus on technique or interval training. Again, these days I will be putting in over 15 hour days to include work and training so I have to ensure that the shorter training span is still beneficial.
On my days off, which are my long workout days I can do either my brick workouts or my long run or bike ride. Usually with these days I have my leeway in scheduling when I am going to get these workouts in without work getting in the way.
Lastly, I know it’s important that you MUST train even when you don’t feel like it I also believe that if you are so drained from a long day that going out and trying to train will actually do more damage that good. I believe that you need to train how you are going to perform and if my technique in the run or swim is going to be poor then I won’t be getting the most from my training time and in the worst case begin to form bad habits. Of course those days are few and far between but it is an important part.
In a nutshell, planning is key! If I have a game plan it’s one less thing I have to worry about and can focus specifically on the training ahead!
for me I always look forward to the feel of after workout and push myself to just get started. Once I start everything is much easier. lunch breaks are great because I can go for a run and then eat during work or snacks. I have a family so whenever possible I incorporate the family into my evening workout routine. this is either by going to a park and doing laps or pushing the kids on the running stroller until they are ready to go back to the play ground. my wife enjoys runnning as well so ofthen time we take turns playing with kids in the playground and doing our own drills. for bike rides I try to get a friend so it can be more pleasant and ofthen time we have a final bakery destination for a reward. swimming is probably the hardest, specially in the winter and fall where you are limited to a swimming pool, I just push myself out of bed early in the monring at least twice a week and join one of the local groups or clubs, I always get more motivation and better workout swimming with a group than on my own.
Morning has never been my thing so I avoid those early morning workouts. NO sense fighting with myself. I use schedulers extensively to plan my training days. I even have a door in the house painted with chalkboard paint with my schedule on it, that way everybody in the house knows my schedule too. I try to maintain flexibility with my scheduling to accomodate those days that just go remarkably off side, by switching training days with others if its required. Motivation comes from many different places, new gear is always exciting and you have to keep training to “earn” it. I post sayings and pictures that inspire me in our house gym. I always feel better after training it is its own reward, hokey but true. I have difficulty honoring the “off day” I always want to do something on that day. I am learning to do it by scheduling friend time where we go for a leisurely stroll for a catch up. My family is starting to join in on my workouts so it has become beneficial to them too, and the training time pays double ’cause I am still with them. And lastly treat yourself to a massage every once in awhile, your muscles deserve it!
Just started following your blog, love it so far! Well, I’m a stay at home mom of a 3 year old, and a full time online student. I also do taxes during tax season. So my situation is a little different, as I don’t have full time conventional work. However, I still struggle to balance. I have a tendency to put too much on my plate so I’ve started to prioritize my days. In my quiet morning time, I figure out what I want to get done today. Working out is always a priority. I also work with a trainer a couple times a week, which I love! She helps keep me focused and motivated. I cook my meals before hand if I’m going to have an evening workout, that way all I have to do is heat it up when I get home. I also try to remain flexible about my workouts. If I can’t get it in the morning, when I prefer, it’s okay to do it in the afternoon. If I can only do 45 minutes instead of an hour, then that’s better than not working out at all.
I find that the portion of my workout that I tend to slack on if I know I will have a busy week is biking. To overcome this, I’ve committed to biking to and from work. I live only 3 miles from work so when I have my bike at work, I love to bike during my lunch hour. Taking that break at noon not only allows me to get some miles in, but I also get my mind of my work, and when I get back at it, I’m more productive. I even work in a bike/run brick at lunch once a week. I am NOT a morning worker-outer, so sometimes I’ll go to work a half hour or hour early and take an extra long lunch to get in a longer ride or run.
