Chrissie Wellington on… How to fit triathlon training into a busy life

Britain’s four-time Kona winner Chrissie Wellington has sound advice for everyone struggling to fit it in

Chrissie Wellington

Published: September 15, 2015 at 2:17 pm

Work, family, social life – plus training? It can be difficult to fit it all in, but juggling balls is part of the challenge of being an athlete. With that in mind, here are seven tips from Britain’s four-time Kona champion Chrissie Wellington…

>>> Chrissie Wellington's top ten lessons for triathletes

One

Develop a realistic plan tailored to your life, goals and abilities (and never try to compare yourself to others).

Two

Look at your life and weekly/monthly diary and work out where you have free time (even 30mins is sufficient to do a session).

Three

Prioritise important sessions in time slots that are ‘always available’ in your diary to get the most important sessions in.

Four

Train alone if necessary (don’t spend time coordinating with and waiting for others).

Five

Multitask, e.g. run/bike your commute or run laps of the football field while your child plays a match…

Six

Share training with family and colleagues, e.g. make sessions ‘family time’ by asking your children to bike alongside you while you run.

Seven

Adapt your training schedule, abbreviate and shorten sessions or drop altogether. Accept your reality and move on.

(Images: Jonny Gawler / Paul Whitfield)

Head to our Training section for lots more performance advice

Chrissie Wellington

Triathlon legend

Chrissie Wellington OBE is a retired, British professional triathlete and four-time Ironman world champion. She held all three world and championship records relating to ironman triathlon races: firstly, the overall world record, secondly, the Ironman World Championship course record, and thirdly, the official world record for all Ironman-branded triathlon races over the full Ironman distance. She remains the world record holder for Ironman distance (8:18hrs). Chrissie won the Ironman World Championship in three consecutive years (2007–2009), but could not start the 2010 World Championship race because of illness. She regained the title in 2011. She is the first British athlete to hold the Ironman world title, and was undefeated in all 13 of her races over the Iron distance. She is the only triathlete, male or female, to have won the World Championship less than a year after turning professional, an achievement described by the British Triathlon Federation as "a remarkable feat, deemed to be a near impossible task for any athlete racing as a rookie at their first Ironman World Championships." Since retiring in 2012 Chrissie has completed countless endurance events, from cycling sportives, to marathons and ultra-marathons and even a cross country ski marathon or two! Chrissie was awarded a first-class degree by the University of Birmingham (BsC Geography) in 1998 and a Distinction from the University of Manchester (MA Econ Development Studies) in 2000. Prior to becoming a professional athlete in 2007, she worked for the British Government's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) as a policy adviser on international development and also managed water and sanitation projects in Nepal. Chrissie now devotes her life to work to improve individual and population health and wellbeing, and specifically interventions to increase participation in physical activity. She is the Global Lead for Health and Wellbeing for parkrun and is committed to engaging people of all backgrounds, ages and abilities in parkrun events, thereby addressing the entrenched health and wellbeing inequalities that impact many countries across the world. Chrissie published her Sunday Times Best Selling autobiography, 'A Life Without Limits', in 2012, and her second book, 'To the Finish Line: A World Champion Triathlete's Guide to Your Perfect Race', in 2017. In 2021, she co-authored and published two fully-illustrated children's wellbeing storybooks with friend and former athlete Susie Bush-Ramsey entitled 'You're so strong' and 'You're so amazing', as a means of sharing messages about belief, trust, love, friendship, trying your best and embracing change. A trailblazer at heart, Chrissie is often advocating for change. In 2014 she joined three professional cyclists in campaigning for and successfully creating a women’s race at the Tour De France. Chrissie was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2010 Birthday Honours and Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2016 New Year Honours for services to sport and charity. She was also named the 2009 Sunday Times Sportswoman of the Year and has Honorary Doctorates from the University of Birmingham and the University of Bristol. Chrissie lives with her husband, former professional athlete Tom Lowe, and their daughter Esme in a small village in Somerset.