Jason or IronDAD (as he is affectionately known on my page), is my amazing Partner and is incredibly dedicated to his fitness and triathlon training (as well as his family). He is currently 25 days out from competing in his third full Ironman Triathlon in Cairns on 14th June 2015. Jason also works in the Fitness Industry and is completing his Bachelor of Applied Science (Exercise Physiology). He is often asked how he fits it all in. I thought it would be good to hear from him on FitM.U.M about how to find the right balance and fit in everything that is important to YOU.  He will offer a different perspective and to show that no matter how busy you are you can definitely have fitness goals and ambitions and work bloody hard to achieve them.  

Melbourne Ironman 2014

I AM AN IRONMAN DAD:

                -FAMILY WITH 2 KIDS (8yr old & 10 month old)

                -WORK 38+ HOURS PER WEEK and STUDY (UNI) PART TIME

                -TRAIN 10-18 HOURS PER WEEK

Glenelg Olympic Distance Triathlon 2015

IRONMAN Training is very demanding not only physically and mentally but also on family and work life. I recently became a Dad again and nothing has changed drastically. I am busier, I am trying to find the time but I have a goal and am very focused on hitting the goal, QUALIFY FOR KONA (the epitome of Ironman/Triathlon – to Race in Hawaii)!!!. My number one motivator though, is my Family. Kel is the most supporting wife anyone could ask for, I know she would prefer me home most of the time but she is also committed to my goal and that means a lot to me and also means I am accountable to another person. She always manages to add some questions and encouragement after a session; Have you done enough? What about the Run? Did you give it your all? You need to go faster!…

Finding the right balance is tough, but you need to really sit down and plan out a normal day and be honest with yourself. Everyone can fit in 30 minutes a day somewhere, and it is all about making the most of the time you have and prioritising. When people say Ironman, we mean a 3.8km swim followed by a 180km ride and finishing with a 42.2km run (YES, THIS IS A MARATHON). People think you’re crazy, you need to train 20-30 hours a week to complete it. If I was a pro and this was how I made my living then yes. But I’m not Pro, I don’t train anywhere near that. My training will vary between 10-18 hours a week depending where I am at with my training plan and what I am focussing on. I have lots of friends that train for an ironman on 10-12 hours max a week and complete it in under 13 hours. The key is to have a PURPOSE to each session. If you have 30 minutes for a bike trainer or rpm session you make sure that you are hitting Heart Rate targets, maximum effort, or if it is for recovery each session has a purpose for doing it. If there is no purpose it is a waste of time. It is all about being effective and efficient!

 Tracking workouts gives you very important information, hours trained, speeds, distance covered, Heart rates and writing down exactly what you did each session. This allows you to see how you are going week to week and to see improvements in times/distances/heart rates. This is something that I not only do for myself but also for other people to help them get the most out of their training for their personal/specific goals. Please get in contact with us if this is something you are interested in or would like further information on. You will get the best results from having a clear and specific goal, training plan and recording information. 

 KEY THINGS TO INCLUDE IN YOUR TRAINING ARE:

–          HAVING A PURPOSE/GOAL (Long Term Goal, Short Term Goal & Session Goal

–          TRACKING & PLANNING

–          MAKING IT A PART OF YOUR LIFE

–          REMEMBER YOU HAVE 168 HOURS IN A WEEK, DECIDE HOW YOU WANT TO SPEND ALL THOSE HOURS

Get out there and TRAIN!

FitM.U.M & IronDAD xx