My rules for a busy AGer:

1 - Figure out a balanced schedule that works for you AND your family (without their support its very hard)

2 - Work on your weakness (if running is your weakness, you know where to start)

3 - Limit time spent on your strength (if you are a strong swimmer, then you can probably get away with 2x30' each week)

4 - Once you establish a run base, cycling will come very easily and quickly.

5 - Nutrition is an everyday challenge for most of us. You need to go into a workout with your glycogen stores topped off, and you need to replenish after a workout (the AFTER workout recovery meal is KEY IMO)

So - for you, it sounds like you need to get some running in. I don't think you need to swim as much as you do and spin classes are great, but I like to see more focused workouts on the trainer. 3x30' each week works great and if you can get in 1x90' on the trainer with specific race pace efforts. that's even better.

Pick up a copy of Rick Niles' 'Time Saving Training for Multi-sport Athletes' - you will understand how specificity works. Quality over quantity this time of year. Once the weather breaks and you get on the roads more, you can put time on the bike.

Good Luck in 2006 in your HIM!

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Mike Ricci
2017 USAT World Team Coach
USAT National Coach of the Year
Coaching Triathletes since 1992.

bumping moves bad threads down...

commute 1 hr each way to work

As long as you are spending 10 hours a week in your car then you have a big problem--assuming you are trying to improve. I was amazed how much I could train when I eliminated 60-90 minutes a day that was wasted in my car. The best you can hope for is to find a co-worker headed your way and ride your bike in to work a couple of mornings a week when the weather is nice. Or drive your car part of the way and ride the rest. I am now a 6-minute drive, 10-minute ride and 15-minute run from work. It helped me go from 8-10 hours a week to 12-20 hours when I eliminated the commute and spent the time training when everyone was asleep.

I would agree with what Mike said. Do basic maintenance on the swim, keep doing the spin classes and start running over the winter. When it is warm enough to ride in the morning then you need to start replacing "commuting time" with training time. Once a week you need to talk your wife into letting you ride home as well. I find it is all about give and take. If I want to train all Saturday morning I have to be willing to let my wife get away in the evenings during the week.

Chad

It also seems like the insurgents are nice enough not to lob mortars too often at you when you train. BTW, I'm sketching stuff down, but really need to go workout this week, sometime today, so look for it tomorrow or Monday.

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Brian Stover USAT LII
Accelerate3 Coaching
Insta

It has been a while. They are lazy and don't want to walk out into the desert. We watch all the roads so it is hard to sneak up. We are very lucky.

I'm not doing anything until Monday anyway. Thanks

Chad

Thanks for the replies. I am looking forward to a minimum of 1 ride in to work / week. It's about 70 miles and a nice ride. I still have to work out the car details, to and from work on the same day will put me way over the edge.

I also picked up a Giant Aero1 on ebay and plan on getting that fitted after Christmas. It was like peddling air compared to my Atala beast.

Looking forward to warmer weather again, although it's a long way off!!

Bob

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What the mind can concieve and believe, it can achieve!

its tought cause there are only 24 hours. it would be great if there were 26

"how much training you STers put in"

uh, what you do to be like them is tell your family C-YA then spend your down time reading the threads on "single tri hotties" or if you are all alone and lonesome wank off to the Hottie thread.

I think Mike's advice is good but I also think priorities are important. I'm not sure I admire someone with three small kids who trains 20+/week while holding down a full time job. I know some people need ridiculously little sleep but I really think kids at that age need their parents to be around and I think they might be more important. In 5 years they won't care if you are around so maybe get by now and put performance goals on hold. I don't have kids so take that FWIW.
Pat

Thanks Pat, point well taken. In the summer I did my running while the kids rode their bikes and I'm taking advantage of the kids swim practice by swimming with the senior team.

Perhaps that is why the running time is cut short right now, not enough hours in the day. (And I have a hard time getting motivated to go out the front door to run when it's 15 degrees out!)

My 6 yr old did his first tri this summer and is excited about doing a few next summer.

I will make time for the running, that is definitely my weak point. Thanks again for the replies!!

Bob

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What the mind can concieve and believe, it can achieve!

I have a 21 month old daughter, a f/t job, and a hubby. Just finished first IM. I swam or rode the trainer at a ridiculously early hour in the mornings, ran almost every day at lunch at work (we have a shower/gym facility), and did big rides on the weekends. My job has flexible hours, and I live a 15min commute from work. Even I had major problems getting it all to fit.

My biggest suggestions are:

1) Find a way to ride some or all of the way to work.

