But....you want to compete in a Triathlon, it is next on your list of things to achieve and one thing a triathlon requires, above all, is time (and money....but that is for another discussion).
However, you are a working Dad (or Mum) but that doesn't impact your enthusiasm, desire and drive to complete a triathlon or many triathlons for that matter. You have the motivation, the drive, the energy, or maybe one of those three ! But guaranteed, the one thing you are likely to experience a deficit of is time.
One of the very reasons it has taken me a while to write this article is in the main for this very reason. A lack of time to dedicate to writing, other things taking up any time I might otherwise be putting fingers to keys.
However, let this not be a barrier to realising your triathlon ambitions. With some planning and diligent use of time and a smart approach to training it is surprising what you can achieve. I'm pretty certain much of what I say here you wouldn't have already thought of or considered yourself, or will (might) read and say, 'well, that is just common sense' and you'd be right. There is no real science here, nothing world or life changing, but yes, just a common sense way of approaching training and getting the consistency I think you need to prepare for those first races.
To set the scene in context of my background, I work full time and my main sponsor (my better half of course) works part time. My two boys are active lads playing basketball and football. Basketball in particular trains 2 nights per week with games usually on a Saturday. The range of travel can be very wide and regardless of tip-off time requires all players to be at the venue an hour beforehand, whether that is home or away. Football and basketball follow similar seasons, albeit football generally trains once per week and luckily games are on Sunday. Travel isn't as far for away games and unlike basketball doesn't require that we are there 1 hour in advance.
So where to start. I think before you even set off on training, or targeting a specific event, it is useful to be realistic about targets and goals, especially if you are going to be restricted on the number of hours you can train. This is something I didn't do at the start, it didn't really cross my mind. I had visions of not only being able to finish events I entered, but in my age group, I thought, how many decent people can there really be doing triathlon at the age of 47.......well, you'd be surprised ! I guess it is specific to events and who turns up to what races. Suffice to say there are some seriously good age-group athletes out there. I mentioned previously about not over-estimating your ability when choosing the first event you enter - I did the exactly this with my overall assessment of my triathlon capability. I thought, even assumed, that given a decent endurance background, I'd be half decent but those first couple of races I did were real eye openers for me in terms of where my ability placed me.
With this in mind, set realistic targets about what you think you can or might achieve given the time you can commit to training. Having raced my first half iron man on probably an average of 6hrs or less training per week (which I felt was a lot), come race day, that felt like the minimum. I'm not sure I would have wanted to attempt it on less training than I did. Again, we are all different. Many people will arrive on the start line on less training than I've done and still finish.
Schedule or non-schedule
Again, this is going to be mostly individual as to whether you follow a set plan or not. There are plenty of free one's around on the web and there are schedules you can pay for from triathlon specific coaches. Personally, I don't follow a set plan mostly because of the unpredictable nature of any given day. Train delays, work delays, the wife having to go out to meetings, uber jobs...etc. If I was fixed to a timetable, I would quickly get annoyed at missing things. Of course, you can shift any timetable around, but for me, I work better not having one. Does this impact how I train and my results - I've no idea. Probably. But it is what it is. I took a few training schedules from the web for the distances I was looking to race and saw what sort of volumes they covered (longest swim, bike and run, frequency of each etc.) and used that as a guide. Above all else, I try to aim for consistency in my weekly training load. By that I mean always being able to fit something in somewhere and somehow. That said, I have learnt to accept that if it isn't possible and one or two days pass with no session, then the rest is just as important.
Sort of planning
At the start of any week, I will try and plan as much as I can, to see what uber runs I am lined up for, what meetings or other plans the wife has and this gives me a sense of what I will be able to do and when. If I'm feeling adventurous, I might even pluck up the courage to ask what the weekend looks like, again if only to get a sense of what might be possible.
Despite not following a fixed timetable, there are some sessions I try to stick to but only because they happen on certain days (e.g. lake swim, or the only session at the local pool where you can use floats, paddles etc.). There is no guarantee I'll make these, but will try my best to keep to them if I can. These sessions aside, most other days are random and I try to keep a balance between the runs and the bike during the week. Bike sessions are tricky during the week, so the turbo comes in handy here. Weekends are for longer sessions and even brick sessions if time allows. So on average, the week might look something like this:
The week
During the week, when time is always at more of a premium, I tend to only have time for 5k runs, so I will make sure at least one session is a decent pace, or some fartlek to try and keep the speed in the legs. Just because it is only a 5k run, it doesn't mean it can't be effective. I have no issues with doing an 'easy' or steady 5k and just seeing it as a tick-over session. If the wife is out and a run is out of the question, because there are basketball or football sessions to do drop off or collections for, then the turbo is usually the best option. Again, it might only be that I get 30 mins or 45 mins, but the turbo can still allow for a really decent session in this sort of time frame. Often, the turbo session might be a late starter, 9pm or later, depending on collection runs, so there is an amount of dedication and commitment needed to climb on the bike after 9pm but that turbo is a great investment, it's always there to offer a session, any time of the day or night.
