Finding a training life balance
Racing and training bring us all a great deal of enjoyment, why else would we push ourselves through it? There’s not only the sense of accomplishment but also the dopamine and adrenaline hits that come with hard sessions and intense races. It’s important to note, however, that they are inherently selfish pursuits, your loved ones do not share in the benefits and all that hard work can put severe strain on relationships. So how exactly do you strike a balance between attaining peak performance and looking after ‘real-life’?.
Before we dive into our advice it’s important to note that what works for one person may not work for another and as with everything training related there will be ups and downs. Be prepared to try different things and be honest with yourself and your loved ones about what works and what doesn’t. This will be half of the battle in finding that equilibrium and making it work for you.
Time is precious
Chances are you’ve got a career to consider as well so time management will be key – a big factor taken into account when planning any coaching structure for our athletes. Look at your training plan and roughly calculate how much time is split between family, work and training and make sure that family time is never put last. You’ve got 16 hours a day where you’re not sleeping, with commuting and work likely to take up nine of those. Making the most of the remaining seven hours is crucial.
While you might like to be able to schedule everything in the same manner as your training, we all know that families and relationships don’t really work that way (no matter how much we’d like them to!) You’ll need to be flexible and prepared to modify your training to fit around the rest of your life. Luckily there are plenty of ways you can do so.
Rethink your schedule
Now we may be preaching to the converted with this one, but getting your workout sessions in first thing in the morning is a good way of maximising your family time later in the day. No, it’s not going to be fun and you may well struggle at first but once you’re in the routine of exercising while everyone else is still asleep your family will thank you for it. Using the turbo trainer for your cycling sessions will make more efficient use of your time and lessen the appearance that you’re leaving the rest of the family to go out enjoying yourself alone for hours at a time – just make sure the noise is well contained and out of earshot.
Another way of getting the most out of your day is building sessions into your work time. Cycling or running to and from work may not be as effective as a dedicated training session but it will always be better than no session at all. You can also use it as an effective recovery ride or run instead. Working from home? Try fitting in a short, sharp intense workout over lunch.
Get creative with the kids
Having children may appear to be an obstacle to training at first but they needn’t be. One of our coached athletes regularly does laps of their local running track with their youngest in a pushchair, while their speed may not be up to their usual standard it’s all miles in the bank that pay off when it comes to race day. It’s no secret that kids love copying what mum and dad are doing, simple things like giving them some small weights so they can feel a part of your strength and conditioning sessions or having them follow you on their bikes around the park while you run will turn training time into family time – win win!
It’s important not to box yourself in when it comes to racing and training. Flexibility can pay off in ways you might not have considered. If you’re struggling to put in the hours required for IRONMAN triathlons why not cut back to 70.3? Not only does this reduce your training time but can make for a refreshing change to your racing schedule.
Communication is key
Obviously these things won’t work for some and it’s guaranteed that life will get in the way sometimes. This is where your relationship with your coach comes into play. At Blackzone Coaching communication is a key part of our coaching offering to all of our athletes and this only becomes more crucial when families are involved.
Clear communication with your coach will allow them to tailor your plan accordingly. Struggling for time but the legs are feeling strong? Your coach can up the intensity to make the time you do have available all the more worthwhile. Likewise if work and family commitments have tired you out your coach can dial it down a notch to let you get your back on track.
We use TrainingPeaks to deliver our coaching plans but don’t forget this works both ways! Using your training calendar to let your coach know about upcoming holidays or family days in advance is an easy way to avoid missing those epic seven hour base building rides or gruelling threshold sessions they had planned for you.
Family first
The key takeaway from this should be that you should aim to fix your training around your family, not the other way around. With good communication, prior planning and some creative thinking there is no reason why reaching your goals should be incompatible with a happy family life.
Thanks to Blackzone Coaching for the article submission.
If you’re interested in finding more about finding a training life balance with the guidance of Blackzone Coaching, visit their website today to book a free 15 minute consultation.
About Kevin Henderson
Kevin is head coach at leading triathlon and cycling coaching company Blackzone Coaching, based in Glasgow working with athletes internationally. With an extensive background in road cycling Kevin himself has frequently climbed podium steps in triathlon and cycling, as well as having represented Scotland internationally as a cyclist. His passion for triathlon resulted in him double medaling at the Scottish Sprint and Standard Championships (2011) although his real enjoyment comes from endurance triathlons and he has to date competed in six IRONMAN distance events: Roth, Barcelona (3), Austria & Mallorca.
On top of his 20 years’ experience in the fitness industry he is also a fully qualified Triathlon Coach, certified by the acclaimed International Triathlon Coaching Association (ITCA), as well as an IRONMAN Certified Coach.
