sound like a solid dude, someone I'd have a beer with for sure...but this comment really nails the issue on the head. You're finding excuses. Everyone (I mean everyone) has time to workout every day. Even if its a 20-30 minute run (which can be very intense..or not), the key for you is to just start doing...every...single...day. Its not the dog that will help you (in fact it'll hurt your chances, the dog adds friction, adds time, etc.)

I have a puppy as well. You should not be running with the puppy much until it is a bit older, it is hard on their developing joints. I would ask your vet about how much you can run with him. As he is growing his mileage it may actually keep pace with yours!

I feel your struggle. I felt like you were practically reading my story! Except, I have 4 French bulldogs that don’t run so much but need constant attention and care (two are semi-special needs).

I went from elite-level athlete (not in tri) to retired from basically everything, did my first and only 140.6 as a means of getting back in shape. Dropped about 20 pounds in the process but burned myself out in the process, which was ok given that completion was my only goal. A couple job changes and my weight went back up to about 170, so I jumped back into tri and only ever fit half way to race weight.

The switch went off for me when I moved back to vegas and decided to get back in shape again, via a 51km road ultra. It was at night as well so I trained after work almost exclusively except for long runs which I did as early as I could on weekends. I figured out exactly what race weight was in the process, really dialed in my diet and fueling.

Add in a new puppy every six months or so since late 2014 and I feel like my time she energy have completely gone off a cliff. Another couple career moves and now I work from home, and yet now I have the least time and flexibility in my schedule! It’s been killing me. I struggle every week to get enough runs in, to say nothing of riding. Or swims.

So now, they announced the IM StG full is coming back in 2020 and I can’t pass that up. My neighborhood is pancake flat so I have to drive to get to hills, so training is going to be s challenge but I’m hoping I can figure it out again. The hard part is cutting back on all the things my lovely wife likes to eat, that really don’t help my weight or training! And again, 4 puppies that take up a lot of time and never let me sleep.

Game on.