Triathlon - How do you include your tri training in your busy schedule

Questions for all the triathletes...Do you find it easier to get your training before work, after work or during your days off? If so, when do you guys do your swimming, biking, and running during the week?....Any best practices would be great.

I get home from work at 6pm (around) every night. As soon as I walk in the door I change into running, swimming, or bike clothes and go out and do my workout. If I stop for some reason I'm screwed I'll never get going. I hate going early before work because if I get delayed for some reason I end up rushing my work out to get home on time to go to work. Would rather have the time to take my time or even do some extra without time pressures.

Its just a lifestyle decision. I realized that all I was normally doing between 6 and 8pm every night was sitting, watching TV, eating, or other BS, so now I get my workout in, I eat around 830, and I still have some time to do stuff weeknights. If I have something to do or somewhere to be, I will skip the workout if I must but I try to just do a shorter workout that day. I work out Monday to Thursday at night and Saturday or Sunday (or both) during the day.

I'm similar to Rogue Leader. I really try to get my workouts in during the early morning hours but I have never been a morning person. When I was training for IMAZ I did a lot of my training after dark which meant that I had to get some lights. On my bikes I had blinking head & tail lights as well as a bright helmet-mounted light. On runs I often wore a headlamp and a blinker attached to my waistband.

Obviously, Summer is a little easier.

I work in workouts into my regular schedule. I bike to work everyday 5 miles each way. I stop by the pool on the way to my office 2-3 times/week. My kid's daycare is 2 miles away so 3 times a week I run that with them in the stroller going long with one of the runs. I get all my base/fitness maintaining exercise in that way and do really long or breakthrough workouts on the weekend.

You'll be amazed what riding your bike 10-20 miles every day will do for your bike splits.

I work out in the mornings. I am up and out the door on my workouts at 5:30am tuesday-friday. I work out in late morning or early afternoon on the weekends, and take mondays off.

Working out in the morning was a big change for me, but I think it works better because I'm less stressed at work worrying about when I'm leaving, and plus it frees up my evenings to do other things. I survive on less sleep than many people so I'm still up until 10:30-11pm, although I do find myself getting tired after lunch sometimes.

One problem I've noticed when I was doing afternoon/evening workouts is that I tended to eat way too much at dinner, post workout. Then I'd lay on the couch for an hour and go to bed, which is not a very healthy habit. Now I can eat a bigger breakfast and lunch, and still burn off those calories throughout the day.

Like others have said, summer makes it easier to find time because the days are longer and it's easier to get up. I still need lights on my bike at 5:30am though.

1) Bike to work, 25 miles/day
2) Bring kids to aquatic center on weekend
3) Take run, xtra bike or xtra swim during actual me-time (maybe only 4-6 hours/week)
4) Doesn't the Tri itself count as training for the next one?

- bike to work
- run at lunch 2-3x/week
- swim (typically after work, but sometimes before) 2x/week
- long bike most weekends
- long run most weekends (not optimal since have long bike too)

ditto on the comments about working it into the day (e.g. commute, swim to or from work, lunchtime workout).

ditto on the comments about biking every day.

I wish I could bike to work. I wear dress clothes, I have a fairly hairy 20 mile commute (lots of traffic, couple ghetto areas you may not want to bike through) and we have no showers or locker rooms or anything.

I'm not a triathlete, I'm a roadie who does a couple of tri's each year. I have a 40+hr per week job and 5,8,and 9 year old boys. That being said I have to make time to train, but not take time away from the family. So during my tri season, this is my schedule.....

Sat- 2.5+ early morning on TT bike (leave the house 6-7am) w/ hard efforts and hills, home by 10:00'ish
Sun- 2.5+ early morning TT at tempo and a 8-9 mile easy run as soon as I get home from the bike
Mon- 2000 yrd pool swim before work and 5 mile run at lunch
Tues- 2hr ride home from work on TT bike at tempo
Weds- same as Mon
Thurs- 2hr ride after work on TT w/ hill repeats or flat intervals
Fri- OFF or easy 500 yrd swim

this schedule does change often w/ my kids activities, but I try to stick to it

On the weekends, I'm usually home by 11:00am and I spend the rest of the day w/ the family. The wife and kids wake up and enjoy the morning w/ toys and tv, and by the time I get home they are ready to head out for family stuff. My wife knows that I don't like to lounge around in the morning, but she does and enjoys her morning paper. This is an arrangement we have that works out pretty good, but can often change if we plan a family morning together.

On my long Sunday run, my family will sometimes come w/ me on bikes. Believe it or not, this is the best family time of the week. No tv's, toys, or video games. As I run, I chat w/ the boys and talk about whatever they want.

I work 35 miles from home so it makes for a good workout to or from work on the bike w/ different route options that can make the ride longer, hilly, and flat.

I wish I could bike to work. I wear dress clothes, I have a fairly hairy 20 mile commute (lots of traffic, couple ghetto areas you may not want to bike through) and we have no showers or locker rooms or anything.

Sounds like you need to either move or get a new job.;)

Sounds like you need to either move or get a new job.;)

Problem is where I live is awesome (on the water, next to the hottest summer spot on long island, I feel like I'm on vacation all the time living here), and my job I just started 6 months ago is great too. Just a ghetto separates us lol!

I'm not a triathlete, I'm a roadie who does a couple of tri's each year. I have a 40+hr per week job and 5,8,and 9 year old boys. That being said I have to make time to train, but not take time away from the family. So during my tri season, this is my schedule.....

Wow, we and our families are like cosmic twins. Until just recently I also had a 35-mile commute I did in TT mode, once or twice a week. Thought I was the only one commuting on a TT bike! I'm the morning person, so that's my me-time. Wife & kids' much-needed quiet time is winding down just as I head in the door. I sometimes run @ lunch too. Good system indeed.

I guess I have it easy..no kids and pool at work. My boss is pretty flexible and is OK with taking 30-45 minutes for a swim 3-4 days a week. I usually try to do a long distance twice a week and drills like sprints once a week. As far as biking, I get out about twice during the week, right after work around 6, and do 20-25 miles. Weekend days I'm up early around 8 or 9 and do a 30-40 mile rides. One of the weekend days I'll run after the ride. For running, I do it on the off days from biking (except for hte weekend day). Also, try to get 2 upper body gym workouts in - focusing on arms/chest, some squats and various things for abs.