Juggling Work, Family, and Fitness: Our Secrets to Making It All Happen
We have gathered a group of people that are passionate about fitness, health span, and health. Each of us is time-starved from busy schedules that include family first, work, and training. This has led to a lifestyle of early AM training sessions out of necessity. To us, this is not a fad, a New Year’s resolution, or a quick fix. This is our life. We would like to share some ideas and secrets we have learned from this development. We have all learned from mistakes and benefited from maximizing this time.
In this edition of Early A.M. Warriors, we’re pulling back the curtain on our real-life schedules. You’ll get a firsthand look at how we adapt our training to balance family, fatigue, and the unexpected challenges of life.
Tricia DeNardis —-
As a full time, single, working mom of 3 kids (ages 9,6 and 4) the early mornings are a MUST for me. Not only for any hope of working towards my fitness goals, but for my mental sanity as well ;-)
I’ve been an early morning riser ever since I was a kid, so fortunately for me, it has never been an issue to wake up at zero dark thirty. I look forward to these early mornings so much, as I know it’s the only time I have for ME.
The mornings have changed many times throughout the past several years as a parent, when they were younger, 100% of my runs and workouts were with my kids. Now, it’s really nice to have this time for myself.
Most days look like this:
3:45-4am wakeup- get dressed ASAP, do a few household chores (some laundry, dishes away etc)
4:20-4:45: Journal/fuel/caffeinate and mobility work/dynamic warmup
4:45/5am-6:30/6:40: GO time. Between the kids and the winter weather, the treadmill has been my early morning trusty sidekick. I am training for a few races right now, training has consisted of higher weekly mileage and a lot of incline work! On weekdays, I’ll run between 60-90 minutes, most days, then follow it up with strength work and mobility for any time I have left (20-30 minutes)
6:40-7:30 am: This is where the REAL endurance event of my day commences.
“Controlled chaos” is an appropriate term for my weekday mornings! I prep all of our lunches and breakfasts at the start of the week, the kids are in charge of getting them in their backpacks and getting dressed. I just have to make sure it happens, reminding them no less than 1,000 times to keep the pace moving 🙂 I help everyone as they need it- hair done, teeth brushed etc, I shower and get my own things ready for the day. I’m working really hard at raising self-sufficient humans, and all things considered, it works out as best as it can considering their ages.7:40am: Remind the kids to get their shoes on for the 985th time and we’re out the door and in the car (where I usually am throwing back my own breakfast ;-))
It is far from seamless, far from “perfect”, but for me, I wouldn’t sacrifice these early mornings for anything.
Mistakes: Not giving myself grace, particularly when my kids were babies with very unpredictable sleep schedules. I got better about this by my third kiddo, but being a competitive person who thrives off routine and endorphins, I definitely put far too much pressure on myself to “do it all”. I have not yet nailed this, forever a work in progress!!!
Moose Herring, MD (Sports Med. Ortho):
I pride myself in maintaining my decision tree based on family first, work second and training/racing third. Because training is third, the early mornings are crucial for me to get in sessions that don’t interfere with work and evening family time. I absolutely love the quiet of the early morning. My kids have moved out so this is truly my time. My schedule is usually:
4:00-4:15 am: wake up with no alarm
4:15-4:45 am: coffee/carbs/house chores/ read/journal/assess how I feel and assess the day.
4:45-6:15 am: training session that was preplanned Sunday. This will be a lift/ run or ride.
6:15 am: shower/eat /take 1 LMNT with water. I eat some form of oatmeal every day. I add in many things to get me through the morning. I don't skimp on calories.
6:30am: out the door for operating days.
7:00am out the door for clinic days.
I base early am training on my clinic days. I do much less intensity on my operating room days.
My weekends are the same: I still get up at 4-430 with no alarm. Then coffee/journal/read is usually longer waiting for the sun to rise. These sessions are usually longer rides and runs.
Mistakes: I have a Sunday planning session where I fill out my weekly calendar. This includes family, work, meetings, and training. In the past, I would absolutely complete every session irregardless of sleep, fatigue, or stress. This usually led to deep seated fatigue and injuries. Now I will judge my fatigue, my sleep or “how I feel”. I do not use an alarm. I wake up when I’m ready. My long term health is more important than any run, ride, or swim.I pay attention to the carbs/caffeine before and the nutrition and hydration after. If I need to skip a session or decrease the intensity, then that becomes the plan. I am healthier, stronger, and have more quality sessions than I have experienced in a long time.
Jodi Cash (Nutrition Coach, Fitness Addict, Integrative Health Coach)
My mornings start at 4:30, and fortunately I’m at a stage in life where I only have to worry about getting myself out the door. This is a good thing, because I am up and out in less than 15 minutes. I do this by making sure I’m prepared the night before- workout clothes in the bathroom, gym/work bag packed, lunch ready, etc. My day starts as soon as I walk in the door at 5:15 and open my gym, to get ready for my first clients at 5:30. Once I finish my first group of clients, it’s my turn, so I immediately jump on the treadmill or elliptical to get warmed up and get my heart pumping. I either continue with more cardio or go right into a strength training workout, depending on the day, then I always finish with some core and jump in the shower to get ready for the rest of my clients and gym members. The best days always start with early morning workouts.
Mistakes: The biggest mistake I made with regards to early morning workouts was thinking that it was okay if I stayed up late every night, because I “didn’t need that much sleep”. Once I prioritize my sleep, I realized that I may have been functioning on very little sleep, but it wasn’t pretty and it was effective. Sleep is key to having enough energy, recovery, and brain function throughout the day. No more wearing the badge of less sleep for me!
Ryan Nelligan (Ultra Runner, Running Enthusiast)
I usually wake up between 4:00 - 5:00 am depending on my work & training schedule. If I need to be at the hospital at 6:30 am and want to run 10 miles beforehand, that means:
4:00 am - alarm
4:03 am - coffee
4:10 am - quick snack
4:15 am - change into running clothes
4:30 am - out the door running
If work starts later, I have the luxury of “sleeping in” until 5am, taking my time getting ready and may start my run at 6am.
I drink a special potion immediately following my workout that includes Whey Protein, AG1, and Creatine Monohydrate. I will usually eat oatmeal with blueberries, banana, and chia seeds, and if I have more time I will make avocado toast with eggs.
Mistakes: My mornings can be very rushed. Not allocating enough time to make a decent breakfast and refuel from my workout can leave me feeling depleted throughout the day. My special potion is critical because it gives me that nutritional base, even if I’m not able to have a substantial breakfast.
Final Thoughts:
As you can see from all of us, we are fairly rigid in the timing but we all adapt if kids, fatigue or work interferes. We value the early morning because it does not affect anyone else. Plan your mornings. Be efficient in the execution of your plan. Develop the habit. These early sessions make for a great day.