Time Blocking: Balancing Training, Work and Recovery

One thing I’ve become much more intentional about over the last few years is how I use my time.

I’m an athlete, but I also run my own business through Imo Boddy Collective, alongside coaching, content, speaking and everything else that comes with working for yourself. Add training, recovery, travel and having a life outside of running, and my weeks can get pretty full.

For a long time, I tried to fit everything in as it came. I’d train when I could, answer emails between things and squeeze coaching around my runs.

The problem was that there was always something else to do.

So, I started time blocking.

Giving everything a space

For me, time blocking is about giving the different parts of my life their own space.

Training gets blocked out. Not just the run itself, but the time around it too - travelling, eating afterwards, showering and recovering.

Work gets its own blocks. Coaching, admin, calls, content and emails all have their place rather than being something I’m constantly dipping in and out of throughout the day.

…and perhaps most importantly, recovery gets blocked out too.

Sleep, proper meals, mobility, time off my feet and simply switching off are all part of the plan.

I think it’s very easy when you work for yourself to let work fill every available gap. There is always another email, another idea or another thing that could be 

done.

Time blocking has helped me recognise that training and recovery deserve the same level of protection as my work.

It isn't about being perfectly organised

I definitely don’t have this completely figured out. There are weeks where everything gets moved around and life inevitably gets in the way.

For me, time blocking isn’t about creating a rigid schedule. It’s about having a framework and being realistic about how much time I actually have.

It also forces me to prioritise. If there are ten things I could do but only enough time for five, I have to decide what genuinely matters that day.

Ultimately, I’m trying to create a life where I can train properly, run my businesses properly and still have time to switch off.

So rather than trying to find more hours in the day, I’m trying to be more intentional with the ones I already have.

Training gets a block.
Work gets a block.
Recovery gets a block.
And life gets a block too.