)
Food-wise/meal planning for the family consists of planning meals on Sunday for the week. If I have a meal schedule for dinner, then if I am running late, the family knows what we are having and they can get it started (if I’m lucky
I can’t force myself to get up in the mornings anymore. So I take it easy in the mornings, get in a good lunchtime bike or swim, and a nice hard after work bike or run. I want a pair of those sunglasses! yowsa!
the key motivator for me is seeing how my pants fit. I’ve lost a few inches over the last few months, and that keeps my tri training ramped! It’s time to HTFU!
I find 2 things key to squeezing in workouts into a sometimes busy schedule.
1) combine the workouts with something else. I live 8 miles from where I work. So I ride my bike to work when I can and then on the way home I’ll tack on a hill or two, or an extra loop to get a few more miles in. Or, if I need to run that day, I’ll bus into work then run all the way, or get off on a stop that is x miles from home and run the rest of the way.
2) quality over quantity. for the 8 mile bike rides home, if conditions are good, I’ll TT it and try to beat my best time. Again, hills are your friend. Put on the hurt going uphill to improve flat/windy riding. Plus it’s fun to descend!
I recently started working with a cycling coach and he has had me training harder than I ever thought I could train. That being said, it was a challenge the first month trying to figure out how to fit all the extra workouts in with the family schedule. My partner is training for her first triathlon and I am training for a multi day charity cycling event and we have a teenage son.
It took some trial and error, but now we have it set so that we alternate early morning workout days so that one of us is available in the morning for our son. Then I ride at lunch 3 days a week. I worked it out with my boss so that I could take a half hour longer lunch and I make it up at the end of the day.
Also, my rest days are never the same as my partners, so that’s 4 days a week that one of us is available to do errands, car pool duties and whatever else needs to be done.
I think one thing we do that saves us both a bunch of time since we both take our lunch to work every day is that on Sunday’s we either grill up enough chicken or whatever for the week and prepack it for lunches. The crockpot is also great for this. We both try and stay away from sugar and processed foods, so making a roast or some really great pulled pork in the crockpot really helps.
Last but not least, we decided a while ago that it was worth the $80 every two weeks to have someone come in and do the house cleaning (we do the daily stuff). That alone saved our relationship.
Ummmm…..when I do my bike, I put one in the hitchhiker, and behind that, one in the trailer with the dog. I ride until they complain, but figure I am pulling enough weight to accomplish something! My husband helps out a lot when he is home, but he is leaving for Afghanistan this summer (his 5th year long tour overseas), so I’ll have to workout smarter, not more.
I have a totally different issue. As a Trophy Husband (stay @ home dad) of a wife that travels 4/5 nights a week. My daughter is in first grade. Instead of not enough time, I find I have too much time and I find it’s just as hard to get motivated. I have always signed up for races as soon as they open, giving me something to look forward to. The simple need to have something to talk about with my wife when she comes home from a trip helps motivate me to train. I will break up my workouts in a day. Running for an hour in the morning and an hour before the bus comes. Carol your blog title says it all: My Journey from Couch Potato to Triathlete.
Thanks
I find that the best motivation is to sign up for a race. I have my first half marathon coming up in October, so I have no choice but to train. I think the best plan is to have a plan. Something that you can realistically do. You know how it goes, you have an over aggressive schedule and you start missing training. Then you start to give up because the week is a loss or whatever. So make a plan that you can stick to. Then, when something comes up that forces you to miss a training session (and that will happen no matter how well you plan) don’t get discouraged.
The other part to keep in mind is to make time in your schedule to do the things you need to. I make time for my wife and kids.
About getting up early, I think that may work for some people, but I’m just not that kind of guy. For me, I am better off working out at night. So that is where I squeeze things in.
I have three small children, and I work full time. I work hard to make time to workout. It isn’t easy, but it is doable because I have a decent plan that I can get back to.
I am lucky that my husband really supports me. I am a swim coach, which doesn’t require me to work till 3:45pm. That allows me the time to get motivated to train. Also, I just love the discipline and challenge! I love the feeling I get after doing something hard. I usually have to think about that feeling to actually start the workout though. Also, pictures, videos, training blogs help me get motivated too!
