Is it possible to train at an elite level while working 40+ hours/week?

I sure hope one can compete at a high level and still work. That is what I am trying to do after a 1/2 year layoff of giving up on the sport. It should be stated that my goals are at a level like yours. The goal would be to make the Olympic Marathon Trials again and hopefully making a push to be a high placer, banking on others faultering.

Working 50 hours a week of manual labor. Digging, raking, lifting heavy things. Running about 100 miles a week right now. Running more can be tough after being on the feet all day.

What I can tell is that if you have a manual labor job, it is hard to do hard/tough workouts and get in a 2nd run. All my running is in the am, with the hard workout on saturday and 2 light ones during the week.

I was in a relaxed job prior to making a move across the country and really didn't do the things that needed to be done for me to be as competitive as I would have liked. A big problem was not making enough money to go travel to the big meets. Now that isn't an issue but it will be interesting to see how the body handles the workload.

Running 100 miles a week/50 hour work weeks is not ideal but I will give up on it as soon as being competitive is not realistic at a national level. Some love to run, I love to compete.

Rant over. If I can give it a shot, so should you.

It's possible, but get a coach. Four reasons, in order: 1. Someone will care about your training, and it will feel more important/valuable, 2. accountability, 3. even if you know everything about being a coach yourself, you don't have the objectivity to give yourself the best training possible. You know your body better than anybody, and a good post-collegiate coach should use this to both of your great advantages, not supress it. 4. The transition from college to post-college is as hard or harder to make than the transition from high school to college.

Find a good fit coaching relationship. I coach a couple guys of similar talent and I charge essentially nothing because I want to see them develop more than anything else.

Too lazy to look it up, but, a guy who was in the top 3 a few years back in the Oly Trials for the marathon was in med school. I think that would qualify for a 40 hour a week job. Yes, it can be done...and much more.

hey look, I can do it too wrote:

Too lazy to look it up, but, a guy who was in the top 3 a few years back in the Oly Trials for the marathon was in med school. I think that would qualify for a 40 hour a week job. Yes, it can be done...and much more.

I believe Bannister ran his first sub-4 while attending medical school. Different time, but (if I remember right) he only had an hour or two a day to train during his lunch break.

It's possible. I work a 9-5 shift at my company, and do a small 45 minute "pop" between lunch breaks. I will also get up at 4am to run for about 3 hours. However I would advocate trying to get some sleep while running. Over time, I have learned to better control my sleep patterns while on the run, it saves me time.

themanontherun wrote:

6:00 - wake up

6:15 - out the door to run 45 minutes

7:00 - stretch, shower, dress

7:30 - prepare and eat breakfast

8:00 - out the door for work

8:30 - arrive at work

5:30 - leave work (I'm assuming an 8 hour work day, with an hour lunch break)

6:00 - begin 2nd run, be it workout or whatever

7:30 - stretch, shower, etc.

8:00 - prepare dinner

8:30 - eat dinner

9:00 - relax for an hour

10:00 - in bed by 10, getting 8 hours of sleep

It's far from ideal, and demands some pretty precise time management, and you only get 8 hours of sleep on a week night, but your weekends remain pretty open, so you can sleep in two days out of seven.

You have successful described my Mon-Fri, I'm not elite, but I'm trying to reach my full potential. What you didn't state was that this doesn't leave enough time for shaving, laundry, getting a haircut and doing the dishes, all things that I need to do...

I used to hit 6-7am, 12-1pm, 5-7pm during my heaviest training. It can be done. I was also working 45-50 hours a week doing a very physical job outdoors and had no issues with overtraining.

Rod DeHaven was the 2000 Olympic Trials marathon champion while training himself and working as a computer programmer in Madison, WI.

Two words: Sergio Reyes. End of thread.

I work 40 hours a week (usually 45 because overtime is necessary). I have two lectures during the week from 6-9.30 and I usually have one or two lectures at the weekend from 9.00-5.30.

I also run 60 miles a week and can just break 37 mins for the 10k.

Maybe if I could focus more on running I would'nt suck so much. It is a real struggle at times but I find it fulfilling and it can definitely be done if you get into a rhythym.

I even did one 100 mile week around work (No lectures that week though).

run and work wrote:

My college days are coming to an end. I am a 14:00/29:00 track guy and would like to train for the marathon and run at the trials. Can I still compete at a high level while coaching myself and training alone?

Andi Jones - PR 2:15 and tenth in this year's London marathon is a full time school teacher...

This guy did it

http://home.comcast.net/~jlemoo/

If you have a 9 to 5 job I would say do your longer run in the morning and do your shorter second run in the evening. Heres how a week could look.

Monday-Friday

6:30am: 60-90 minute run (one or two workouts a week)

9:00am-5:00pm: work (take a 15 minute nap in your car or under your desk like George during your lunch break)

5:00-6:30: 30-45 minute run (I would do some strength conditioning before the second run a couple of times a week)

6:30-7:30: shower/eat dinner

7:30-10:00: go on letsrun/relax (enjoy not having homework!)

10:00: bed time

Saturday/Sunday

Get your 2 hour + long run in, one or two other runs, the occasional race, sleep in, watch football for 10 hours on Sunday.

Now if you get married and have kids then just know that you may have to be more creative with the second run of the day. Like push your kid in a stroller or drop the kid off with a babysitter for an hour in the evening.

Go after dude!

You know what?

Trials is GREAT.

For sprinting, it is probably the deepest meet in the world.

It is not only deep, but one of the toughest meets at which to succeed, even if you're great.

For sprinting, it is like a mini-Olympics.

Whether or not you will feel regret one way or another depends more on your personality than on anything else.

take a part time job, train, and have a social life. If youre not good by the time youre 30 get a full time job and the you know that you at least went after your dreams so you don't question yourself the rest of your life.

Wasn't Bannister also studying medicine while training for the record?

does nobody here realize that this years US marathon champ works full time as a flight test engineer for the US air force? oh, and he just ran 2:14 as i recall.

I'm not sure being a attorney constitutes work. Sure take a long lunch for a run- just make sure you bill $450 an hour for your time.

Linda Somers-Smith ran 2:36 in LA this year, while being an attorney and partner in a law firm.

PattiSue Plumer was ranked #1 in the world while working full time as an attorney.

Paul Cummings worked in a steel mill

Bob Schul claims that he was working 40 hours/wk while training with Igloi.

It has been done.[/quote]

'6:00 - wake up

6:15 - out the door to run 45 minutes

7:00 - stretch, shower, dress

7:30 - prepare and eat breakfast

8:00 - out the door for work

8:30 - arrive at work

5:30 - leave work (I'm assuming an 8 hour work day, with an hour lunch break)

6:00 - begin 2nd run, be it workout or whatever

7:30 - stretch, shower, etc.

8:00 - prepare dinner

8:30 - eat dinner

9:00 - relax for an hour

10:00 - in bed by 10, getting 8 hours of sleep'

--------------------------

I hope you have an interesting job!

Most jobs listed on this thread are not hard work, that is the key. If you are sitting down, in AC, doing light walking, there is really no setback to the 40 hour work week, you just need to have dedication to get your runs in. There have been many examples posted of athletes at the national and world level who have done it. If you actually have a physically demanding job that keeps you on your feet all day and burning a lot of energy the entire time, you are going to have serious struggles.

Running by yourself for all workouts and runs can be tough but if you want to have success, you need to get it done first thing in the day. It is much too easy after a normal workday to cut an evening run short, let alone skip it.

If you could get a part-time job that would actually give you experience and a resume builder, do it. If you couldn't find a part-time job that would further you down the road, I would get the full-time job and train. There are many bum semi-pro runs who are doing the part-time thing that are setting themselves back more than helping themselves. Advance yourself in your career and chase your dreams in running. You will be much happier in the long run. I have seen all different sides of the spectrum first hand.