The mix of runs and turbo sessions will really depend on all the factors above, work, commuting reliability, Uber runs etc. If I manage to get my Monday and Friday swims in and a mix of runs and turbo sessions in the week, I consider that a decent week.
The weekend
When the weekend arrives, longer sessions may be on the cards, although even here, it may call for some early starts, depending on what other commitments there are. Where I choose to swim at my local lake, the saturday session requires at least a 5.30 am start. There are other lakes I could use with later starts, but in this case, I can do my long open water swim and still be back before 9am. If I'm lucky, that will even allow me to get 40 miles or more on the bike afterwards - or, if I need to be indoors, the turbo will suffice.
'Smart' training
Saying 'smart' makes it sound as If I am some sort of expert here, or have some sort of insight into clever training sessions - nothing could be further from the truth. What I list below just comes from the reality of trying to be the best that I can be at Triathlon whilst at the same time having to fit in everything else that has to be done in any given 24 hour period. And, I have to add, not all of these are my own work, but ideas taken from other triathlete mates in the same boat trying to achieve the same end result. Many of these are based on how I try to fit sessions in and around the chores and tasks and work I have, so may not always specifically relate one-to-one with what you are doing in any given day, but, I'm guessing the approach or ideas will translate
- Bike ride to/from weekend sport events: One of the larger time consumers at the weekend is the transport and watching of my boys sport events (football and basketball). In particular, basketball requires us (for reasons unknown) to arrive an hour before 'tip off'. For home games I can set off on a bike ride making sure I finish up at the venue in time to change and watch the game. Pack baby wipes and some deodorant so as not to offend too many other supporters who you might sit next to. You can ride home again after or just take the car with the family (assuming the bike fits in the car !). Football isn't so generous, as you do not need to arrive so far in advance but again, set off an hour or so before kick off, do your ride and end up at the ground. If you are lucky and your wife or partner is watching, they can take some trainers, food and a warm coat. If not, you'll look slightly odd supporting in your cycling gear. But, to be honest, at my boys clubs, they've got used to me doing this !
- Run to/from weekend sport events: Same rules apply as above. For away games of basketball, that spare hour before, depending on your run pace, is a window for a 10k, with time to get changed and in the crowd to watch. If you are lucky and the game is at a school, you will have changing facilities and perhaps even an Ice cold shower - good for open water swim acclimatisation! I always enjoy this type of session as invariably it is in a new location and it is nice to not really know where you are headed, just out and back making the route up as you go. In some cases, usually only with basketball, the match is held in a sports centre where the is a pool. So always worth adding some trunks to the kit bag in case.
- Cycle or run home from a family day out: If there is room in the car, I often load the bike into the car with some appropriate kit and drink and at the end of a family day out, will cycle home. I even like to 'race' the family and see how far I can get before they over take me ! Alternatively, chuck some running kit in and if the distance is agreeable, run back from the day out.
- Training with the kids: Taking part in Triathlon can often involve a high volume of training so in order not to miss time with the kids, involve them in some sessions. I often take my boys swimming and am lucky they are both strong swimmers so whilst we all share the same lane, we can go at our own speeds and do our own thing - which usually involves me trying to see if I can go quicker than my eldest (I cant !). One of my favourite sessions to do with the boys is a brick run. Come back from a ride, the boys join me on their bikes and I'll run while they ride. They can help set my pace, provide me drinks on the go and take some great pictures for Strava.
- Training as part of commuting: Not an original idea by any means and not one I've made the most of. A lot depends on shower and changing facilities if you run/ride to work and then remembering to have your work clothes/shoes etc. ready to go. I find it too much to plan ! But I've done a few runs to work, taking the train part way and running the rest. Or doing the same but in reverse, running part way home and getting the train the rest of the way.
So there it is, my take on some ideas and suggestions for how to try and fit training in around a busy life. It isn't easy, it might mean some early starts or some later evening sessions, or some planning to combine something with a commute. One thing I'm sure you will find though, when you do make the start line for that first...or 100th race, when you cross the finish line, the satisfaction of completion is made all that more special (I think) when you consider the challenges and sacrifices made getting your training in.
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