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How to Balance Life and Triathlon Training

by Sep 16, 2020Training0 comments

Most triathletes face the challenge of “not having enough time” to juggle work, family, and triathlon training. So when you are a successful triathlete who can seem to manage training while balancing other obligations, you might be wondering how they do it.

In reality, there is no “secret recipe”, only determination and the belief that they are pursuing a better version of themselves. Having this goal keeps these successful triathletes going even when their schedules get very hectic or out of control.

When Team Enduro put together workouts for our athletes, we work around their busy schedules. Being their coach, we understand that they have lives beyond triathlon, so we help them find a balance of performance and fun.

If you’re an athlete, here are five hacks to help you find balance in your own lives so you can make room for training, work, family, and the million other things you have going on:

Honor your rest day

Your rest day should be a day full of rest, especially if you are preparing for a long-distance race. So what should you do during your rest day? Put your feet up, binge watch something on Netflix, and savor the downtime. Don’t mow the lawn, wash your car, nor sneak in a long walk. Rest!

When you rest, your body repairs itself while rebuilding your immune system. If you don’t take full advantage of the recovery time, you may find it hard to get motivated for the next day, and you won’t see the gains you want.

If you have kids, make sure to take your rest day when you don’t need to drive them to their baseball lessons or weekend activities. Taking your kids around may hinder you from eating as you should, leaving you completely exhausted. When you have to get ready for your long bike the next day, you’re already too spent.

Plan your workouts with the family calendar

Plan your workouts with the family calendar
Take advantage of the tools on your phone to organize your personal schedule with your family’s schedule. Gather the family together and help each other develop a good schedule instead of getting frustrated at it. Here are some scheduling tips to make things a little easier for you and the family:
  • Put in the unmovable events/appointments, like your work, spouse’s work, date night, and kid’s events, first
  • Put in your ESSENTIAL workouts, like a long bike, long run, and long swim, and make sure not to move them.
  • Put in the group workouts.
  • Put in the flexible events like mowing the lawn, grocery store, laundry, etc.
On the calendar, use a specific color for each family member to see who is doing what.

Pick a race with the family

Triathlon can be a selfish sport, but you can avoid getting the family frustrated about it by getting them involved. When choosing a race, consider what works with the family’s schedule, not just your own. Involve your family when selecting a race.

Provide them with a couple of options and find out what they can do at the race. Like the IRONMAN Mont Tremblant, some races are very family-friendly, and everything is close by for the family.

Also, consider things the family can do beyond race day. Is it possible to explore places with the family after the race? Like the IRONMAN 70.3 Coeur d’Alene, some triathlon races are done near National Parks and tourist spots, which is a perfect opportunity for the family to spend quality time post-race.

Hire people who can help you

When going through the heavy long course of triathlon training, doing daily chores can take a toll on you. While you could ask the spouse or the kids to help, they may also be getting tired.

Treat yourself (and spare your family) by hiring someone who can do the house cleaning, lawn mowing, and laundry (wash and fold). If you can spend a good chunk of your money on your bike, clothing, and nutrition for your triathlon training, then also consider spending a few extra dollars to help you keep your sanity.

Most of all, understand that whatever roles you chose to take on, will in one way or another, require you to put a few things further down the priority list. And that’s how you genuinely achieve balance.

If you haven’t already, it would also help to hire a coach for your long course triathlon race. There are many things a triathlon coach can do for you, but the most important one is they’ll take the guesswork out of your weeks by designing your training plan around your lifestyle and family time. Your coach can keep you accountable and call you out if you do not get your workouts done.

Head to Team Enduro and check out our coaches who can help you achieve your goals.

Listen to your body

The long course training for a triathlon can put a toll on your body, so it’s crucial to listen to what your body is telling you when it comes to your training. Learn to identify what is going on with your body both physically and mentally.

Triathletes are committed people who tend to stick to their training routines. But life can happen. Your spouse needs to go out of town for work, and you have to take your kids to practice. When things like this happen, you may have to miss several of your regular workouts. But that’s okay. Regroup and adjust your training schedule until things go back to your normal. Move your long bike to later in the day, when you’ve had enough rest and a good meal, and your body will thank you for it.

You know your body better than anyone. Let your coach know when you need to take a couple of hours to reboot. Before diving into your triathlon training, plan everything out on the calendar with the family and coach.

Your family will have a better idea of your physical and mental needs. On the other hand, your coach will have a better idea of what you need to do with the family, and you will be in a much more relaxed state going into your triathlon training.

To learn more about our coaching packages, call us at + 303-456-6969, or send us an email at
wes@team-enduro.com.