A frequent inquiry when beginning marathon training is how to manage it, even when one’s life is already full of responsibilities.
We all have that one pal who seems to never sleep, yet somehow manages to juggle a full-time job, volunteer work, and marathon training, all while looking good at the same time.
It is plausible that superheroes get a good amount of rest because they understand how important it is to be at their peak for all of their activities.
In an ideal world, all of us amateurs would have a schedule that looks something like this:
Get up at eight in the morning, eat something for energy before you start, then leave your house for a short warm-up before your run. After a grueling workout on the streets or track, we’d come home for a hearty breakfast, a massage or strength training after the run, followed by a shower and then some catching up on social media. Following a healthy meal, we’d take a snooze and then go outside again for an additional jog. Into bed by 8:30 p.m., rinse, repeat.
Oh, and we’d get paid for our efforts.
For most people, the idea of being a part of the elite group is a distant dream – reality is that life will interfere with workout sessions. For those competing at a master’s level, having enough time to practice can be difficult.
Now we are going to tell you some of the techniques used by experienced runners. Keep in mind that this is a pre-determined length of time, possibly ranging from 16 to 20 weeks, during which you might have to alter the way you live and look to those around you for aid.
Fitting Training Into A Busy Schedule
Most masters runners are no longer dealing with the time constraints associated with reaching the upper echelons of the workplace or tending to young children, but they still have to pay close attention to planning matters.
Examples of duties might include looking after elderly parents; managing staff or whole businesses; taking adolescent children to and from events (hello soccer mums!); and voluntary tasks.
Everything can accumulate and reduce the amount of time we have available for exercise. It’s a common saying, but it is true that we prioritize what we consider important and make time for it. If you are devoted to learning, it is almost always possible to accomplish it.
The fact is, as long as you are doing the training you want to do, you will be ok. So let’s figure out how to do that with these time hacks:
Many of you have a coach or have already picked out a training plan, so that has already been decided. But if you don’t, plan it out ahead of time so that you don’t have to make decisions on the fly when you start the week.
Figure out the total distance you wish to cover during your run, plan out your longest run, and decide how many and what type of speed and recovery sessions you should include.
1. Write out your week’s responsibilities
What days and what hours are you working? When is it necessary for you to take the wheel for carpooling or be present for your children’s extracurricular activities? What meetings might you have to attend?
With this information, you can start to incorporate your runs into the timetable.
2. Do a double
Although not always the most desirable form of exercise, combining two days of running into one session can help you to fit in the majority of your desired mileage when your life is hectic.
Jogging eight miles on a Tuesday and six miles on a Wednesday.
Wednesday is a difficult day with responsibilities beginning immediately. You could put together a running schedule such as this: Start off Tuesday with a seven mile run in the early morning, then go for a much slower, more relaxed run of three to four miles in the afternoon.
You can put in a lot of miles on Wednesday, but then the rest of the day is yours to rest and recuperate.
3. Use your time wisely
At this point in our lives, a lot of us take responsibility for getting the kids to and from their events in the evening. If it’s not worth the effort of coming and going for the practice, why not fit in a jog while you’re at it?
If you want to watch a session while running and you’re at a ball field, the track is the ideal place for doing two activities at once.
4. Get it done first
Although some of us do not prefer to get up early, it is likely the best option if we want to make sure that our runs will be completed on time.
This age range has lots of activities happening in the evening that are more important than running. Complete it as quickly as possible so that nothing else will take up your time.
Now:
Managing your obligations each day to make room for the amount of running you want can sometimes be taxing and too much to handle. You can make it possible to work with a few adjustments to the timetable and a readiness to be adaptable.
A final reminder:
Unless you make a profession out of this, you will inevitably miss some opportunities because life goes on regardless of what you have planned. And that’s ok. Maintaining regularity is essential and a single skipped jog won’t have an effect on the ultimate outcome.
5. Dedicate time and make a daily commitment
You may be enthusiastic about the prospect of competing in a marathon, however your current responsibilities related to work and family may be causing your stress levels to soar.
Rather than trying to fit too much in and pushing yourself to sign up for a race, create a training plan and balance other commitments. Be truthful with yourself and only take part in tasks you can dedicate your full attention to.
If you don’t, you will definitely not be able to go running. Don’t be too hard on yourself if you don’t feel up to following the training schedule – just change your plan accordingly.
Perhaps you can find time to exercise enough to prepare for a 5K or 10K race. Although these events are not as long, having a realistic objective will keep you devoted to your regular runs, and you can use them to prepare for tackling a marathon when you can find the time.
