Kona or Bust – Week 16 Time - Ain't Nobody got time for that!

Kona or Bust – Week 16

Time – Ain't Nobody got time for that!

Over the last week I was asked on several different occasions how I do I find the time to get in all of my training. There is no simple answer. I am consumed by the concept of time. Time in the truest sense of the word; weeks, days, hours, minutes, seconds.

I’m constantly fretting over how much time I will have to…

·      Get in whatever workout(s) planned for the day
·      Walk the dog
·      Go grocery shopping, prep food, cook food
·      Plan food for the next day then pack said food
·      Do laundry, fold, then put it away (the later usually doesn’t happen)
·      Clean dishes, vacuum, general house chores (which I HATE!)
·      Plan and prep for clients or class
·      Train clients or teach class
·      Spend time with friends, family…have a life
·      SLEEP!

And, if it wasn’t bad enough that I’ve stressed about how to manage my training days and weeks I’m obsessed with the data that I produce within each workout. For example if I have a track workout that is to last 1:15, I know I will be working within a heart rate range of 75%-84% of my max. How long do I have to keep it there? How far do I have to run for each set? How much recovery time do I have and can I take more? How many total miles will I finish with? What will my average pace be? Lot’s of questions that all spin around time and effort.

Time is a priceless commodity. I can never seem to find enough time to fit EVERYTHING in, but I always try. A few years ago I was sitting in an ACSM conference half listening to what was being said until the presenter repeated a quote referencing Time. I forget the entirety of the quote but the jist of it is this…

Time and Effort are the Cost. People are cheap.

As hard as it is to find the time to squeeze everything in I never try to be “cheap”. Training for Kona or for any other event of my choosing requires a dedicated amount of time and effort. To do well, or to just finish, the cost is time and effort. The same can be said for life, relationships, careers, and living a health lifestyle. I know there will be times I will fall short but not because I was cheap. So, when I’m asked how do I make it all work the answer is Time and Effort.

For those of you that have asked how I make it work, and for those that are simply curious what a training week looks like for me I have laid it all out for you. This past week, training week 17, volume (time) and intensity, ramped up significantly. I put in about 17hrs of training. In the grand scheme of training for an Ironman I still have a ways to go and putting in multiple weeks in secession with volume equally as high if not higher. How I’ll mange I have no idea. Many others far busier than me have trained for an Ironman so it isn’t impossible.

TIME MANAGEMENT is critical.

-SK

Training Week 17	Planned Workouts	Actual Workouts
Monday	Swim :45, Bike :50	Swim :38, Rip & Roll 1:00
Tuesday	Bike 1:40, Run :55	Run 1:15, Bike 1:24
Wednesday	Swim :45, Bike 1:20	Run :54, Swim :56
Thursday	Swim 1:00, Run 1:15	Bike 2:03, Swim :40
Friday	OFF	OFF!
Saturday	Bike 3:25, Run :50	Run 2:00, Bike 1:46
Sunday	Run 2:00,Bike 1:15	Bike 3:25, Run :51
Total Time	Swim (3) 2:30 Bike (5) 8:30 Run (4) 5:00 Total: 16:00	Swim (3) 2:14 Bike (4) 8:38 Run (4) 5:00 Cross Train (1) 1:00 Total: 16:52