You and the Clock

Sometimes our days are so busy that things are scheduled down to the minute, similar to the train schedules during my 2011 bike trip in Europe.  Those days I quickly learned if I was on time, I was late.  So, I got very good at managing my days of combined bike/train travel so I would not be scrambling last minute.  But that required some planning.

Being an athlete requires one to make good use of their time, often multi tasking when every possible to get a much out of those 24 hours each and every day.  Take for example a triathlete who must balance training for the 3 sports of swimming, biking and running along with family, relationships, work, sleep, etc... when not training.  Here are the 4 most common race distances triathletes participate in and some race duration ranges for age group athletes.

Sprint -  500-750 meter swim, 20K bike and 5K run 1-2 hours
Olympic - 1.5K swim 40K bike, 10K run  2-4 hours
1/2 Ironman - 1.2 swim 90K bike and 21.1K run 4.5-7.5 hours
Ironman - 3.8K swim 180K bike and 42.2K run 9-17 hours

Now, here is something I find interesting and also something that must be taken into consideration when you try to put your daily plan together.  Whether you are training for a Sprint or an Ironman the time demands are similar in terms of things you need to do in addition to training for the 3 sports.  Here are just a few things that come to mind.

Shopping for food to fuel the engine
Preparing food and eating meals
Dressing/showering before/after workouts
Commute time to/from workouts
Laundry for all that cool athletic gear
Loading/unloading gear from car
Bike maintenance
Pre-post workout flexibility, myofacial release, massage
Core and Strength program
Logging training data

Even training for a single sport, one will still have to manage many of the above listed items.  So, be realistic with your training plan/goals and simplify when ever you can.  This will give you the best chance for reaching your goals and keeping your life in balance.

For more information on how I may be able to help you reach your goals, please contact me at
eric@coachericneilsen.com to set up a free consultation in person or on the phone.

Make it a great week,
Coach Eric