This will make the process of training more enjoyable and simpler to complete.
6. Plan to win
The widespread use of the saying, “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail” is justified, as it is essentially a truism. In the same way as the initial item on this list, if you do not allot time to organize and pledge to your exercise routine, it is likely that you won’t do it.
This goes beyond having a training plan; make sure to take additional steps to head off any obstacles:
- Keep a gym bag in your car or at your desk with running clothes so you’re always ready.
- Know your travel/weekend schedule and shift workouts to accommodate other plans if something comes up.
- Schedule time with friends when it won’t impede getting your run done (but do schedule it!).
- Eliminate excuses that keep you from doing the warm up or the strength work (10 minutes pre-run does SO MUCH).
- Find ways to make your fueling easy. Do you make your post run shake the night before? Do you have your lunch pre-packed, so you can run then eat?
7. Savor your rest days
If you are an avid runner who considers taking a day off a waste of time, remember that you can use the time to do something different and think of it as a way to refresh yourself for the upcoming week.
It is a good moment for your physical health to be restored, to arrange a workout and diet plan, and let yourself indulge in some deserved leisure.
- Rest is when your body builds back up, it’s how you make progress.
- Reframe rest days as part of training, they aren’t being lazy, they are necessary.
- Remember they will help you continue to enjoy your runs.
If you’re feeling antsy, why not take a day to socialize with your friends in a way that’s still physically active? Perhaps take a hike, go paddle boarding, or take a bike ride.
Times when you don’t work out give you more opportunity to relish in leisure activities with other people whose encouragement eventually makes you a better athlete.
8. Have an accountability partner
Belonging to a running club can help to make your jogs more enjoyable, motivate you to increase your speed, and get you more involved in the running world.
Working out with one particular person can be even more advantageous. Visualizing them stationed on a street corner as the sun comes up, expecting you to show up is the perfect way to guarantee you won’t press the snooze button twice.
Take a look at these hints to discover a running group (and conquer your worries) or if you don’t have the opportunity to meet face to face, explore something like a Virtual Run Club where you can get encouragement and responsibility.
9. Embrace morning runs
The more packed your schedule is, the more likely you are to forgo a jog later on. A select group of individuals will never stop running, even if their only opportunity to do so is in the evening. If you make a promise to yourself to go for a run after work but don’t do it, it’s best to switch to running in the morning.
Research indicates that those who exercise in the morning are more effective in their tasks and make wiser decisions for the remainder of the day. It’s possible that they are content because they began their day by taking in the tranquility of the world before the hustle and bustle of everyday life begins.
10. Prioritize Sleep
Sleep is your best friend. Research has demonstrated that proper rest has a more substantial effect on both recuperation and execution than any solitary workout.
- Create a routine that will help you wind down at night
- Don’t think that getting up at 3AM to run on 4 hours of sleep is dedication, it’s detrimental to your health.
- Ask for help! Can someone else help with the kids morning routine? Who can take something of your plate while you focus on this big goal.
- Again think of it like training so you aren’t tempted to short change yourself.
How To Manage Your Time With An App
If you are similar to me, you may be lagging behind when it comes to adopting technology to organize your time and life.
However, there are applications that can assist with that and it would be beneficial to take advantage of them. In the present day, when everything is happening so quickly and social media is everywhere, it is not difficult to squander long periods of time surfing the web without getting anything done. Download applications that will assist you in avoiding the use of unnecessary time and staying productive.
A few worth checking out include:
- Anti-social—this app allows you to block or turn off social media sites that might distract you. Set yourself up for a selected period of unplugged time and you can make the most of your time.
- Focus booster —Fan of the Pomodoro method for time management? This app will allow you to program in set periods of work/break time. For instance, you could set it up to work 50 minutes/break 10. Then return to business.
- SelfControl—This app might be the most hardcore of them all. Once you’ve locked it in place for a set amount of time, it will block you from any site and/or email account that you find detracts from your productivity.
At the other end of the spectrum are time management tools that help you schedule your days—put these to use to plug in your responsibilities and your runs:
- MyLifeOrganized—this app allows you to create to-do lists and prioritize them by importance.
- Things—an easy-to-use time management program, Things serves as a virtual to-do list. Bonus is that it syncs to its own cloud and manages tasks from all your devices.
- Eternity—Think of this as a personal timesheet. Eternity allows you to track your work/life balance—the perfect runner’s companion? Track projects and sub-projects and learn exactly where your time goes.
Of course, there’s always the old-fashioned paper calendar. No matter what you prefer, the key to making the most of your time in order to fit in runs is organizing.
