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Training for three sports is difficult without outside limiting factors, and when it comes to training with time limitations, it can be downright tough.  Most training plans include one to two sports and up to two hours per weekday.  However, with most of us holding long workdays, long commutes, and duties at home, finding time for that much training can really take a toll on family and work commitments, or is simply impossible.  In this case, your best bet is to maximize the quality of your training in the time you have. 

When it comes to the swim, consistency is key.  Getting in a quick 1000 yards is much better than going a week without swimming, so get in the pool at least once during the week and use the weekend for your quality swim workout.  Swim straight for the amount of time you have, or for as long as you can before your stroke breaks down or you feel like you’re getting sloppy.  In this case, swim as far as you can correctly, stop for 30 seconds, then resume and do it again.  As a beginner you may only get 100 or 150yds; that’s OK, you’ll improve quickly.  Your weekend quality swim should involve more standard intervals—well within your ability—and with dedicated rest intervals.  Strive for even splits.  An example of this is 10x 100yds with 30 seconds rest, all of them the same time or close.  Of course, always get in a good easy warm up and Cool Down incorporating drills so you learn to swim correctly.  As you progress you may want to try “send-off” intervals: You push off the all on a set Interval.  In this type of workout, you set a time that gives you adequate rest; for example, if you were to do your 100s on the 2:00, you’d leave the wall every two minutes.  If you swim faster, you get more rest.  This is a great way to train to swim even splits.

The best way to train on a bike without much time is to invest in a stationary trainer.  There are many different trainers out there in a wide range of prices.  A great trainer workout is equivalent to double that time on the open road in most cases—if you get 45 minutes on the trainer, chock it up as a 1:30 bike ride, etc.  On the road you get interruptions you don’t get on the trainer—stoplights, coasting …coffee shops.  Additionally, you can have your bike set up on the trainer before hand, say, before you go to work.  Then all you have to do when you get home is put on your cycling shorts, pop in a good movie, and hit it.  Good trainer workouts are those that involve a good warm up, then some higher Intensity sessions with easy to moderate rest intervals, and a good cool down to finish.  An example is warm up 10 minutes easy spinning, hard effort for 8 minutes, 4 minutes easy spin, 3x 4 minutes hard effort with 3 minutes moderate effort between, and a 5 minute cool down spinning easy.  Of course, mix this up with hard and moderate efforts, some longer and some shorter, depending on where you are in the season.  Plan one or two trainer sessions during the week.  It is also important to get one long workout each week to develop your Endurance systems, to practice on-the-bike nutrition, and to increase your Aerobic fitness.  These should be longer than your race distance; up to the total time you expect your triathlon to take you.  Do this on the weekend.

Running is the easiest to get in on a time budget.  Having an extra set of running clothes and shoes in your car or office can turn that lunch hour into a productive training session or allow you to hit the gym on your way home for a quick run.  Getting up 45 minutes earlier once or twice a week may also be the key for beating Harry from accounting in your next race.  Plan on one or two runs during the week, and they can be as short as 20 or 25 minutes.  Once you can run comfortably at a slow pace for your entire run, increase the pace for a Length of time, then back off for recovery—run 30 seconds per mile faster to the next stoplight, then easy to the next.  This “Fartlek” training will make huge strides in your running fitness.  Once comfortable there, run for 15 to 20 minutes at your proposed race pace inside a slightly longer run.  Tempo run add to your capacity to run fast for longer distances.   But just like the bike, it is important to get one long run per week to build your aerobic engine.  If you’re a beginner, start with run-walks—run for 6-8 minutes, then walk to the 10 minute mark and begin to run again.  If you’re a solid runner, long runs of up to a couple of hours are great. 

Training on a time budget can be effective.  With some creativity and planning, you can improve your fitness and speed on limited time.  Now get out there and train! 

Brian

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