Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 52, November 2013 | Página 26

Training

There’s Always Time
This time of the year brings with it a number of things: Hot days, afternoon and evening thunder showers
(up north), shorts, T-shirts, slops and braais. But it also brings a little chaos! It can be a very stressful time of
year, and fitting a run into the mix may sometimes seem impossible, but you have to remember that if there’s
a will, there’s a way! – BY RAY ORCHISON

C

ome the end of the year and there’s usually a mad rush in the form of
end-of-year closing, long working hours before going on leave, family gettogethers, last-minute Christmas shopping, and ensuring you have everything
bought and packed for the holiday you’ve been planning for the last six
months. But while you might feel overwhelmed, there’s always a way to fit
training into your hectic schedule.

PLAN AHEAD
The best way to approach training over the next two to three months is to
actually sit down and plan. Look at the calendar, identify the days where you
can or can’t train, and decide what session you will do on the days you’ve
allocated to training.
If you plan your training and think about it up front, you know what you
need to do and there’s a good chance that you will do it. On the other hand,
if you’re waking up each morning and thinking, “what should I run today?
Should I do a 10k or 800m repeats? Maybe I should do hill repeats. Ah, I’ll
decide later…” then there’s a very good chance that you’ll simply end up
skipping the session altogether. You’ll probably end up saying, “I don’t really
feel like training today,” or “I’ll do a hard session tomorrow,” and before you
know it, January has rolled around, you’ve lost your fitness, packed on the
pounds, and have a huge amount of work ahead of you. So plan your training,
put your run session into your diary or calendar, and you’ll find that you have
the time for it.

THE WORKING ATHLETE
If work pressure is simply too much, then you’re going to have to squeeze some training
in where you can. Everyone needs to take a break at some point during their work day,
so prioritise that time for a short quality run. Not only will this ensure that you keep your
fitness levels up, but it will also rejuvenate you and leave you feeling fresh for the rest of
the day.
The other possibility is to run to and from work. Now if work is only 5km or so away, a
run there and back is perfect – and it definitely beats sitting in traffic! But what if you
work 10km from home? In that case, try the following. On Tuesday, drive to work with
your running kit and a change of work clothes for Wednesday, then leave the car at
the office and run home after work on Tuesday, and run back to work on Wednesday
morning. Take the car home on Wednesday evening. Not only is this a great way to fit
your training in, but it also adds something different and adventurous to your training.
(Oh, and shower facilities at work are a must-have on this one.)

FIND TIME
If you’re going to supper at friends or family, tell your spouse or partner that you’ll meet
them there and run from your house to theirs. Your spouse can always drive the same
route you’re going to be running, just in case you’ve bitten off more than you can chew
and need a lift for the last few kays. Another option is the gym, as most gyms are open
until 10pm during the week. If you simply cannot get to your run before, during or after
work, try going home and spending some quality time with your family before hitting the
gym and getting in your run on the treadmill. Set it to between 1% and 5% incline and
give yourself a solid 30 to 45min session.
You can always fit your running into your busy lifestyle and schedule. Just give it a little
thought and planning and you’ll come up with many creative ways to do so. If you’re
dedicated to your fitness and goals, then scheduling training will become a priority.

26

ISSUE 52 NOVEMBER 2013 / www.modernathlete.co.za