Ironman Programme for Busy Family Man

Triathlon Forum
21

Hi,

I must be the only coach who is against training for an IM when you work full time and have kids (+ wife). It’s not just the required hours of training but the fact that those hours leave you little energy for the more important tasks of being a Dad. Unless you can put the required hours in to hit your targets and potential I don’t see the point in doing a slow and ill prepared IM when you can race a descent and fast (closer to your potential) Olympic.

For some reason many are more impressed with the IM factor BUT consider being a speedy Oly Triathlete and saving the long hours for when you kids are older and have their own distractions. I always think that when I look back on my life I will miss these times with my kids more than I would miss a 6 hour bike ride. They grow up very quickly and need you there more than you know.

Just my 2 cents worth…

You make some great points and for some working at a fast Oly may be the better choice. However, I might argue that one of the “tasks of being a dad” (or mom) involves setting an example of creating an exceptionally challenging goal and working extremely hard to accomplish this (e.g. completing an IM). I have two young children who come to most of my races. My wife is also an endurance athlete (runner only) and our kids constantly ask us about our races, when they can start swim team, etc. The only time either of us takes away from being with them (while they are awake) to train is when I go for a long Sunday ride–and even then I leave as soon as it’s light and am usually back no later than 10:30am. All of our other workouts happen at the crack of dawn, as I am often up at 4:00–4:30 am to have some coffee and hit the road. Training with a young family can be done and it can be done well, while at the same time still being a great parent. Some simple steps (these work for me, every situation is of course different):

  1. Turn. Off. The. TV.
  2. Go to bed early
  3. Wake up early and get in workouts while the rest of the house is sleeping.
  4. If possible, get a workout in at lunchtime.
  5. Involve your kids in the sports—register them for kids runs, get them swimming early, go bike riding with them frequently, etc.
  6. Take a day (or half a day) off work to fit a workout in: Maybe not possible for everyone, depending on the job, but during big training weeks I have been known to take a half or even full day off to get in multiple long workouts.
22

I don’t think that books will help you, you are already running short of time. Just find some good training program, there are lot available, meet your requirement. It’ll save your time and give you sufficient output to back in the business with less time

23

I think having a good training program is important, but with a busy life it is also important to take rest when you are tired, either physically or mentally. I am married with a 1 and a 3 year old boys and work 8-5 M-F. I try and get all of my workouts done before they get up or after they go to bed. The mornings I workout from 5am to 6am and evening are from 8pm-9pm. Although I normally only workout out at night 1-2 times a week. Although I am able to get in a 45 min swim at lunch during the week. Since I don’t have time to do very many weekly mileage (8-12 hrs) or longer workouts, many of my workouts include some sort of intensity. An example of a typical “long” ride would by 45 min easy, 60 min at 1/2 Ironman race pace, 30 min easy. This was done when the kids were napping. Although now that my oldest son is not napping workouts on the weekend have become scarce. Before my one and only Ironman last year I did get 3 long bricks the month before the race. This workouts involved getting up at 4:15am to be on my bike shortly after 4:45am. About 15-30 min after the 5+hr workout I was in the car with family going grocery shopping. Not Ideal but seemed to work.

Personally I think trying to train for an IM on this limited volume is not the best way to run your best. This amount of training is better for the 1/2 distance in my opinion and even the OLY distance.

Mike

24

and didnt you get like 4th at imlp on that sort of training?

25

Interesting thread, and always good to share ideas with other “like minded people” in the same situation.

I’m 38 yo, two girls (9 and 6) and a wife with a chronic disease. Work in an office, 8 to 4.

So no IM for me in the near future. But I think I can still share some ideas with the OP.

Morning is your friend, no doubt about that. In late fall and winter, I am up at 4:45am and on the CT until 6:15am. This involves going to bed early!

Not a single doubt in my mind that if your family members are not your #1 fans, well you are dreaming if you think you can establish anything.

Try to maximize what I call your “dead” hours (a part from the early mornings). For me, it involves bike commuting and lunch runs. I live just far enough from work to be able to do some solid training on my commutes (with safe storing that allows me to use my road bike). With a a bit of imagination, one can come up with a TON of various workouts during the commutes. And I have some flexibility to extend my commute at the end of the day.

Weekend workouts are always the challenge (and that need the family discussions). But for me, longest ride is usually 3 hours, so a 6am start time gets me back home at 9am. One of the two days will be “off”, or a 40 min. max run.

At the end of a “normal” week, I end up with a good 8.5 hours of training, coming into the weekend.

26

Yes, but the point is that it is definately posible to complete and IM and still spend plenty of time with the family. It takes a bit of planning and dedication in getting up early and training late.