2) Find a way to run at lunch. This will make a huge difference. If you can't do that, then you are going to have to drop some swimming for some running. But lunch time runs are perfect, because you can usually get in no more than 1 hr, and you can do it every work day, about the right mix of volume & frequency.

3) On non-riding work days, when you drive in, buy a whack of groceries and leave them at work (cereal, yogurt, muesli, cans of tuna, bagged salads, etc.). I used to do this every monday morning after dropping K off at daycare but before I got to work, I'd go drop $50 at safeway to take care of my breakfasts, lunches and snacks for the week.

Other non-training suggestions:

4) Move closer to work. Or move work closer to home. 60mi is crazy. You are spending a lot of money driving that far as well, never mind how much time you are killing.

5) Make sure your wife and kids are into this triathlon thing. Before long, you'll want to do an IM, and if they aren't on board, you could see divorce papers.

PM me if you want to discuss.

AP

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"How bad could it be?" - SimpleS

bump

That commute is equal to 500 hours a year away from family and training (I know you know that) Not being judgmental, I'm just saying ... ;-)

Yeah, and this is a worthy subject with well thought out responses.

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Mr. Uncaptured External Costs

Fossil carbon is planetary poison.

damn, andypants, you are one hella multitasker. i have so much less to do, and yet i have trouble finding the time to train. teach me, sensei!

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http://www.theninjadon.blogspot.com

"The bicycle riders drank much wine, and were burned and browned by the sun. They did not take the race seriously except among themselves." -- Ernest Hemingway, The Sun Also Rises

Bob,

This topic is near and dear to my heart. I have two young daughters(5 and 7) and am about the busiest guy I know...my fault choosing Ob/Gyn, but somebody has to do it! ;-) I see you are in the medical field, so you have an understanding.
I chose to move to a small college town to practice. I live less than a mile from my office/hospital. It takes me 3-4 minutes to commute! I made some sacrifices(power,property,prestige...$$$$, etc) to be here, but that stuff is just that...STUFF, but the lifestyle here is HUGE compared to anything else in a big city/suburbia. I can be home a lot more....I tend to do good bit of treadmill running and swim in my Infinite Pool. At this point in my girl's lives, they just need me *around*....as long as I am at least readily available, even if we are doing different activities, I think that makes all the difference.
Good luck,
HC

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Holden Cain, ObGyn..."People pulling people out of people"

I can relate. I have two young boys, a wife that I wish to stay married to & a new distribution company. Congratulations on your accomplishments to date. Sounds like you are already on the right track.

I would have to say that the family is key to making it all work. If I have to choose between a workout or attending one of my boys soccer game or a date with my wife, the workout will lose everytime.

The family & I have come up with a few "Creative" solutions.

1) One Sundays we generally go out for a Sunday breakfast at a restaurant that's 20k or so north of where we live. I head out while everyone is still asleep & meet up at the restaurant. I have a change of clothes packed in the car to change into. We enjoy our meal & then I change again & ride home.

2) When we leave to visit "Nana" or other long trips, the family gives me a headstart on the bike & then they chase me down. When I hear the whine of the turbo I'm busted. I pull over, put the bike in the car & off we go. I kinda do the same thing with running, but I don't get as far or a need more of a head start. The boys think this is great fun.

3) The boys ride their bikes with me while I run. They take it easy on me :-)

4) We ride our bikes as a family, but I'm pulling a trailer with groceries &/or a couple of 18L water jugs on the way back.

5) Early to bed, early to rise. I get up at 5:45 do my workout & get back by 7:30 to have breakfast with the family & help get the boys off to school.

6) I make the time count. No junk miles. Every workout has a purpose.

7) One of the soccer fields where the boys play has a track. For the games there, we ride there & I run around the track during the game.

There's a bunch of other, but the key is the family involvement. They come up with the best suggestions to make Dad work when it come to training. With 5-6 hours training per week I did one half distance event last summer & finished 9th overall & 3rd for my age group.

There's my 2 cents.

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Paul "Speedy" Gonsalves
http://www.rollingthundercanada.com
RollingThunderCanada

Canadian distributor for HED Cycling, Blue Competition, Akona Biospeed & Aerus Composites

I am in a somewhat similar situation except I have 1 90 month old that I try to be with at his every waking moment. I have a 1 hour commute each way and am gone (for work) from home 11 hours a day if I work day shift. If I work night shift I am around all day and that is great. Anyway, I get up at 5am and do my woekouts then. I usually di an hour every morning except for swimming because I have to drive to the pool. I do a long ride on Say and a long run on Sun so I can take the boy off his mothers hands for the afternoon. So far it works great!