Balancing Training With A Full Time Job
A common conundrum. How to balance training with a full time job. When I am talking with a potential new athlete, one question that is often asked is, how do I balance the training around a full-time job? That is a great question, and one that each coach athlete relationship must discuss early on and respect.
Before I started coaching, I had a job that worked me 7 a.m. – 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. I was on my feet literally all day and spent the majority of my time interacting with customers and staff. I was training for my first Ironman race, had only been married a couple of years, and my husband was working full-time while finishing up his master’s degree. To say our life was busy would be very accurate! That year was a test to my ability to plan and schedule as I had to figure out how to balance work a full training load and family time around two very hectic schedules. This is where having a coach really helped.
I had a coach at that time and one of the big areas he helped with was setting up training around my other commitments. Here is what was most helpful:
We defined hours that I had available each day to train.
He created sessions that stayed within the confines of my time constraints while making them impactful to my goals.
He was available to help me make necessary adjustments if work became too stressful and I found myself overwhelmed.
Throughout the season I became more efficient in how I set about my day. Here are some of the key adjustments I made to save time and be as efficient as possible:
I packed my workout bag(s) the night before with everything that I would need for the following day, and I picked out my work clothes to have ready to go. Because I had to be at work at 7 a.m. it was a flurry of activity in the morning.
I packed snacks. Don’t underestimate the importance of having a snack at the end of the workday. If I was tired, I was probably also hangry. Don’t go into the workout under fueled and upset because then you compromise your session.
I invested in a coffee machine that I could set the start time for the night before. Coffee was ready when I woke up and I could grab a mug and drive to the pool. Favorite coffee maker: Breville Precision. For the coffee geek it has a pour over feature, and you can customize the bloom time and flow rate!
I planned dinner meals weekly so I could have everything I needed on hand and ready to go. I became a huge slowcooker user that year.
I went to bed and woke up at the same time almost every day. This helped me get in a routine and insured that I got the rest I needed each night.
Balancing work and training is not always easy, but by making a few tweaks to your routine you can make it as seamless as possible.
My Key Takeaways:
Define the number of hours you want/have to train each week and stick to it.
Always have snacks handy.
Pack your bags the night before.
Do you have any tips and tricks that help you balance your training and work? Comment below!