Mike

27

While I don’t have kids, I do have a wife, I kind of stressful job and a reasonable commute. I trained for IMAZ last year using a program based on 13 hours a week. I mixed up morning, lunchtime and eveing workouts. All workouts were quality, there were few, if any, ‘recovery’ workouts. I had an average race and still managed to do 10:30. If you focus on quality over quantity (but get in some good long sessions) you can complete a good IM without putting in killer hours.

28

Ironman Programme for Busy Family Man

How about not doing an IM?

How long have you been in the sport?

What is your back-ground?

Why IM?

29

As mentioned by another poster, you may want to look into Endurance Nation. In addition to people using their plans, there is a online team off about 400 members that complete ironman distance races with low volume training plans. The plans focus on return on investment and how to best use the limited amount of time many age groups have to train. The team and forums are there to support each other and help tailor the plan to your life.

I have a full-time job, am married and have have a baby daughter, and set a two hour ironman PR last year after putting in less training volume than I did for my previous PR (2 years before on the same course). To be fair this was a combination of learing to use a power meter, more effective training, better race execution and losing some weight…all four of which EN helped with.

30

That I agree with: “Not a single doubt in my mind that if your family members are not your #1 fans, well you are dreaming if you think you can establish anything.”

I am switched on enough to realize that although my family tolerate me training/racing they would rather I didn’t. My kids are super active and sporty and my wife as well - it’s just that they would prefer Dad to play with them. This will only last a few years so I am going to switch my focus. My kids are 7 and 6 and they couldn’t really give a shit about my Triathlon plans.

31

lol i like how on slowtwitch, 10:30 is an “average” ironman time.

32

There seem to be quite a lot of “serious” triathlete on ST who are doing fast times for IMs - that doesn’t mean we all have to do fast times and put in 20 hours a week training.
Fastduck had a good point but I have to say that I have 2 small kids and a wife and a job (all of which I am happy about). As I already posted I do my training mostly in “my time” which is early mornings, lunch and commuting. If you live within 20k of work then you can easily make this part of you run training and cycle training, just change the rout to add distance when you want to ride longer. If you live further away then thats your longer rides sorted (within reason). My wife actually does like that I am doing am IM and my kids think its very funny and want to come with me when I train. My daughter likes my cycling shoes!
Its the challenge of the IM that grabs me. Its about the sense of achievement. For many people I guess it’s a life changing decision to do it.

33

I’m doing my first IM this summer using the Endurance Nation plans. I’ve got a 3 year old and a 6 year old, and a 8:30-6 job. Looking ahead, I can get all my weekday workouts done in the early morning, except for a 45 minute run and 45 minute swim during lunch. I’ll do one of the weekly swims at night during my daughter’s swim lesson. Apart from two race rehearsals, the weekend bikes max out at 4.5 hours. If I start at 6 am, I back at 10:30 and ready for the rest of the day with the family. On Sunday, the bike is 2-3 hours, so I should be done by 9. The weekly long run is on Thursday. I work 6 miles from home and have a gym at the office, and the long run maxes at 2.5 hours. If I leave at 6 and meander to work, I can be at my desk by 9 having showered.

So apart from a couple long race rehearsal days and early weekend mornings, my training won’t intrude on the family much.

34

That I agree with: “Not a single doubt in my mind that if your family members are not your #1 fans, well you are dreaming if you think you can establish anything.”

I am switched on enough to realize that although my family tolerate me training/racing they would rather I didn’t. My kids are super active and sporty and my wife as well - it’s just that they would prefer Dad to play with them. This will only last a few years so I am going to switch my focus. My kids are 7 and 6 and they couldn’t really give a shit about my Triathlon plans.

If the kids are active (mine are), get them interested. My 9 year old did a race last year and both (9 & 6) are racing this year. I take them to the pool with me on the weekends. They do a few laps and then “just swim” while I chase the black line and I’ve switched one of my weekly runs to the track and bring them. They run as far as they want and then play with their DS or what-ever toy they chose to bring while I finish my run. The only thing I’ve yet to figure out is how to bike with them. And the best part, they now write about the swimming and running with their Dad for their school assignments and how much fun it is for them.

Of course, I’m not training for an IM, so my work-out are shorter than most.

35

@Ironwolf - How did it go mixing your Ironguides with EN? I trained Ironguides last year but like some of the metered aspects of EN. What changes did you make and how did it work out for you?

