How I Balance Running and Working Full-Time

My mission is to inspire others to get active. One of the barriers many people have to adopting a rigorous exercise program is carving out the time to do it. To address that concern for others, I'm sharing how I approach my own training and commitment to fitness. While the shoes and gear are one part of the equation, the hours put in training over the past few years are the other. Here, I'm diving into how I train at a high level while working full-time, doing business school, launching a business, being married and parenting two young kids.

Prioritization & Non-Negotiables

The only way I'm able to run 50 to 80 miles per week while balancing the workload of life is by ruthless prioritizing against my goals. I define a set of priorities and choose to act based on what's at the top of that list. During finals in business school, studying and taking tests comes first. If I'm training for a key race, my workouts that week are number one priority. And on the weekends when I'm not at school and the kids are home, spending quality time with the family is the most important thing.

The key is to make the first priorities non-negotiable. No matter what, the item at the top of that list is getting done. This is why I don't always have routines; instead, I make sure that I'm executing on my non-negotiable priorities.

Execution vs Perfection

I used to be a perfectionist. Now, in order to get everything I need to get done, I need to be okay with some things getting shipped out the door imperfectly. There's an expression that done is better than perfect, and I find this useful to remember when balancing a load of deliverables and deadlines while trying to train for a half marathon or marathon.

This may mean skipping a medium long run for a week or two and replacing it with a 30 minute easy run. Or alternatively, it may mean sacrificing sleep and doing a few runs exhausted because you need to get a project done for work. It's not always glamorous, but for me, the satisfaction of fitting in a two-hour long run at the end of an action-packed week outweighs the sacrifices it took to get there.

Love the Process

I'm only able to run 80 miles a week while working 80 hours a week because I love running. I love the process of cranking through aerobic paced miles to earn fitness. I love the repetitive nature of doing the same 4 mile loop multiples times a week, so familiar that I can and have run it in the pitch black. I love the rush I get from squeezing in my second session of the day between meetings.

Running brings me joy and strength. I don't get paid to do this. It started as a way to honor my commitment to health and fitness as a way to improve quality of life, and it's transformed into a ritual that's as soulful as it is physical. When I run, I feel most grounded and focused—ready to tackle any challenge I face. This is why I love the process. It's bigger than any goal race.