How do you guys (and girls) who do one or more IM’s per year do it? I’ve been training for an iron-distance race for the last few months, and I’m having a hard time balancing the training, work, my family and life in general. My entire day revolves around getting my workouts done. It’s the first thing I think about when I wake up, and it’s the last thing I think about before I go to bed. Training has become more than a hobby or an activity, or even a lifestyle. For the last few months, it has been a job – one that competes with my real job, my family and my other responsibilities and hobbies. I can handle all this for one race, but I can’t imagine doing this year in and year out. And what’s worse, I’m not training anywhere near enough to be adequately prepared for the race. About the max I can get in per week is 15 hours, and that’s once in a blue moon. Usually, I’m hovering around 10-12 hours. That’s quite a bit for the general population, but not much for an iron-distance race. How do y’all do it?
I’m single with no kids and I agree, i don’t know how you people with families manage to squeeze it all in!! I have a dog and I feel guilty when he gets left alone more than he should!
I hear ya buddy. Hubby has been relatively speaking a patient man for many months… but I still think he wants to kill me sometimes.
Now with my new coach, the sessions are a lot more focussed, but I’m about 15hr/week most weeks, whereas I was about 11hr/week before. Every week when I get my week’s training plan, it is a mad scramble to pencil in all the sessions - creativity is required! For example, I just finished a ride at lunch. It means taking a longer lunch but I have some flexibility in my work schedule so it’s do-able. My alternative is riding the trainer at 4:30am, blech!
If it’s any consolation, I think I will not attempt another IM distance race after this one for quite some time - if ever. The strain on my relationship with my hubby has been far far more than I expected. I will only run next year, as it is something I can do with hubby and with my daughter in her stroller.
On the good side, I look hotter than I have in years
man, i hear you.
i basically had this same conversation at lunch… i am up to 16-18 hours the next few weeks. add to that i am moving in 2 weeks, and starting a new job in 3. i am basically to the point of being overwhelmed. and on top of that, somehow i am supposed to be getting a solid 8 hours sleep a night… lol… yeah… sure…
I’ve been training for my first HIM and putting in about 11 hours/week and yes, it’s TOUGH even for that amount of training for me. My wife has always been a part time runner and actually inspired me to do a triathlon this past spring.
Now, I’m obsessed and have done 8 races with 3 more this fall and she’s a little pissed that I’m so obsessed with it. I can’t imagine upping my volume for a full IM. I’m doing a 4-hour workout on Saturdays right now and she’s at home watching our 2-year-old and i feel guilty.
" I’m single with no kids and I agree, i don’t know how you people with families manage to squeeze it all in!! I have a dog and I feel guilty when he gets left alone more than he should! "
I’ll second that motion- I’m in college and don’t have any ‘real’ obligations. I’ll be doing IM Wisconsin next year as my first IM and plan to spend the greater part of my summer and year preparing for it. I will be getting an internship (my major requires it), but I won’t take a job that requires anything like 50 hours/week. No way. 30 is perfect, but I’ll see what I can get.
I usually devote about 6 hours each Saturday to training. I get up and leave the house before my family wakes up, but they get out of bed soon after I get out the door. So my wife is home with our two year old about 4 hours each Saturday while I’m out training. I feel guilty as well. I feel as though I’m spending too much time training and not enough time at home. My wife is being a trooper, but it’s starting to stress her. And rightfully so.
As someone who has bumped up training from that average 10-12 hours per week to 16-20ish, I agree with everything you’re talking about. It is hard. But let’s face it, Ironman isn’t supposed to be easy, in spite of the “everyman” philosopy. Every person can do it, but it’s much more than the “x” amount of hours spent on the race course.
It’s periodic training, though—I couldn’t do 20+ hours per week, then work 50+ hours, commute, etc. etc. without going insane. I sat down with my live-in girlfriend last week to let her know the next 6-7 weeks were going to be pretty brutal—but she’s been with me for my two Kona trips, so she understands. Most of the time.
And then I get to turn around and do Arizona 5 months later…but I’ll take most of November and December off from real structured training and make sure I spend extra time doing all the “family” things, trying not to let the fitness slip too much.
One other thing I try to make sure of as I go through this----not talk about it all the time. If a friend or coworker brings it up, or my girlfriend does, then I’ll talk about “blah blah” training session or piece of equipment…but that’s it. No other time will I, outside of a training session, go more than a sentence about the sport, if that makes any sense. It seems to help.
This is why I only do one Ironman per year. Its pretty high volume in May-June leading to Ironman LP. After that, I can wing Olympic and Half on residual fitness, bike commuting and three runs per week and any rides I can do on weekends based on what else is going on at home. For half Ironman, a hard 3 hour ride or a 90 min run is more than sufficient training.
It is the long 6 hour rides that make Ironman training tough. All the other training can be filled in here and there, especially if you don’t worry about swimming (typically requires a pool and fixed hours and travelling to the pool). Biking and running can be done out your front door. If you live near a body of open water like me, you can really save time by riding to your swim spot, swimming there (it is always open) and riding back. I’ve been in the pool only 5 times this year and since June 9th all my swims were outdoors in openwater.
Final tip…never train with anyone unless it works into your family and work schedule. Otherwise you have move your family and work schedule around to accomodate training partners and once you start doing that, pretty soon you are miserable from all the stress in the rest of your life and likely won’t be training much. Better to concede that training solo at convenient times for the rest of your life is a better long term approach than training with others and inconveniencing your family and work.
One other thing I try to make sure of as I go through this----not talk about it all the time. If a friend or coworker brings it up, or my girlfriend does, then I’ll talk about “blah blah” training session or piece of equipment…but that’s it. No other time will I, outside of a training session, go more than a sentence about the sport, if that makes any sense. It seems to help.
So your 762 posts on ST have all been during training sessions?
**So your 762 posts on ST have all been during training sessions? **
Hey! Stop that!
Besides, we love boring one another with our assorted issues, injuries, equipment questions, training quandaries, nutrition hits and misses. Most anyone else, even when they ask a question about the sport, will be seen with their eyes glazing over if you go into any sort of detailed answer.
Okay, I’ll stop talking about triathlon now.
So, how about Jerry Rice retiring? A class act, once-in-a-lifetime talent we all had the privilege of watching. Wonder how he would do in Kona aaaaaaaaaaaaargh!
“It is hard. But let’s face it, Ironman isn’t supposed to be easy, in spite of the “everyman” philosopy. Every person can do it, but it’s much more than the “x” amount of hours spent on the race course.”
Very true. In all honesty, I have no business attempting an IM. I don’t have time to train properly, and my life is very hectic. However, it’s not slowing down any time soon. My wife wants another child, so my household should be growing, Good Lord willing. Since I’ve only got one child now, I figured it’s do an IM now or wait 10 or 12 years. So I decided to go for it, unprepared though I may be. But I think the real trick to IM is balancing the training and getting it all in around our lifestyles. That’s the key.
“Final tip…never train with anyone unless it works into your family and work schedule. Otherwise you have move your family and work schedule around to accomodate training partners and once you start doing that, pretty soon you are miserable from all the stress in the rest of your life and likely won’t be training much.”
I’ve never thought of it like that, but that’s great advice.
Married with 3 children… a full time job and 10 hours a week commuting… Life was fine around 15 hours per week, but this 20 hours thing just isn’t working…
