creative time managment.

Not cheating, but one reason I volunteered to be assistant swim coach for several years was so I could get the kids out of the pool on time (they like to hang out in the cool water and talk, not surprisingly given the heat!), so I could start MY workout on time. Plus, it gave me an excuse to change into my swimsuit with coaching clothes over it (never know when one might have to demo a start or flip turn, right?) at the end of the school day. This was back when our pool closed at 5 PM and I had only 50 minutes after the kiddos (theoretically) got out at 4:10, so saving those 5-10 minutes really mattered. It was the most awesome, seamless transition you can imagine. Off with T-shirt and shorts, on with cap and goggles, and Superteacher flies into the pool! I had it down to one minute or less. Now the pool closes at six, so usually not that much of an issue.

I don't train during work hours, but I do take advantage of our school pool, gym, and sometimes the fields for running outside of my teaching and coaching times. Still have to laugh about what a former colleague and I used to do at staff meetings when, for some reason, we needed to swim on that day. We'd show up with swimsuits under our work clothes and then sprint to the pool as soon as the meeting adjourned. Once we made it in 45 seconds from meeting to water.

My training cheat is my 4am alarm clock.

I work a lot of overnight call shifts where I need to be at the hospital but I'm not necessarily working. Some nights are super busy but some nights are really slow. I bring my bike and trainer (packed in a large rolling suitcase) and a box fan. If it is quiet at work I bring everything in to the call room and set up for a couple hours on the bike. Like you said, paid to train. My wife calls it my chance to be a professional triathlete.

I have 3-4 bags of workout clothes in the car at any time. Two run bags (cold weather and warm weather), bike clothes (for spin class if the chance comes up) and a swim bag. This way if there ever is 30-40 minutes to get in a workout I don't have any excuse not to get it done. I can get a run in right after work many days and it is pretty much invisible to the family--but make sure you are not shirking your parent/husband duties to do this--I'm just sayin'.

Lastly, like someone said above, 4-4:30 AM wake up times (or whatever is your equivalent working a swing shift) pretty much guarantees you will get the training in. But it can lead to a very tired triathlete.

Yes, I'm trying to still get early swims in at 5 am before the family gets up and it's REALLY wearing on me, sometimes I don't get to bed until 11. Right now it's kind of crazy thinking about a full IM with 20+ hours training. BTW, what is average for peak hours for a full IM?

The free plan that i follow from BT max's at 18hrs - a long 6hr bike and 3hr run take up 2 days,and the rest spread over 4days.

I wish I still needed an alarm. My body wakes me up now somewhere between 3:30-4:00 every day. Actually to be fair, today I did 'sleep in' until 4:25!

I make sure everything is ready to go before I go to bed. Work clothes on a hanger or in my bag, workout clothes draped over the tub (which my wife hates), briefcase packed, lunch prepared etc. Then I can get up, eat, change and be in the car in 20 minutes tops. Then a 30 minute drive to where I work out. To the non-exerciser it seems crazy but, what the hell, I've been called worse.

Yep, I have the same evening routine that also includes the coffee prep. I definitely still need the alarm though, haha.