Finding the time is a big commitment, not just for you but also to your family.
I work in a busy 9 to 5 job in finance, and whilst juggling commitments of a business degree, we also have a male Labrador that requires exercise (a lot of it). Waking at 7am, studying, then working all day is hectic. The truth is, without my wife I probably would not have had the time to do either the study or my running. Luckily I do have her, so finding that time is a lot easier.
Commitment and discipline is the key. How much do you want something in life, and what are you willing to do to get it. Another lucky aspect is working from home three times per week, but it is possible to juggle all three. You need to plan your day though very carefully. Let me go through my week to give you an idea:
Mondays: wake at 7am and get 1hr 45 min of study done. Quick 10 minute workout, shave and help my wife to make breakfast. Whilst I am studying, she gets the dog out for his first walk of the day. I read through my morning emails when I eat my breakfast. Then my morning consists of work, calls, emails and a bunch of boring stuff that is not for my blog :). At lunch we go to the park where I walk the dog, and my wife goes for her run. Then a quick lunch that I usually eat while working , and continue working up to 5pm. My wife then takes the dog for his final walk with her friend, and this leaves me time to do my easy run session (ranging from 7 to 9k). When I get home, I shower, study for another 40minutes, eat dinner , watch tv for an hour and go to bed. I should mention that my wife also cooks dinner most evenings 🙂
Tuesday: wake at 6am as we both work from the office. No running on Tuesdays generally so I wont bore you too much. However, sometimes it does happen where I come home from work and do my Monday easy session on a Tuesday. Study takes place on the train, and in the evening before dinner.
Thursday: I skipped Wednesday as I generally don’t run that day. We wake at 6:30 as it is only me who goes to the office. Work all day, study on the train. That evening I do my interval sessions. This can be a long run, as there is walking in between sprints which increases the time you are out. I return home, shower, eat and go to bed.
Saturday: Wake at 7:30, do two hours study and go for my long run session. This week it was 19k but it varies depending on my plan. This is followed by lunch and getting the dog out for his walk. We go together and generally we go straight to the park. Luckily Saturday is cheat meal night so we enjoy an unhealthy snack. Its also movie night, and I get a chance to have a glass of wine or a beer 🙂
The point of this is to reflect personally on my week, but also for you to hopefully understand that with careful planning you can get things done. Working does not need to mean you sacrifice other commitments. It sometimes happens where I need to travel for work so I bring my running shoes with me. It can be a great stress reliever.
Keep busy, keep active, keep learning, and keep running 🙂