Work-Life Balance: Tri-ing to do both, or all four.

I am not a subject matter expert.

I am not a serious contender in anything other than the egg and spoon race.

I am not training or working any harder than any other individual.

I am an accidental triathlete and I am writing this because for the last twelve months I have been juggling the commitments of both training and developing my career. I have made a few mistakes along the way and if you care to read on I have a few tips to share about how to survive the process.

I fell into triathlon through an amazing programme called Win4Youth. Every year the Adecco Group takes employees from all corners of the world, all stages of life and all markers on the measuring scale and transforms them into lean mean triathlon machines. Win4Youth gives them the right support, training and nutrition to be able to complete an Olympic distance triathlon in just four months. The programme doesn’t only benefit the ambassadors, for every km logged by Adecco Group employees, candidates and clients it donates to youth charities all over the globe.

One year ago, I struggled to run myself a bath never mind 10kms and could barely find the gears on my bike – never mind the strength to cycle 40kms. Twelve short months later I crossed the finish line of my first half Ironman with a smile on my face and the ambition to go bigger and better next year. The road wasn’t always smooth, but I hope I can make yours a little less bumpy.

1.      At the start of each day we all get the same 24 hours to spend how we wish.

What we spend our hours on is simply a matter of priorities. Don’t fall into the trap of telling yourself you ‘didn’t have time to train’. You had the time, you actually had 24 hours’ worth of time, but you chose to spend it on something else, like work, or family, or travel, or pina coladas. AND THAT IS OK! Match the time you are willing to dedicate to the distance you want to race because with triathlon, the greater the input, the greater the output. Re-framing ‘I didn’t have time to train’ to ‘I chose not to train today’ I admit, doesn’t seem like a positive mindset change, but it encourages you to be honest with yourself about your commitment, take responsibility for your training schedule and most importantly find the right balance for you.

2.      Lead a double life. In the changing room.

If Strava had an option to keep track of packing and unpacking and repacking training bags I would be the segment leader. So unless you want to spend an inordinate amount of time on this particular activity, creating a replica of your life in your locker is a worthwhile time investment. Towels, toiletries, running shoes, the whole lot, which brings me onto my next point…

3.      You have always forgotten underwear. Always.

Anyone that says they haven’t been forced to go commando in work after training is a liar. At best it means putting your sockless feet back into your shoes, at worst…. I don’t even want to go there. If there is one item worth double checking you have in your training bag, it’s this.

4.      Excuse me Sir, do you have a moment to talk about my negative splits?

If, and I mean IF, on the freak occasion you actually don’t use your lunch time to train. Do not under any circumstances use it to talk to your work colleagues about your latest split times. They.don’t.care. Save it for bragging rights on Strava.

5.      You’ll owe your employer annual leave.

We all know the importance of pre-race hydration. The aim of the game is basically to drink water until it leaks out of your eye balls, which means two things - one of your hands suddenly becomes full time employed as a bottle rack and as a result you need to use the bathroom every 11.5mins.

At the end of the day, work-life balance means something different to everyone so find what works for you and grow your own daisies!