I was hesitant to sign up for the Long Course at Wildflower because I knew it would mean a big chunk of time each week out training. And it is. I’ll be building to about 12 hours a week over the next two months. But triathlon training is going really well, and I love it!
Now that I’m following a training program, each week is laid out pretty much the same way: Bike and swim double days on Tuesday and Thursday, runs on Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday, and a brick (bike + run) on Saturday. Mondays are rest days. That’s made it pretty easy for Mike and me to sit down and make a weekly schedule of who is going to be working out when.
Balancing training with teaching is easier this year than its been before. Now that I’m in my third year, I have a slightly better sense of what I’m doing, and I hardly ever have to bring work home. Our department plans as a team, and I work with absolutely AMAZING veteran teachers who make this job (7 classes of 35, 2 grade levels) much easier.
As far as cooking goes, I’ve scaled WAY back on the time I spend prepping dinner. Instead, we get a ton of stuff ready on Sunday: wash all the fruit and vegetables, bake bread, cook dried grains and beans, and roast cubes of sweet potatoes and squash. It makes last-minute lunches and dinners possible without having to get takeout or make a mid-week store run.
Also, Mike is truly awesome. He does SO much around the house and with Ellie, and is completely supportive of my training. There’s no way I could do this without him.
A couple people have asked how I fit everything in, so here’s a glimpse at my Tuesday/Thursday schedule:
4:45 AM – Alarm goes off and I jump on the trainer for an hour and 15 minutes. This is when I watch the Bachelor on Hulu.
6:05 AM – Shower and get dressed
6:25 AM – I’m in the kitchen getting breakfast and lunch ready; Mike gets Ellie ready. Hopefully we can sit down for a minute and eat as a family, but it doesn’t always happen
7:05 AM – Out the door! I drop Mike off at the BART station, then drop Ellie off at daycare
7:35 AM – Arrive at work.
4:00-5:00 PM (depending on how much I need to do) – Leave work, pick up Ellie, head home
5:00-5:30 PM – Do some sort of food prep: chop vegetables, make salad dressing, etc. Feed Ellie, give her a bath, read books.
6:45 PM – Pick Mike up from the gym (he works out right after work), drop him off at home
7:10 PM – In the pool for about an hour. Mike puts Ellie to bed
8:20 PM – Home. I throw together something super quick for dinner, like a big grain-based salad, and we eat
9:00 PM – BED TIME!
Wednesdays and Fridays, depending on Mike’s plans, I either run early in the morning and then have the whole evening free to hang with Ellie; or I leave school around 3:45 and run for about an hour before picking Ellie up.
On weekends, group rides don’t start until 9 AM, so when I go to those, there’s a significant part of Saturday that Mike and Ellie hang out together. To keep more family time intact, I sometimes wake up at 5 AM so I can get my training done around the time Ellie is waking up. I’ve always been a morning person, fortunately!
Mike commented the other day that it seems like triathlon training makes me really happy, and it’s totally true. I’m having a blast working on all three sports, and I am way more excited about my workouts than I was while training for CIM. It’s not always easy to squeeze everything, in, but I feel like it’s all worth it for my sanity, and so Ellie can have a happy, healthy mom.
I read your blog regularly and constantly think “How does she DO it?” It was really challenging for me to fit in marathon training last year with my job/my kids — BUT my kids are slightly older and it really does get easier with time. You’ve definitely given me a lot of inspiration that I can get back into training after I have my (final) baby. I do agree that having an awesome and supportive husband is so key to getting it all done – and sanity is for the best of EVERYONE.
Great post. Makes my head spin. But I agree with Mike… You do seem very happy!
I don’t think I’ve ever commented on your blog before, and honestly couldn’t tell you how I found it (a year ago maybe? a little more? I have no idea), but so many kudos to you for keeping it all in check and fitting it all in! AND for staying happy while you do it! I am very, very impressed. Wonderful to see what your daily (or T/R) schedule looks like!
I should try out your schedule. You get so much accomplished. I just don’t know if I could handle the 4:45 wakeup. Especially since my gym isn’t open and I don’t have a trainer at home. Is it still pretty dark out at that hour? I was surprised by how light it was this morning at 6.
I’m impressed with the 4:45 am wake up! I’m starting to realize that’s how I’m going to have to fit in training (marathon – so all I have to do is run!) with an infant in the house and a job to get to. Definitely helpful to read how other working, training moms do “it all.”
I love this post so much. It’s so inspiring and makes me realize I shouldn’t complain about how busy I think I am because I have way more time and less responsibility than you – and you still get it all done! It just reiterates what I already knew – you are such a dedicated mom, wife, athlete, teacher and friend!
PS How cold is it when you swim at 7 pm?!?
This is really humbling and has made me feel very lazy (in a motivated way instead of a nasty way). I’ll be getting up early to run tomorrow thanks to you!! Thanks!
I am so impressed by your dedication to ALL you do!
Wow, you are SUPER impressive! After 8 years I was still bringing grading / lesson planning home.
I have definitely found that advance planning makes all the difference in the world, though.