+1 on this. sometimes the higher up the corporate ladder you are, the more vulnerable you are to involuntary changes. also, take stock in your life. you, your family, your financial needs/wants... whats important to you? is extra money worth the loss in time for things you enjoy, time with your family? Life is too short to be spending it working on somebody else's plan. if you had your own business, somehting you love, then i'd be more inclined to say that you should do it. I have too many friends that missed out on things they wanted to do and family time because of the extra time they put in at work. and it doesnt always work out. yes, some of them live in a bigger house, kids have nicer things, they go on more elaborate vacations, but i'm not sure they're "happy". maybe my attitude changed after i recovered from having cancer. maybe becuase i've seen too many corporate cutbacks that hurt people. its just always worth it.

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well, I came to the conclusion that I have to take this job even if it will sideline my "ambitions" - not triathlon in general. I work in science/biotech and with this new position I will have the opportunity to push my own ideas forward, which eventually will lead to drugs that can help/cure people. Sure, in science most stuff fails and it is sill more likely I will not be able to push a new drug onto the market but at least I will have a shot. As opposed to remaining a soldier who has to follow up on other peoples ideas all the time.

Triathlon is a great hobby and will always be there for me....and who knows what my last words will be. Maybe: Kona.
Aloha.
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good for you. Slowtwitch is full of people who view their job as a chore. It doesn't have to be that way. In fact it can be incredibly fulfilling if you have the drive and creativity to find the job that is right for you. I think you're making the right choice. IM will be there for you when you are ready.

This. I've been amazed to read some of the responses on here; seems we are so driven by exercising and reaching "X" amount of hours per week and "Y" workouts per cycle, but leave a little bit on the table when it comes to professional aspirations. I know, I know...i'm painting with a broad brush.

I wouldn't be able to sleep at night next to my wife knowing that I even considered turning down a promotion (and the benefits it does bring) because i wanted to workout longer or reach some arbitrary goal.

Good on ya, OP. I, too, think you are making the right choice.

Last year - 2016 - I did IM France on 250-300 hours in the 12 months running up to it. I had no expectations. I had a terrible year in terms of time (new baby who was ill, lots of travel and lots of things went wrong). I only did one ride over 5 hours. I swam for less than 30 hours in total in the year and most of that was compressed in to the 3 months leading up to it.

Race day. Swim was ok. Bike was just a catered day out. Run - first 20 and last 5k were ok. The bit in the middle was miserable.

Everyone has their breaking/crossover point where more time spent working resulting in greater income is no longer worth it. There are A LOT of people in Triathlon that have busted tail into their early 40’s grinding for work that have made more than enough money to say “no more”. If you’ve not hit that point yet on your own, then you may not understand. 5 years ago I wouldn’t have imagined saying it, but staring at several months of 60-80 hour work weeks in the face for the sake of advancement and more income became not worth it to me this year. Am I working out more and getting faster? Absolutely! But, I’m also spending more time doing other things as well. Additionally, it’s not like people are turning down advancement to just not work, they’re just content with less hours and a slightly lesser income. At least that’s the case with me.

One other thing to consider: As you get busier, you need to get more efficient and focused with your workouts. THIS will enable you do maximize the time you get to exercise/train. Perhaps a coach? I really enjoyed having one so that I did not have to think about what the workout needed to be -- just do the workout. Saved me tons of time. (I can't do the $$$ right now for one; I cut back work and training for family).

The 4:30 a.m. wake-up and 9 p.m. in-bed standard is not a requirement for long course success. It seems like this schedule gets pushed out as THE way. It is THE way for some, not all. Do what works for you.

OP, congrats on making the promotion decision. You may find that that extra mental stimulation at work keeps you fresher and find yourself able to chase your triathlon ambitions. Have fun at work and do cool sh*t when you're off the clock. The kind of stuff you can tell stories about.

