Weekend training plus working?

jen2012

I am going to be starting a new job in a couple of weeks that will require working every other weekend. What have others done to get their long workouts in that situation? Thanks.

Edwin Croucher

@ Jennifer, My weekends are always split. I am on a 10 hour workday and I work every Sunday. I often have to shift a workout one day forward or back. If you look at the schedule, there are 5 key workouts. The 3 workout on the bike are what sets that part of our sport up for the build. I would try to get the Tuesday & Thursday bike in every week even if you don't get them in on those days. Then there are 2 important run workouts. The long run and the interval run build your run. However, If I had to change my run workouts for a tough work week, I would opt for more days running and less time/intensity. Although workout consistency is the biggest key to successful preparation, missing any one workout will not ruin your Ironman.

jreville

@Jennifer - Coach P just put out a recent write up about saving triathlon training time. Point #1 was to plan weekly and #2 was to prepare monthly. Looking ahead and planning is key. I also work many weekends and sometimes have to hack the plan to fit in the important workouts. I always look ahead and plan a way to fit in the most important wkos. As Edwin says, you may need to move them around to get them in. Sometimes I even do them very early in the morning. Life tends to interfere with all of us. Don't let it get to you. Be consistent and understand missing a wko here and there will not ruin your season. Just be consistent and plan. Good luck with the new job!

rlh2000

I tend to work most weekends. First, realize you can't be superwoman all the time, or you'll beat yourself up. Using the trainer has been a big help, as trainer time > outdoor time because you don't have all the admin time, stopping, coasting, etc. I'd consider a 2 hr trainer ride equivalent to a 3 hr outdoor ride. A lot depends on how long your work day is and if you are able to get in a long workout after. Rearranging things to get in longer workouts on days off or skipping out of work a bit early/getting in a tad late helps. Other things I've found are splitting the long run so I don't have a huge chunk of time I need to budget in, especially when starting a long run at 6pm or later seems daunting and slightly dangerous. Reach out to Coach P for specific suggestions as well. And a missed workout here and there ain't gonna kill you, shoot for overall consistency!

The other thing to keep in mind working weekends is that you aren't only losing training opportunities, but time to do all those normal weekend chores- grocery shopping, cleaning, etc, so make sure you budget time in on weekdays to keep your life in some form of order.

Sucks when real life gets in the way of training, huh? I'm at January Volume Camp right now and my favorite part of camps are that I can get away from real life and just train. Though most of my non-tri friends consider this an odd choice of vacation!

thekidduxc

+1 to Jay above. I am a small business owner and work 6 days/week. I have to plan at least a week in advance to ensure I am hitting the key workouts.