HAPPY TRAINING!
I work a pretty demanding job that usually has me in the office at a minmum from 8-6 (on a good day), so exercising after work has never really been an option for me. I’ll spend all day talking myself out of it and by the time I get home, take care of the dogs it is the last thing I want to do. That alone is what motivates me to get up everyday at 5:15 to get my workout in. The days I want to just sleep in, I remind myself how glad I will be at the end of the day knowing my workout is done. Also, I usually meet up with people in the mornings, so I have people depending and relying upon me to be there. I’m not one to let others down so that serves as extra motivation. Hope that helps!
tips and ideas for balancing life/work/training
I’ve tried a lot of techniques for balancing life/work/training but only recently have I struck gold. I used to tell myself “don’t be lazy, get off your butt” or “you really NEED to get this workout in” but all of that inevitably led me to feel guilty when I missed a workout, which inevitably happened because I have a semi-chaotic work schedule. That guilt would cascade into me missing more and more workouts and did not help me stay motivated.
So what does work? I’ve made a list of things I don’t like about different areas of my life (work, training, extracurricular activities, etc) and then each day I ask myself “would it be nice if I worked out today?” or “would it be nice for me to finish this task before I leave work for the day?” Strange thing about phrasing the question that way: first I think about what I don’t like about the different areas of my life and how the activity I’m questioning myself about would help improve that area. Then my emotions kick in and intuitively I know where my priorities should be. If there’s a work deadline, I know my professional performance should trump the workout and then I don’t feel guilty about missing a workout. But the thought that I don’t like the way my clothes fit motivates me to eat a healthier meal instead and look forward to having a great workout the next day. It also motivates me to take the stairs instead of the elevator or do other little things if I know I’m going to have to miss my workout. I also set myself up for success by having a bag packed with everything I need for my workout (baby wipes and face wipes (so I can quickly “towel” off if I only have 30 minutes for a workout, deoderant, other toiletries clothes, shoes, etc) that I take with me EVERYWHERE. That way, I’m ready for whatever opportunities I get to grab a 15 minute workout.
Find a workout buddy and committ to each other to get it done. I know you don’t want to hear “get up early” but seriously morning workouts are a lifesaver. And the only way I can get out of bed on a regular basis is to have my husband right there with me. I know that if I get lazy then he skips a workout too – we keep each other motivated becuase if one of us slacks we both suffer. Also, try to mix it up and keep things different. I get so bored with the same thing over and over but a new place to run, a new swim workout, a different kind of bike ride – they get me EXCITED!
My full-time job is being a stay at home mom so I’ve lucked out there. There’s no way I could have done my Ironman if I was working too! You people who work and train impress me! I’m also one who can’t put my workouts off until the evening because most of the time I won’t end up doing them. The evenings are really the only time I see my husband so I try to keep that time reserved for him. I have a really hard time getting up early, though. Maybe in the summer it will be easier when it’s not cold and dark. When I do make it out the door early in the morning it’s usually because I’ve got my clothes laid out and my bag packed so I don’t have to think about it. I try to get going and then wake up. I’m usually glad when I do get my workout done early, but of I don’t, I can usually go to the gym and drop my daughter off at their childcare so that helps A LOT! Having a bike trainer is also really helpful because I can do that during nap time or while my daighter watches a movie or something. Makes me want a treadmil too!
good luck with your training, I think you’re doing a great job!
Ahh… the eternal question…How do you balance everything? First of all, I think you do a pretty good job already, my friend. The thing I always think of when I’m trying to figure out my life, schedule, etc, is keeping true to the things that make me happy. Being with my family makes me happy, so I do that. Training makes me happy, so I do that. Working makes me happy, so I do that. Cleaning does not make me happy, so I don’t worry about it. When my house gets to the point where it’s starting to bug me (not making me happy) then I clean. I also do a lot of training during off hours, when my son is napping, after the kids are in bed, etc. For me the hardest thing is often just getting out the door, so preparing the night before is also huge!! Triathlon is supposed to be fun, not stress you out, so if you are feeling stressed out about training, maybe take a step back and figure out why you are feeling that stress.
