'I don't have time to train' - Finding Productivity in Running

In the past, I have frequently said ‘I don’t think i’m going to have time to train today,’ or ‘I wish I had more hours in the day to train.’ While this blog certainly won’t extend your day by a couple of hours, it might just change your mindset, to find productivity in running.

The Background

If anyone has any contact with teachers (especially Secondary School teachers), you’ll know that we are very busy people - from physically (or virtually) teaching, to marking, parents evenings and reports etc. While I don’t expect everyone to be teachers, I do expect that you have other priorities than simply working and eating - whether that be family, another job or a hobby.

To put my theories to the test, I have written this whole blog while on a 10 mile run, at a 9:10 per mile pace.

Running and working at the same time IS POSSIBLE

Now clearly, this depends on your work. As a Doctor, you can’t quite operate on your patients while out on the trails but there’s always a way to fit training into your schedule. All of my other ‘life stuff',’ I save for when i’m running my recovery/easy runs. For example, in today’s run, I have written this blog, phoned the council to pay my tax bill and booked in my car for a service. While I wouldn’t do this for every run, I make the most of every moment I have, so that when I return home, I can make the most of the time with my family.

Organisation is key

My training programmes are the same every week, with slight tweaks to an individual session:

Monday - Recovery Run

Tuesday - Rest

Wednesday - Sprints/hills

Thursday - Easy run

Friday - Rest

Saturday - Easy run

Sunday - Long run

Having this simple plan, makes fitting everything in a lot easier. I just use a Google Calendar and sit down on a Friday night to plan my meals for the following week. If i’m running a sprints session on Wednesday, I don’t want to come home and cook an elaborate meal but during my rest days, i’ll do some bulk cooking to prepare for the week.

Analyse your priorities

In a previous blog, I spoke about arranging your priorities based on your current strengths - this means that your priorities change and adapt. For example, if my relationship is very strong, I don’t need to prioritise that - I can put more focus on my running and then when that settles, I can move towards a different priority. Priorities should change with time and scenarios but you should be open and aware to adjust them accordingly.

When you find time, start gently

If you’ve managed to find time in your schedule to train, don’t go the ‘full hog’ - pace yourself and make a commitment that you are in this for the long run (pun somewhat intended).

Taking time for yourself, whether running or not, might still progress your running

We all know the feeling of running out of steam. If you don’t have time for a full run, it might be worthwhile taking some time to sit there and spend time to yourself - whether that’s meditating, relaxing, reading, or sitting in silence. This might just give you the space to get back out there tomorrow when you have more time.

Find a running buddy (when restrictions allow)

When you’re allowed to, it could be a great idea to buddy up with another runner. I have seen a few running relationships that work really well - especially for parents. Two separate parents can come to an agreement, to babysit the other partner’s children, while one parent runs. The following day, the other parent babysits and the cycle returns again - it sounds like an amazing idea….fortunately, my cats don’t mind the space.

Really assess how much time you need

Many a time, I have seen friends or family members say that they don’t have time to run, while they are sat on their phones scrolling through social media pages - is this really the thing that is keeping you from getting out there and exploring the world!?

If you’re struggling to find the motivation or time to run, really do have a look at how much time you spend on other activities - you might be surprised.

Anywho - I’m running out of breath a bit as I try to dictate the last of this blog. I hope that it was somewhat helpful. Just think - the 10-20 minutes that you spent reading this blog, you could have been out there running…..just a thought.

Keep dreaming!