Too Busy to Train? Split!

If you have a busy work or school schedule, how do you minimize disruption to your training? How do you not compromise your training schedule and competition plan?

Split your workouts. Do it 50:50. Or, AM/PM. Essentially, you schedule an earlier session and a latter session. Most elite and professional athletes approach training, with intensity and purpose, this way. If you have a long run session of 24km, you can split it into two 12km sessions, or a 10km and 14km session. As a triathlete or biathlete, another option would be to have two disciplines spread over two sessions. Ride in the morning for an hour, then head for a swim or run session in the evening. You can do drills on one session, and speed work in the following session.

This approach allows your body to recover and recharge itself in-between; you train your body to recuperate, as you do not tap your reserves unduly.  On weekends, you can even afford a nap between intense workouts. You tend to have a better training gait when fatigue upsets your posture as your core stability collapses. These pockets of training accumulate into your total training investment in a week. Total time for training contributes to the development of your physical and mental fitness. Even if it is a 30-45 session, you will still benefit from such a flexible approach.

Start splitting!