Thanks for this great giveaway, Carol!!
I just completed a 16 week marathon training program and only missed one workout (due to injury). The sure-fire trick to getting out the door? “Don’t be lazy.” Those three little words have gotten me out of bed at 5am, out the door in -15 degree windchill weather, and through the wall at around mile 18 countless times. I say it to myself every morning when the alarm goes off and I just want to roll over and every time I come home from a long day at work and just want to hit the couch. Any excuse I have ever come up with not to workout can be boiled down to laziness. I am never too tired, sore, busy, etc. to do my workout. So I workout, and gloat because although I might be cold, sleepy, or bored, I am certainly NOT lazy.
I work full time and go to school full time, I am new to the tri world and what keeps me going is the thought of me crossing the finish line for the first time ever and knowing that all of the late night, early morning, and super fast lunch workouts have paid off. My Tri Training is a passion so it is no burden to squeeze in tri training between classes and my work schedule. My job is very flexible with my scheduling so it allows me to work my training schedule in whenever I can (I sell real estate) so that helps me out a lot. I also run mini-blocks on days when I cannot devote a full schedule of training. Reading this blog at work also helps me to get and stay motivated to succeed. Thanks so much for the awesome info you provide! Keep it up!
(This is a continuation of the previous post – just one entry for both to keep it fair
)
Oh and I forgot to add – bike commuting helps out a lot once it gets light enough to do it. Bring your work clothes and shower stuff to work the day before and pre-plant it. If you can’t make it all the way to work/back for some reason, like it being too far or too many freeways, have someone drop you off at a specific point. Or carpool in and ride the bike home. I’ve found some great routes by just exploring off-roads in the car and on http://www.bikely.com .
It’s tough. I work full time, go to school 3/4 time, and am currently trying to train for a 70.3 in Kansas. Needless to say time is limited and I still need a bit of a social life.
It’s tough, but I make it a point to get up early and get the workouts done before work at least 3 times a week. 3 times is a reasonable goal and if you can make it a 4th day without hitting the snooze button (or outright shutting it off), consider that a bonus! I always have a rest day built into the workweek so one day feels restful. By getting this stuff done in the morning, it’s not hanging over my head after work so if an impromptu invite for happy hour (or a big lunch) comes up, I can balance what little social life I have.
I had to start out by making the workouts 5:30, then each week backing it off by :15. I get up now at about 4:30 or 4:45 most week days, depending on the workout needed. There’s always a primary workout plan, but if there is a chance of rain, I’ll have a backup plan to go to the gym instead of running the neighborhood.
The workout clothes are laid out and the gym bag is packed (with work clothes/makeup etc) the night before so that I only need 15 minutes to get up, pee, brush the teeth and get out the door. No excuses.
Carol you motivate so many of us, surely we can return the favor in some ways. Thank you!!!
My brother and I decided to follow the same training plan for an upcoming race and that has helped my motivation quite a bit. It’s no fun having your little brother calling you out the next morning if you hadn’t done the workout the previous evening. We also live near each other and are similar fitness capabilities, so as much as our schedules allow, we train together following a very detailed training plan he put together from a book. Having the built in competition between each other makes keeping my training consistent relatively easy, to be honest.
Neither my brother nor I have kids, so that probably makes balancing everything easier for us, but when things do get a bit hectic, I don’t beat myself up over a missed workout here or there. As long as I feel like over the course of a week, I increased my fitness, I usually feel good about it.
Balancing school, work, boyfriend time and training has been really difficult. Can’t say I’ve mastered it myself. I am trying to get up earlier, schedule doctors appointments as early as I can so they don’t interfere with schoolwork and planning workouts days ahead. Been giving myself weekly goals as well.