I work 50 hrs/ week average and have an hour commute. I also am about done raising 3 children (last one is a Senior in HS). My PR is 13:05 in an IM. I would say that if you wanted to finish an IM around 13 hours you could still do that with about 10 hrs training per week. However, I would not recommend an IM on the same year as taking on a new role. Also, I disagree that it's all about you and what you want like some are suggesting. If you have a spouse and a family then you have a responsibility to them. As a matter of fact it is your primary responsibility.

So, if your additional income allows them a higher standard of living at the expense of doing an IM then the choice should be simple, screw the IM. Your family is way more important to your happiness than a hobby. And I don't care how passionate you are about Tri at the end of the day it's a hobby. So don't be fooled by the "it's all about me" B.S. It's not all about you and that is actually a great thing.

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http://dontletitdefeatyou.blogspot.com

This is where I was, and I made a similar choice. I enjoy my job and my income level, and going to the next level would require more hours and significant travel.

I do think it's very individual, as the proper choice here depends on what is most important to YOU. Two points you should consider:

1) as you climb the ranks, it's not just about hours on the clock, but also about an expectation of constant availability - you may have a long ride planned for the weekend, and then a crisis/fire drill pops up on Saturday night.

2) as you get older, your ability to make time for other stuff by reducing sleep will become harder - recovery is more challenging each year, and sleep is essential.

you are stuck viewing your job as, primarily, a means to earn income. If you can find a job that earns income and that you are actually passionate about, in which you feel you are making a meaningful contribution to society, you can have the best of both worlds. That doesn't mean you have to work 80 hrs/wk for ever and ever, or that that is even adviseable, or that you can't value outside interests.

1. I think I shouldn’t have responded to your earlier post, because you’re continuing to paint with a very broad brush.

2. I’m interested in knowing your profession.

3. In A LOT of professions, you HAVE TO put in major hours. It doesn’t have anything to do with not being fulfilled with work and viewing it as a means of income only. It has everything to do with saying, “I already make more than enough, I’m ready to get off of the fast track and enjoy my personal life while working less hours.”

4. When 15 hours a week of free time suddenly open up, training volume goes up as well. I very highly doubt most of the posters on here have skipped promotions so they could work out more, and for that reason only. I do think a ton of posters/triathletes have skipped on promotions because the benefits of the promotion (salary and prestige) are not longer worth it to them. If skipping does result in more training, then great, but the point is it frees up time for the person to CHOOSE how they want to spend it, and not have it dictated by work.

(Note: my comments are assuming we’re not talking about keeping a $45k/yr job and skipping on a 50% raise or something. My assumptions are on a slightly higher income scale where there really isn’t a NEED for more money in any way.)

Now we get to hear how people work 100 hours per week, train for an IM, are learning a language and a musical instrument while raising 4 kids.

It’s the triathlete version of walking 5 miles to school in the snow...

I am a surgeon and have worked and continue to work many very long hours into my 30s for very little pay relative to what many of my friends who went into business, finance, tech, etc. have made since graduating. I am just about to finally make an attending level salary, which is still much lower than many of my more financially successful friends are making in their 30s. Prior to that it was not much more than the 45K that you quoted. Yet I have been and still am much happier with my work, and by extension it seems, life, than my friends and acquaintances in other fields. I have friends making >1M US dollars/yr mid-30s who hate their jobs and lives as a result. They work a lot too.

But getting back to my point, you are again assuming that salary/prestige are the main factors in promotions that attract people. That may be the case but it is certainly a limited view. As you point out, study after study shows that past a certain point (about 75K in current US dollars) income has a very small or zero effect on one's personal happiness. But being passionate about one's work, having autonomy, being able to guide your company/small business/project/what have you, achieving a "name for yourself" within your profession, serving others - all are things that provide a sense of fulfillment - and they often only come at the expense of promotions and more work hours.

The point is that a job doesn't have to be a chore. It doesn't have to shackle you. You don't have to view every career decision as a balance of salary vs work hours and the opportunity costs. And for damn sure what one does for their work and spending those extra 15 hrs /week at the margin working may be making more of a meaningful contribution to their own personal fulfillment and to the world than will training for a triathlon. And if the OP decides that it's not, then IM will be there for him. Heresy for a triathlon forum, I know.