There are mornings I wake up before dawn to slip on my running shoes or dive into the pool while I can still swim in silence. In the winter, it’s still dark, but I know that every minute counts, and this is the only way to squeeze that workout in between a thousand other things. I got into the habit of waking up early when I was training for my first triathlon. Training for the three disciplines often requires two-a-day workouts, and with a full-time job, it wasn’t easy to fit everything in. Our days are getting fuller, and there’s always that thought in the back of our minds: “What about today’s workout? Will I be able to fit it in?” For those who run—and also have a job, a family, friends, and responsibilities—time management isn’t a luxury; it’s an art. You don’t have to become an ascetic who gives up any deviation from your self-imposed routines; you just need to find a balance and always keep in mind why you do it.
Planning: Your Guiding Compass
The most common mistake is to think that motivation is enough, but motivation isn’t always a strong enough engine. What truly matters is the structure we can give our daily schedule, always keeping the golden rule of flexibility in mind.
The first rule for training consistently is to leave nothing to chance. Each week, decide when you will train, at what times, and for how long. Write it down in your planner or digital calendar, just as you would for an important meeting or appointment.
Practical tip: Plan your entire week on Sunday evening. Consider your fixed commitments and potential surprises, and choose the best days for your key workouts. Be careful not to be too rigid, though. Flexibility is part of the plan, and remember that if something unexpected forces you to skip a session, it’s not a failure—it’s life. Reorganize, adapt, and start over. A missed workout isn’t a failure; it’s just another chance to learn how to fit things in better tomorrow.
Time Management Techniques: Training Your Mind, Too
Efficient time management is a cornerstone for maintaining a balance between your athletic and personal life.
I’ve always worked as a project manager for a living, so I’m quite familiar with time optimization strategies. I recommend two effective techniques, borrowed from the world of project management, that you can integrate into your own time management.
The Pomodoro Technique
The name comes from the tomato-shaped kitchen timers that are sometimes used for this. The method involves working or studying in short, intense cycles: 25 minutes of full concentration (a “pomodoro”), followed by a 5-minute break to disconnect, drink a glass of water, or do some stretching. After four pomodoros, give yourself a longer break of 15-20 minutes. It’s a simple but effective way to stay focused without ending the day completely drained. All you need is a timer or a dedicated app to get started.
The GTD (Getting Things Done) Method: Clear Your Mind, Free Your Energy
The Getting Things Done method is based on the principle of freeing your mind from the burden of having to remember everything, allowing you to better concentrate on what you are doing. The goal of this method is to increase personal productivity by reducing mental load. It works in five phases:
- Capture everything that crosses your mind (ideas, tasks, reminders) by writing it down somewhere (an app, a notebook, or a file).
- Clarify each item by deciding what to do with it: do it now, postpone it, delegate it, or delete it.
- Organize your actions into appropriate lists (calendar, task list, etc.).
- Reflect regularly: review your lists and update your priorities.
- Engage by doing one thing at a time.
This is an approach you can also apply to your life as an athlete: jot down your workouts, recovery sessions, and things to prepare for your race. Get it all out of your head and onto paper (or an app) and complete one task at a time. You’ll feel more focused and freed from the mental weight of having to think about what to do while you’re doing it.
Set Your Priorities and Choose What to Focus On
Not all activities carry the same weight. Some need to be done right away, while others can wait. Some help you grow, while others drain your energy. To guide you, you can use the Eisenhower Matrix, which divides tasks into four categories.
- Urgent and Important: To be done immediately.Example: A quality session (like intervals or a progression run) for an important upcoming race or a physical therapy visit for a suspicious pain.
- Important but Not Urgent: To be scheduled. Example: Working on mobility, adding core training to your weekly routine, studying the race course, or reviewing your nutrition strategy.
- Urgent but Not Important: To be delegated, if possible. Example: Picking up a package or arranging travel logistics for a race. If you can, ask someone to help so you can save your mental energy for your workout.
- Neither Urgent nor Important: To be eliminated or reduced.
Example: Spending half an hour on Instagram watching reels of other runners or compulsively comparing your times with others on Strava. Applying this mental framework doesn’t just save you time; it helps you protect your focus and channel your energy toward what truly helps you improve.
Practical tip: Every day, choose 3 “essential tasks.” If one of them is your workout, completing it will give you a sense of satisfaction and momentum for the rest of the day. When you complete a task you had planned, your brain releases dopamine, a neurotransmitter linked to pleasure and reward. This release contributes to a feeling of satisfaction and gratification that will refuel your motivation to continue.
Training smart doesn’t just mean choosing the right pace, but also choosing what to focus on throughout the day.
Knowing How to Choose Is Knowing What to Give Up: Training Your Priorities
Time and energy are not infinite. That’s why learning to set priorities is one of the most valuable skills, both in and out of training.
The 5 Whys Technique: Digging Deep into Your Choices
When you’re faced with a new commitment—a race, a class, a trip, an invitation—ask yourself: “Why should I do this?” And then ask yourself again, up to five times. Each “why” helps you go one level deeper, until you uncover the real motivation behind that action. Let’s take an example: you want to sign up for a race. Why? The first answer might be, “Because it seems interesting.” Now, keep asking: “Why does it seem interesting?” The answer could be, “Because a lot of people I know are doing it,” and continue digging until you’ve asked five times. By continuing to ask “Why?”, you’ll uncover your true motivation for participating and understand if that event is truly in line with your long-term goals.
Learning to Say No
Knowing how to say “no” is one of the most underrated time management skills, but it’s actually the ultimate act of respect for yourself and your goals. Learning to say “no” is what allows you to say “yes” to what truly matters to you. Over time, it becomes a habit: selecting, choosing, deciding.
Training for Flexibility
“Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth,” Mike Tyson said, highlighting the vulnerability of any plan in the face of the unexpected. One thing I’ve learned, both as a project manager and as an athlete, is that no plan is better than one that can be changed. There will be days when everything goes smoothly, and others when your body doesn’t respond, your legs feel like lead, or life simply gets in the way. It’s normal; it’s part of the journey. Training isn’t just about logging miles or following a program to the letter. Training is also about listening to your body, recognizing when it’s time to push and when it’s wise to slow down. It’s about learning to live with imperfection without judging yourself. Being flexible, being kind to yourself, isn’t a sign of weakness. It’s a form of strength that allows you to get back on track after a setback and keeps you moving, day after day, even when motivation wavers or energy is low. In the end, consistency is built especially on the hard days, when you still choose to show up—maybe not at your best, but with everything you have in that moment.
Give Meaning to What You Do
Getting organized isn’t just about doing more; it’s about doing the right things. Every workout, every choice, every small action has value if it’s connected to a larger goal: a race, an improvement, or simply the pleasure of feeling good.
Practical tip: Every Sunday, take 5 minutes to reflect on the week. What worked? Where can you improve? What is your priority for the next 7 days?
There is no perfect recipe for time management, but there are small daily choices that help you live better, train with more presence, and feel balanced. Time is not your enemy, but your ally, and you can use it to build something that truly matters to you.
In the end, it’s not about how many boxes you checked, but how aligned you felt with what you love. If you managed to slip on those running shoes today, even for just half an hour, that’s already a small victory.
Laura Burzi