I’ve taken to splitting my workouts into two parts: one before work and one after work. I talk myself into getting out of bed at 4:30 A.M. four days per week (and I sleep in a little on weekends) to get in 1-1.5 hours before work. My alarm clock is way across the room so that I have to physically get up and turn it off. By that point, I’m awake and moving anyway. I have my gear ready to go and my workout clothes laid out, so really I have no excuse not to get dressed and get going. Twice a week, I swim with a group of people, which keeps me accountable to waking up early.
I head straight from work to the gym / lake to get in the last part of my workout before bedtime. My gear bag is always packed and in my vehicle so that I cannot talk myself out of getting everything done. I’m tempted to start squeezing in short naps during my lunch break so that my body gets enough rest time.
Once I’m home for the evening, I enjoy a recovery drink and an hour to myself. Nice and quiet
Then I make sure to pack up my gear for the following day & leave it near the door so that I don’t leave it behind. I also pack up all my meals for the day on the night before that way I’m not tempted to dive into fast food or unhealthy meals during the week.
Hope this helps some! Good luck
I work full time and my daughters are 1 & 3 years old. As has been mentioned mornings are my best times with Masters Swim Tuesdy, Thursday and Saturday. I accept missing one workout/week if I have an early meeting. Lunchtime runs work great for me, but I usually limit them to 30 minutes. Bicycling is the toughest and is usually a longer ride on the weekends and a quick spin after work one day per week so that I am home for family responsibilities. The sacrifice for me is giving up the last 20% of effort that would help become a competitive age grouper, upwardly mobile employee and father of the year. If I can make 80% of family stuff like going to the park, meals, baths and cleaning up around the house I am satisfied. I accept missing dinner occasionally and missing lower priority workouts like strength training.
Wow, I’m loving all the ideas, THANKS! Keep ‘em coming! Dang, that’s not 40 words, so I guess I can’t win. lol, I can’t win anyway!
I like the first posters comment about “priorities and consistency,” because that is absolutely what it is for me. I had to learn to make myself and my training a priority, as well, otherwise all my other priorities took precedence.
The most important thing for me is just making sure I’m always prepared. If I think I can fit in a workout over lunch, I’ll pack my gear up and load it in my car first thing in the morning. That way if I find some spare time I can’t use the excuse of “I don’t have everything.” This includes making sure I have an emergency set of headphones and socks in my car at all times, because I tend to forget those most often.
I try to go to the gym or for an outdoors workout immediately after coming home from work whenever possible, because if I don’t I’ll get tired or find an excuse to skip the workout. I try to incorporate workouts with my family when I can (going to the park with husband and dog and running laps around them) so that I can spend time with family and also get my training in.
It’s not always easy, and I’ve been slacking lately because I haven’t been following the “priorities and consistency” rule, but that’s life
Sweet contest! And so useful! My strategies to fit training around a full-time job do involve the early morning, sorry to say. I am not the best waker-upper so I use group workouts to motivate me – a Monday masters swim and a Thursday triclub run. Those people expect me to show up and that helps enormously. Also, for the bike, I am lucky enough to be able to commute to work. That helps me tuck in mileage throughout the week, plus I have a few “alternate” routes home to add some hills and/or time if my schedule allows. Any errands I need to run I usually try to do on the bike as well. I also really like the “no tech after ten” suggestion, I am totally going to use that!
Organization and pre-planning is key for me. Every week I look at my calendar and plan all of my workouts for the coming week. I write in the time, location, and specific workout. Then every night I take a few minutes to pre-pack what I will need before, during and after the planned workout. I have found that having a different bag for each type of workout is helpful. One for all my bike stuff, one for all my swim stuff, and one for all my running gear. I also pre-pack all my nutrition for the day since I almost always eat 2-3 meals a day at work or on the way to or from a workout. I recently bought myself a set of glass Tupperware that came in every size and shape imaginable, so I always have exactly what I need. They even have measurement markings on them so I can easily see how much of each thing I am packing. Finally, I sneak in mini-workouts everywhere I can. Anytime I am waiting around for something (which is often in my line of work) I will get in a few minutes of something physical. Do dips on a window sill, walk a flight of stairs, or fit in a two minute stretch. I even occasionally fit in a 5 minute run around a parking lot.
