I don't work, so I'm able to run/train whenever I want to, for the most part. Most of my training takes about 12hrs per week, sometimes a little more when I'm closer to my peak miles.


Most training plans that you can find (including relentless forward progress) have adaptations for your normal weekly mileage. I'm on the low end, and probably someone with a demanding career would be also. I can't image working 40-50 hrs per week and then also finding time for more than 12-15 hours per week of training. You have to eat, sleep, socialize, interact with friends/family, too.

Despite running whenever I want to, I still do my long runs on the weekends so I'm more likely to be able to run with other people. Sometimes for longer runs (like 22+) I can convince people to run half of it or more with me so I don't have to do all those miles alone, and I bribe people frequently with cupcakes.

Everyone I run with has a job, they just schedule carefully and don't freak out if they have to miss a run (well, I don't freak out either). Stuff happens, people manage. Try it!

I am an accountant. Luckily I'm a government accountant & generally work a strict 40 hour week schedule.. No kids.. Life is pretty easy for me. However, it is hard to get the runs in. However, weekend mornings are my prime running time for long runs. During the week, I run at lunch & after work.

In 2011 I ran 43 marathon+ distance runs, including several ultras and a 100 miler. Also during that year I changed careers from a service manager with an industrial company to project admin with a fire pump company, finished renovations and sold my house and my mother-in law's house and moved into an apartment, and had two vacations. I MADE the time, running was (and still is) an important part of my life.

I have run several marathons and one ultra - a 55km mountain trail run. As an executive director of a medical clinic, we work Mon - Fri 9-5. I usually run after work and long runs on weekends.

Assistant Manager in a Risk Divison (also work part time in a restaurant on a Friday/Saturday night), not done any ultra's and would have to say it's the not knowing if I can commit to the training that's making me hesitate to enter (there's one at 69 miles that I REALLY want to do).
I was running 4 time a week, saving my long runs for the Sunday (didn't want to do a 20 mile run and then be on my feet in the restaurant for hours), I must have become a really boring person, the whole eat, sleep, train, repeat was me for 18 weeks, people asked me what I was doing at the weekend, I would reply in miles!!!
Think if my pace had been quicker or I was training on different terrain (on hilly/slippy forest trails) it would have made a difference as I wouldn't have been out for as long on my long runs, just got to work with what we've got!!

Run commute wouldn't work for me, I'm over 20 miles away from work, running home in the dark (Scotland in winter it gets dark at about 3pm) on the road I would have to use, would have probably resulted in an injury (getting run over), same with the other job, I ain't running 4 miles home at 1am (no dedication I know)!!

Well, as of this moment, I am an unemployed IT professional. But, when I was training for marathons and ultras, I was running about 45-55 miles per week. Sometimes I would have to do doubles to fit it in - sometimes before work, during lunch hour, after work - whatever had to be done. I was doing Software Quality Assurance that required weird hours working with my offshore team so I had to work around that. It helped that I was able to work at home sometimes. Plus I was able to do a run commute sometimes since I lived so close - and we had a gym there where I could take a shower.

I also did IT Project Management stuff and worked on an MBA while racking up my highest mileage weeks. On the flipside, I am a single woman with no kids but a very active social life.

Edited to add: there was never any problem over-training, but you can bet I took whatever time I could to sleep and cherish my rest days!

It's hard but do-able.

I do space planning and interior design and typically work 40-45 hours/week (8am to 5-6pm) with the occasional days of working to 7-8pm. It can be tough.

As hard as it is to get into the habit of it, I've found I'm most consistent with mileage when I run in the mornings - it's a lot easier to get it done - and then if I have to work late one night I don't have to worry about it. As weird as it also sounds, this is generally easier for me in the winter as well - to get into the habit of going to the gym every morning during the week and doing the Treadmill (even though I hate the treadmill).

That being said, I have typically always ran on the lower end of the spectrum for mileage for most marathon & ultra runners - I typically do 35-45 mile weeks with the exception of a couple of 50 mile weeks right before my first Ultra (I've done 2, 50K's, 6 marathons, and am hopefully doing my first 50 Miler at the end of this month - all in this past year).

I will be attempting my first training plan that has me over 50 mile weeks this coming winter as I train for my first attempt at trying to Boston Qualify - so it will be interesting to see how getting 12 milers in on weekdays goes...I'm a little nervous about it!!!

As for Long runs - since I don't have any kids yet, I've never really had an issue getting these in other than the occasional weekend where I have a commitment such as a wedding or family event etc - but that's not that often.

I am a stay at home mom, I have four kids under 9, 2 of which are still home full time. I have no interest in doing an ultra but I do want to do an Ironman so that takes the same level of commitment if not more. My husband also is a marathon runner. So basically 7 days a week one of us is up at 4 am to get a run in. We alternate long run days on the weekend. We aren't very social people to begin with, we like to stay at home with our family so there haven't had to be too many sacrifices made. My point is if it's important to you you will find a way to make it work. The only thing that has really changed is we watch a lot less TV now. And that's not a bad thing.:drinker: