Full time and trying to run

Get used to running before and after work three days a week, at lunch 2x a week, and on weekends.

eat lunch at your desk... run in the mornings

7 wrote:

Anyone here have any experience trying to be moderately competitive in running (probably not on the national scene, but maybe regionally) while working 40 hours a week? I've got an hour lunch during which time I can usually scrape together about 5 miles, shower, and eat on M-F, I could probably go 6 if I cut everything else short. Saturday is usually 8-9 miles and Sunday is 12-13. Eventually I can get those weekend runs longer but I've only recently started back into training after a few years of inconsistency after college. Has anyone here gotten around 14:30ish for 5k, maybe sub 1:10 in the half with this kind of schedule? How bad is it to have almost half your miles in the two weekend days? I've got my first half in about 4 months and I'm thinking I may shoot for about 1:15ish. Possible on under 50 miles a week for 5 months?

Frank McConville ran 2:22 at NY 2years after getting out of G-town while working better 50hrs a week rading bonds on Wall Street..and drinking a ton!

you need a 'support system'...what city are you in? You need to hook up with at least another runner of similar ability to run the hard workouts at least twice a week. Check at your local 'running store' for additional help/info.

I'd say it's not too hard once you get used to it.

I work full-time myself, averageing 90mi/wk. But I'd rather train doubles during weekdays than in the weekends. Only once Sat/Sun and be sure to get enough rest.

The rest I'd think you'll figure out what works best for yourself. Good luck.

I would assume anyone not running faster than 13.45/28.40/2.16 would be working a minimum of 40hrs per week.

Given you also have the unusual luxury of an hour for lunch you are in a great situation.

Mon lunchtime. 10km in 40min.

Tue am.10km easy run. lunchtime. 3kms steady 6km tempo run 2km steady.

Wed am. 10km easy run. lunchtime. 11km in 40min. eve. 11km in 40min.

Thu am. 10kms easy run. lunchtime. 3kms steady 8x400m fast with 200m floats 2km steady.

Fri lunchtime 10km in 40min.

Sat am. 20km hard hilly fartlek preferably in a group situation. pm. Easy 10km run.

Sun am. 30-35km run on hilly forest trails in a group situation. pm. Easy 10km run.

That is the sought of routine the semi serious club runner (around 30min for 10km) might fit in if he has a 40hr work week and wife and young kids.

You are in a fortunate situation with only a 5 day work week long lunch breaks and only having to hold down one job so make the most of it.

A support group would help tremendously. What city do you live in? Assuming you work 9 to 5, get up at 7. I know it is a stretch for most people, but get up, get out of bed, and go get your miles. You should have plenty of time to get to work after your run. If not, get up at 6:30. Running the times you are talking, you are going to need more miles, and that is going to take some discipline. If you want it bad enough, you'll get up at 6:30. God for bid you go to bed at 10pm. Like a previous poster said, you are going to need to get your rest. If getting up early and running doesn’t work for you, go in an hour earlier, don’t take a lunch (eat at your desk), and skip out an hour earlier than normal. Say around 4pm.

40 hours/week, full time??? That's part time, of course you have time.

yea if you actually just work 40 hours a week...

you should be able to run all you want..

i dont get how ppl dont have time to run. the most anyone prolly should run in a day is 2 hours straight (give or take some)

there is little to no prep time in running if you dont have to drive to somewhere to do the running. so the time one would need each day seems to top out at 2.5 hours

before work is obvious, but im not a morning person so i like night runs alot better. im not sure why these are more popular

what else do you do in the SEVEN HOURS from 5pm to midnight?

a buddy of mine works 40+ hours a week, volunteers part time, and just qualified for the oly trials. he ran up to 100 mpw before chicago. so it is possible. he just gets off work and does it. he doesn't have a family though. his philosophy is what else would he do after work, go to the bars? watch tv? why not run? saw him on the track late last night finishing up 5 miles of intervals by himself. makes me feel pretty damn lazy.

7 wrote:

Anyone here have any experience trying to be moderately competitive in running (probably not on the national scene, but maybe regionally) while working 40 hours a week? I've got an hour lunch during which time I can usually scrape together about 5 miles, shower, and eat on M-F, I could probably go 6 if I cut everything else short. Saturday is usually 8-9 miles and Sunday is 12-13. Eventually I can get those weekend runs longer but I've only recently started back into training after a few years of inconsistency after college. Has anyone here gotten around 14:30ish for 5k, maybe sub 1:10 in the half with this kind of schedule? How bad is it to have almost half your miles in the two weekend days? I've got my first half in about 4 months and I'm thinking I may shoot for about 1:15ish. Possible on under 50 miles a week for 5 months?

If you have a shred of talent, 1:15 for a half is doable on 50 miles a week.

Tons of runners have run what you want to run while working full-time. In fact, pretty much any runner with those times you want as PRs had a full-time job, or they were independently wealthy somehow. Those times won't make you any money (other than a little here and there from a local road race), so anyone with those times HAD to have a full-time job.