I have three kids and am a part time grad student. I’ve always started a workout program but then fizzled out a few months later. I’m not an expert at this yet but the most helpful things this time around are the treadmill and bike trainer. I don’t really like being inside but I can bike and run in the morning while my at home child is entertained by cartoons! I have found mornings are best but I cannot do my workouts first thing. I have the luxury of staying home so I fit it in when I’m fully awake. That may all change when all the kids are in school! I also meet my friend for a weekly lap swim at our community pool and lately I’ve been swimming and then going for a run right after so I can check off two things. I also wrote down every week of my training plan in my food journal and I check it off as I complete the workouts. Training for an event is one of the only things that motivates me to continue!
It’s all about priorities and consistency for me.
1) Make sure your family knows that they come first, but that your training is very important to you and makes you feel and act better. When I’m in a bad mood now, my wife says, “Why don’t you go for a run?”.
2) Make it a habit. If you work out everyday you plan to work out. When I leave work I look at my schedule for the next day so when I get home I can pack up any gear I will need for the next day. Load the bike on the car, make sure I have clean clothes.
3) Find out when you like to workout the most. For me, it is in the morning or lunch time. If I wait for after work, it might not get done and I know that as a fact so I do my workouts early. I am lucky to have a job that lets me take a 2 hour lunch.
4) Own your workout. I enjoy working out with other people, but they have lives too, so if I plan to workout with someone and they cancel, I still do it. My mindset going in is, I am going to do this workout whether or not I am alone. This happened this morning in fact. I could have skipped my mtn bike ride and slept in, but it was in my head that I was going to ride and even though my partner canceled I went.
I think the bottom line is, if you want to do it, you will, if you don’t want to or are dreading it, you won’t. Good luck
I am a “do it in the morning or it’s not going to happen” person. So the first thing I have done recently was start going to bed earlier to ensure I am getting enough sleep and able to wake up on time (most of the time). So we started a little challenge within the house of “no technology after 10pm”. Meaning no tv, blog reading, phone usage, etc after 10pm. This may sound late already, but as someone who was going to bed at midnight on average, this was a 2 hour earlier cut-off. With this in place, I have been getting in bed around 10:30 or so and this has made a big difference.
Through the winter months I have been just trying to get workouts in. I swim twice a week, was cycling twice a week, and running 3 times a week. And I tried to split those workouts up in such a way that one was speed/interval and the other longer low intensity. This allowed me to vary the duration of those workouts as well. So on days I needed a shorter workout I did the intensity workout and days with more time the longer workout.
I’m just getting into the sport, so I am no hard core ironman or anything like that, but I have been seeing little improvements throughout the winter and that has been good. It is mostly what I am looking for. Unfortunately, no magic pill in my post.
I agree with every said so far, especially putting the alarm on the other side of the room! I’m dealing with a time crunch this summer too, since I’ll be studying for the bar all summer. This led to me doing some research on time saving techniques, and the biggest change for me has been less emphasis on just pounding out the miles. The best way to get a good workout done in a shorter time is to really up the intensity. I know you are not the fastest runner, and im not talking about trying to run 8 minute miles instead of 9 minute miles; Sprint workouts can be an essential part of your training. It might take some time to figure out exactly how many sprints/repeats you need to do to equal the workout of your long runs, but in terms of cardio development, research has shown that all out efforts for short times produce the same results as longer slower workouts. So remember, if you only have a short time, dont go for a 45 minute jog and call it a day. Get out there, and go as hard as you possibly can for 15 seconds, rest a minute, do it again. Shorten your sprints if you need to, but the key is maximum effort. Thanks for the contest!
