HOW I TRAIN AT A HIGH LEVEL WHILE WORKING FULL-TIME 

Published: 02/10/2026 | By: Kate Hutchinson 

How do you train and race at a high level while working full-time? There’s no magic formula – just plenty of planning, routine, flexibility and learning when to adapt. From heading straight from school to training to accepting that some sessions simply won’t go to plan, here’s how our ambassador, Kate Hutchinson, balances work, life and ambitious sporting goals. 

More and more recently, people have been asking me the same question: “Are you still teaching full-time?” When I say yes, the response is almost always, “Really?! How do you fit all of that training and racing in?” 

It got me thinking that perhaps people are genuinely interested in how you balance working full-time with trying to compete at a high level in sport. In some ways, I don’t think I’m the best person to answer the question because training around other commitments has always been my normal. When I was swimming, I fitted nine sessions a week around school, homework and everything else that came with being a teenager. Looking back, I probably didn’t appreciate that I was learning habits I’d still be relying on years later. 

I also know there are parts of my situation that make things easier than they might be for somebody else. I don’t have children, my husband is incredibly supportive, and my family and close friends have always encouraged me to pursue sport. Equally, after years of training, going to the gym after work doesn’t feel like a huge task because it’s simply been part of my routine for such a long time. 

So I definitely don’t think my experience will mirror everybody else’s. What I do hope, though, is that some of the things I’ve learnt over the years might help if you’re trying to fit training around a busy life, whatever your goals happen to be. 

The Reality Of Balancing Work, Life And Training 

People often picture the training sessions themselves when they think about competing at a high level, but they’re only one piece of the puzzle. To perform well consistently, you also need to recover properly, fuel yourself well, make time for strength work and mobility, stay on top of little injuries before they become bigger ones, and somehow still get enough sleep to do it all again the next day. 

Trying to fit all of that around a full-time job is where the challenge really lies. Everyone’s version of that challenge looks slightly different. Some people spend all day on their feet, while others are mentally exhausted by the time they get home. There are meetings that overrun, commutes, deadlines, travel, childcare, family commitments and all the other bits of life that somehow fill every spare hour before you’ve even thought about training. 

I think that’s why comparing ourselves to other people can be so unhelpful. Social media has slightly distorted what training “should” look like. It’s easy to compare yourself to somebody training twice a day without stopping to think that training is their full-time job, or that their circumstances might be completely different from yours. Most of us don’t have that luxury, so I don’t think there’s much value in trying to copy somebody else’s routine. I’d much rather build one that I know I can repeat for months than one that looks impressive for a couple of weeks. 

If I’m honest, my weeks probably don’t look all that smooth. More often than not, I’m driving straight from school to training, knowing I’ve still got books to mark when I get home. Sometimes work overruns and I don’t start training until much later than I’d planned, which usually means eating dinner far later than I’d like, too. It isn’t the most glamorous routine, and it can feel a bit chaotic at times, but it’s one that works for me. That’s simply the reality of trying to balance two things that are both important to me. 

Knowing What I’m Training For 

One thing that really helps me is knowing exactly what I’m working towards. At the start of each season, I’ll already have looked at the races I’d like to do and worked backwards from there. Once those competitions are in the diary, every week suddenly has a purpose. It’s much easier to head out for a session after work when you know why you’re doing it. 

That doesn’t mean I bounce into every workout full of motivation; I definitely don’t. But knowing that today’s session forms part of something much bigger usually makes the decision a little easier. 

Being Realistic With My Week 

One advantage of working full-time is that it forces you to be honest about what you can realistically fit in. I don’t have the time for sessions that don’t really serve a purpose. The key workouts that are going to make the biggest difference to my performance go into the diary first, and everything else fits around them. 

I also know that trying to follow somebody else’s training plan rarely ends well. I’ve done it before, and it usually leaves me feeling as though I’m constantly chasing sessions I was never realistically going to complete. 

Routine Helps More Than Motivation 

I’ve realised over the years that I’m very much a creature of habit. A few years ago, I started doing my track session on a Wednesday because that was when other people wanted to train. After enough Wednesdays at the track, it almost became odd not to be there. 

I don’t spend Wednesday afternoons deciding whether I fancy going; it’s simply what Wednesdays look like. The people around me make a huge difference, too. I have a coach, an incredibly supportive husband, friends who train alongside me, and a brilliant community at the clubs and gyms I use. On the days when motivation is lacking, knowing someone else is expecting me to turn up is often enough. 

Making Things Easier For Myself 

I’ve also learnt that knowing your own habits is really important. For some people, if they go home after work, there’s a good chance they’ll stay there. So it’s important not to give yourself the option. 

My gym bag often comes to school with me, so I can head straight to training after work, particularly in the winter. It’s a small thing, but removing those little opportunities to talk myself out of a session has probably helped more than I realised. The same applies when time is tight. 

A few years ago, I’d probably have skipped a session altogether if I couldn’t do exactly what was on the plan. Now, if I’ve got half an hour, I’ll use the half an hour. It might be a shorter strength session, some mobility or a quicker run than I’d originally intended, but I’d much rather adapt than do nothing at all. 

Looking After The Boring Bits 

This is probably the area where I’ve changed the most. For years, I was guilty of under-fuelling. I’d expect my body to perform well after work without really thinking about whether I’d given it enough throughout the day. Now I see everything I eat and drink during the day as preparation for the session that comes later. 

The same goes for recovery. Sleep, physio, massage, strength work and mobility aren’t particularly exciting, but they’re the things that allow me to keep training consistently instead of constantly dealing with injuries or feeling exhausted. They’re easy things to neglect when life gets busy, but I’ve found they’re usually the first things that make a difference when I actually prioritise them. 

Accepting That Plans Change 

This is probably where my mindset has changed the most over the years. There was a time when I’d have driven all the way to the gym and felt I had to complete every single rep exactly as planned. If I didn’t, I’d leave feeling frustrated. 

I’m much more relaxed about adapting things now. If work has been particularly demanding, if I’m more tired than usual or if tomorrow’s session is more important, I’m quite happy to cut something short or make small changes. Equally, there are weeks where work simply takes more out of me than I’d expected, and I’ve had to accept that. 

As a teacher, I know there are certain times of year when marking, reports or data deadlines are going to make life busier. Rather than fighting against those weeks, I try to plan for them. On the other hand, school holidays usually give me a bit more flexibility, so I make the most of those when they come around. 

Training Doesn’t Have To Look Exactly The Same Every Week To Be Effective. 

One piece of advice my swimming coach gave me has always stayed with me. He used to talk about the three S’s: Swimming, Studies and Socialising. His point was that you could probably do two of them really well, but trying to excel at all three at the same time was incredibly difficult. 

I still think about that now, except my version looks slightly different. 

There are times when sport asks you to make sacrifices. Sometimes that means saying no to plans, sometimes it means going to bed earlier than you’d like, and sometimes it means fitting training around work rather than the other way round. I don’t think that’s a bad thing, as long as you’re making those choices because they’re taking you towards something that matters to you. 

I wish there was a secret that made balancing work and training easier, but I honestly don’t think there is. Some weeks everything lines up brilliantly and others feel like you’re constantly moving things around just to make them fit. 

However, I don’t think having a busy job should automatically mean letting go of ambitious sporting goals. You just need to ensure that you are planning ahead where you can, being flexible when you need to be, and recognising that consistency doesn’t always look exciting.