Ironman Training With a Full-Time Job: 5 Tips for Busy Athletes
The way Ironman training is presented on social media can make it look like a full-time job in itself — endless hours on the bike, double sessions every day, perfect nutrition, perfect recovery.
So it’s understandable that many people assume they simply don’t have the time to train for one. And I’m not here to tell you that Ironman training is easy or doesn’t take much time — it’s hard, and it does require a significant time investment if you want to finish, let alone compete.
But that doesn’t mean you can’t make it work around a busy job and life. Here are five tips to help you fit Ironman training into a packed schedule.
1. Know the value of every session
Ironman training often involves problem solving on the fly. That’s why it’s important to know what each session is supposed to achieve, so you can prioritise when life gets in the way.
If you have two sessions planned for Friday — an easy run and a strength workout — and you get hit with a last-minute request from your boss, which one do you skip? Do you move the session to tomorrow or prioritise recovery? How do you choose between a threshold swim and a long ride?
A coach can take the guesswork out of this for you, but even without one, you should know which sessions are “key” for the week and which are flexible. That knowledge will help you make smarter choices when the inevitable scheduling conflicts appear.
2. Build movement into your daily life
This is such an undervalued tip for Ironman training – and life more widely. So many athletes think that all of their fitness comes from structured training sessions, but that’s only a small part of the picture. Your overall lifestyle can make a huge difference to your fitness.
The obvious place for this is in your commute – try walking or cycling to work instead of driving or the train, even if it’s only for part of the journey (getting off the train a stop early twice a day, every day, adds up). Suggest taking a walking meeting instead of sitting at a desk. Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
Those small choices add up quickly and build your aerobic base while aiding recovery.
3. Swim for quality, not quantity
Swimming is the most time-inefficient of the three disciplines — so you should use that time wisely.
Instead of long, slow swims, focus on shorter, purposeful sessions that improve your technique and speed. Drills, intervals, and a small amount of open-water sighting practice go much further than just logging endless laps. Three well-planned swims per week can be more effective than five “just get it done” sessions.
4. Be consistently average, not occasionally great
I often get questions like: “I’m supposed to do a hard bike session today, but I’m feeling under the weather — should I just push through?” Or the opposite: “I feel great — can I go harder than planned?”
My answer is usually no. Of course, I always give some flex – replacing hard sessions with easy ones or letting an athlete go slightly harder than planned – but I would prefer my athletes to give me average workouts for 6 months than a few great workouts followed by a period of burnout.
5. Front-load your workouts
This one changed my own training. When I pushed a workout to later in the day — or worse, later in the week — the chances of completing it dropped significantly.
The later you leave a session, the more opportunities life has to get in the way. That’s why I try to get my workouts done early in the day and schedule my rest days toward the end of the week — leaving some wiggle room to adjust if something unexpected comes up.
Bonus tip: get a coach
Okay, I’m biased here — but a good coach can be a game-changer for busy athletes. They’ll tailor your training to your lifestyle, monitor your fitness and fatigue, and adjust the plan when the unexpected happens.
And on the days you just don’t want to train? They’ll hold you accountable.
If you want a training plan tailored to your schedule (and someone to take the guesswork out of what to prioritise), I can help. Get in touch here and let’s make your Ironman journey manageable, consistent, and successful.