As the mother of two small girls and the head of marketing and business development for a tech company, I’m always on the go. Working 55+ hours a week and maintaining quality family time is tough enough without adding workouts on top of it.
But working out – specifically training for triathlons – keeps me mentally grounded and eliminates much of the stress associated with the other two parts of my life. So I find the time. I usually wake at 4:30 and get 1 1/2 hours in before the girls get up. I am fortunate enough to have a gym onsite at work, so I add in another workout, if necessary, at lunch. Finally, I maximize my weekends by doing my longer workouts early in the morning. Many times, my girls don’t even know I was gone.
But there are trade-offs. I won’t be able to commit to an Ironman level event for a few years, when the girls are a bit older. I recognize that I have to set limits and honestly, I’m good with that.
Like you, I’m always looking for areas of improvements. I plan to take some of the guidance provided by one of your commenters re: preparation; that is one area in which I need to work. I should keep bags packed and ready…it might allow me to sleep until 5!
Best of luck to you.
Hi Carol,
When I was working full time I had a really hard time doing workouts during the week. I tried a few times getting up early and while it was nice to get the workout out of the way, I never stuck with it. And honestly, I was not that much better after work either. When I would go straight home after work I was usually exhausted and would decide to crash rather than work out. Scott always called this the ‘warp zone’ and ultimately I figured out that I had to avoid going home right after work and instead run from work or stop at the pool before heading home. I ended up getting most of my hours on the weekend and would just try to do about 30-60 minutes a few days during the week. I never had the opportunity to train during lunch, so that wasn’t really an option for me.
The biggest help for me, a married father of 3, has been sticking to a well thought out training plan. With previous attempts at training for various events, I’d approach it willy nilly and I’d never have enough time or motivation to follow through. Finding a plan with a weekly training volume that matches the hours I have free has been a huge help. Finding a coach that can tailor that plan even further to my specific needs has been a tremendous help.
Other than that, I always have a go-bag (or bags) setup and ready. My swimming gear is in one bag with a fresh towel, etc, always ready to go. I keep my cycling gear on a shelf in my garage next to my bike. My running gear is permanently attached to my ankles, so always ready to go running… though I do keep fresh workout clothes and my HR strap, etc, in my backpack if I’m going to be out and about. If I’m not running barefoot, I’ll be in my FiveFingers and chances are I’ll already have them on, so nothing to remember to carry there…
- My secret to getting up early is that I put my alarm clock across the room, so I have to literally get out of bed and turn it off.
- the night before, I pack my lunch and lay out my work clothes so I dont have to deal with it in the morning. I also set out my workout gear the night before as well, so all i have to do is toss it on and workout.
- Lunch time, I swim, my gym is close enough to drive to and get in 1000-1500 yards before I have to get out and head to work. Since I am in the water already, i just toss on deordant and cologne. I dont shower, yes I smell like chlorine, but that smell is better then sweat.
- When i get home, i try to workout right away, if i lay down, I might not get back up. so, get home, change, get out the door, then worry about dinner after I get home from my workout.
Awesome giveaway. For me, getting up early to get in a workout is tough, so I have my wife help me get to bed at a decent hour and help me get up. It helps when she gets up to workout at home (like a DVD workout or something). Really helps to have company that early in the morning, even just waking up together. I feel you on having the motivation after a long day, not sure where it comes from, but good luck!
The one thing that really helped me during the crux of my training was to take an extra half hour during my lunch break. My break would be an hour and a half and I would be able to get a good 30-45 minutes in the pool or on a run. To make up for it, I would work an extra hour. My day was something like 545AM – at gym for morning workout; 730AM at office; 12-130PM gym for second workout; 130-6 a work. It was tough, but it left the entire evening for me to enjoy for myself.