36

“…The one good thing about switching to Olympic distance for 10 years or so would be that I will be in a slower age group when I get back to IM and have a better shot at Kona :wink: …”

…and you’re assuming that the laws of nature will not apply to you when you get to the said “slower age group”. 90% of guys think this way. If you’re not fast enough to qualify for Kona now, the only way you are going to be able to qualify for Kona in 10 years, is by training hard, long, resting and executing well on race day…and in the next 10 years, not slowing down as much as the other guys. There is the odd freak that gets faster, but on the balabce most get slower…that’s why those older age groups are “so slow”.

37

people will start throwing plans and workouts at you but I’d suggest looking at what successful Kona qualifying business running family men do.

In my experience, they are ALL super-efficient time managers, goal oriented, and have strict priorities set. In my experience they also have a basic week that is set in stone, it’s part of their family man business running lifestyle, and is repeatable from week to week.

your question about “more intensity, less volume” is a logical fallacy… that’s what we’re all doing, whether we have tons of time or not… that’s how you get faster.

The successful family man business running kona qualifier knows how to frame a problem and go about setting up a campaign to solve said problem. For Ironman racing this includes getting faster.

So in summary, have an efficient, repeatable basic week, likely loading most of your workouts between 4am and 8am on week days and then finish your long stuff as soon as possible on weekends (getting up early again) with good nutrition, good sleep hygiene, and good family interactions.

Finally, you have to have buy in from your family, especially your wife. There will be compromises and trade-offs… in return for a 6 hour training block from 6am to noon on Saturday you will do X, Y or Z.

Run M, W, F (with F being a long run and M, W being interval and tempo days)
Bike T, Th with an easy 15 minute jog off the bike (this is to help prevent injury and keep your run frequency up)
Long swim Saturday, followed by:
Long ride Saturday, with easy 15 minute run off the bike
Sunday off with the family.

Now, all you need to do is find one session during the week at lunch or after work for a second swim. If you’re really good, you’ll squeeze a third swim in or a super early second long bike on Sunday morning.

now, schedule in sexual relations, family time, homework, weekend activities, etc. and you’re good to go.

Good luck.

38

I think having a good training program is important, but with a busy life it is also important to take rest when you are tired, either physically or mentally. I am married with a 1 and a 3 year old boys and work 8-5 M-F. I try and get all of my workouts done before they get up or after they go to bed. The mornings I workout from 5am to 6am and evening are from 8pm-9pm. Although I normally only workout out at night 1-2 times a week. Although I am able to get in a 45 min swim at lunch during the week. Since I don’t have time to do very many weekly mileage (8-12 hrs) or longer workouts, many of my workouts include some sort of intensity. An example of a typical “long” ride would by 45 min easy, 60 min at 1/2 Ironman race pace, 30 min easy. This was done when the kids were napping. Although now that my oldest son is not napping workouts on the weekend have become scarce. Before my one and only Ironman last year I did get 3 long bricks the month before the race. This workouts involved getting up at 4:15am to be on my bike shortly after 4:45am. About 15-30 min after the 5+hr workout I was in the car with family going grocery shopping. Not Ideal but seemed to work.

Personally I think trying to train for an IM on this limited volume is not the best way to run your best. This amount of training is better for the 1/2 distance in my opinion and even the OLY distance.

Mike

This is huge Mike. Great example of putting more important things first. They should have a Kona-for-good-dads-and-husbands race. Sounds like you’d definitely qualify.

39

Agreed mostly Dev.

I feel that my case may be different for a few reasons.

If I had properly built up to the distance over the past years and been at, or near, my peak at any point and not performed I would say it would be the same when older.

In my situation, I went from being fat and sedentary to doing IM in 1-1/2 years.

At that point, I feel that I was nowhere near potential and going up on distance without the base hampered performance.

If I train reasonably for the next 8 years and condition my body for the rigours of the sport, I will get faster.

For example, my 10 KM time went from 53 minutes to 40:09 in that 1 year period and I feel if I introduce a long-term run focus I should be able to get in the 35 - 37:30 range, which is what I’d like to do before I go back up in distance.

Goals before IM 3 are: 37:30 10k or faster; 60 minute 40k bike, or faster; improve swim.

40

do halfs and olys save yourself the trouble

Hey Folks,

Does anybody know/tried a training programme for ironman, which is lower in volume than typical plans but with more intense sessions.
Looking to do my second Ironman, but have two kids and a job so wanting a plan that is lower in volume to avoid being divorsed. Still what to be competitive and train hard, so do not want a beginner plan. I have done the Furnman Running 3 day running programme and loved it and got PB’s. So there must be tri plans out there based on a similar concept. Ideally, I would only want to train once a day on most days during the week put push further in the weekend.

Cheers for the advice