I agree with the others though that say if you're working 40 hours a week that you should be able to run as much as you want. You could run two hours every night during the week if you wanted to -- easily, and then run even more on Sat, and Sun.

First thing I'd do is quit with the 5 milers every day. Maybe run ONE of those a week, but if you want to get below 1:10 for a half, you need to be running 8-9 miles on easy days with a 10-12 miler in there mid week and a 15-18 miler on the weekends. Maybe build up to that, and once in a while ease off that long run on the weekends if you're feeling beat, but if you want to smoke a half marathon, you need to be running further than half marathon distance regularly in my opinion.

This is 2007.....full time=50 to 60 hours/week. You buddy, work part-time. However, if you cut out letsrun you probably wouldn't have a problem with getting your mileage in.

Just wake up early. I have to be at work by 7am, so I get up at 4am. Then after work or at lunch I get my second run in. Just go to bed early (I hit the sack at like 9), and get in naps when you can like before dinner or on the weekends. You'll get used to it :)

1. How much did you run in college?

2. How fast were you in college?

3. Are you trying to PR in 5k's?

If you are working 40 hours per week, can't you find time to run before and after work? You'll definately find that you run a lot faster in half marathons if you double. 5k's too.

But, if you've run in college and are trying to run 14:30's, you already know that...

if you're working 50 to 60 hours week time to get a new job

Slave Labor wrote:

This is 2007.....full time=50 to 60 hours/week. You buddy, work part-time. However, if you cut out letsrun you probably wouldn't have a problem with getting your mileage in.

Mr Arms wrote:

before work is obvious, but im not a morning person so i like night runs alot better. im not sure why these are more popular

what else do you do in the SEVEN HOURS from 5pm to midnight?

I've done the evening runs for a long time. I have a family and work ~50hrs/wk. Running after everyone has gone to bed has been convenient. I can count on having that time to myself. The lunchtime thing doesn't always work because something always comes up.

The problem with the night thing is going to sleep. After a hard run I'm usually wired until about 1 AM and then I'm tired the next day and the tired feeling builds during the week. I think I've maxed out the evening thing. Its taken me as far a 2:30 marathon, but to get to the next level I will need to switch to morning runs so that I can get the sleep I need to train properly.

I also run at lunch once or twice a week. One of my workouts is done during an hour at lunch (skip the shower and eat at my desk). On the weekends I get in about 25 to 30 miles and the rest of my miles during M-F for a total of 90-100/wk.

If you don't have any commitments besides work my suggestion would be to get in a run before work and a run in right after work. Don't go home, go directly to the track/trail/road or wherever. If you're just out of college don't waste your time, your life will soon be filled with commitments and you'll be wishing you had the free time you currently have.

I guess I was a little vague in my original post. I wasn't looking for training plans from anyone, just seeing if anyone had gotten moderately successful while on the same schedule and to see how it worked.

My evenings are not free and I just plain don't want to get up to run 10 miles in the morning (already getting up at 6 for work). My employer is very rigid with time, they force an hour lunch and are pretty strict about the 7-4 or 8-5 schedule, though I may be able to come in early and/or leave late to take a slightly longer lunch (I'd like to be able to get 6-7 in during the week). Once I've been running consistently for a longer period of time and the days get longer, I was planning on doing a few doubles a week.

In college I was running anywhere from 55-85 depending on the time of year and ran mid/low 14's and mid/low 3:40's. I figured 1:15 in the half would be a decent time to shoot for in my 1st half, then try for 1:10 in the fall with some sub 15's on the road / mid 14's on the track during the summer.

Assuming I can get 6 miles a day at work, two second runs of 3 during the week, somewhere around 10 on Saturday and around 15 on Sunday, I would basically be back where I was in college - without unlimited access to a trainer, free time, and a training group. That's more of an issue to me than mileage.

...but you're sounding a bit like a whiner. have the sub 14 goal or whatever, but set a primary goal of putting in some frickin miles. like others have said, it aint that hard. wake up early, run late, run at lunch. if you want to do it, you'll make time. if not, then let it go and move on...or run recreationally and drop the ambition. i'm not trying to sound harsh, but you've got some talent, and your life doesn't sound too complicated at present, despite how it might feel relative to college. wait til you get hitched and have kids. this morning I was out the door by 5 a.m. and I'm never going to sniff 1:10 in the half. but I love to run, so I make time for it. how about you?

yes, it sucks at first, but you get used to it.

I'm currently working about 35 hours a week, taking 14 credit hours at school, and trying to stay over 100mpw. It's seriously kicking my butt. I crave sleep so badly. I haven't raced in a while, but i'm planning to run some fast 5ks, etc once march rolls around, so we'll see what happens. I've managed to hang in there and tough out the workouts despite being pretty tired some days, so I think I can get used to it.