If like me, you have three sports to juggle, as well as a full time job and a family, training for triathlon is a compromise between training you know you should do, and the training you know you can do. But that doesn’t mean you can’t improve when time is limited.

Plenty of triathletes with full time jobs have gone on to achieve great things in endurance sport. A regular guy from Dorset with a full time job was 2nd at last years Ironman UK 70.3 and is hoping for a top 10 finish at this years full UK Ironman.

There are plenty of busy people who do manage to train and race to their full potential. They all have on thing in common. They cut out the ‘junk’ and concentrate on quality training. Quality training means you know the reason behind every training session. You’re not just training for training’s sake.

Quality training also has a plan behind it, so that the training progresses over time and includes recovery time. Junk training is when you do the same session’s week in week out with no overall plan or progression. You put in junk miles because you can fit them in, not because they are specific to your goals. They fatigue you but have no meaningful benefit. Remember it’s not about finding more time to train, but using the time you have to greater effect.

To help determine whether you are making the most of your time, ask yourself these questions next time you train;

Is the session going to improve a specific weakness?

Is the session specific to the race I am targeting?

Is the session going to benefit me or wear me out?

Is the training session part of a broader plan?

Have I progressed with this training session over the weeks?

If the answers are mostly no, then you’re not making the most of your time. It’s a good idea to think about improving the quality of your training and remind yourself that quality training is considerably more satisfying than junk mileage. Triathletes who know the reasons and rational behind each sessions are going to be more motivated to complete them.

Time efficient training does not mean that you need to do every session at maximum intensity. It means that your training should be dependant on you strengths and weaknesses, and the type of race you are targeting. Training that doesn’t fulfil these criteria should be avoided, unless you have spare time and energy.

For example, if you are training for an Olympic distance race you may benefit from a regular two-three hour ride at the weekends. However three, additional weekly rides of one hour might make you feel better, but they are probably not an effective use of time. They may just add to fatigue, waste your time and not produce any meaningful benefits. You would be better served doing two back to back 15 minute efforts at your 25 mile TT pace, or some other planned session that is specific to your race distance.

It is also important to acknowledge the difference between busy and very busy. Some triathletes barely have any time to train and just avoiding junk miles is not enough. If this sounds like you, super effective short sessions of less than an hour may be a more effective way to train.

Time efficient training can make you a better triathlete in the longer term. It forces you to think about the importance of each session and encourages you to scrap the junk miles. Limited training can also reduce the likely hood of injury though overtraining, giving you the consistency you need to keep improving year on year. If you are so busy that you only have a few hours to spare each week, the news is not all bad. A few high intensity sessions and regular racing help to ensure that you compete well even with a hectic lifestyle.

Happy training!

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