How to Fit Triathlon Training into a Busy Life With Matthew Marquardt
Balancing triathlon training with a busy life is not easy.
Professional triathlete and full time-medical student, Matthew Marquardt, knows this better than most. He’s proof that even the busiest among us can achieve incredible things (like doing his first 70.3 in 2021 and turning pro in 2023) with the right strategies. (Ok, so maybe we can’t all do that… but you get the point.)
His approach to time management and prioritization provides valuable lessons for age-groupers juggling demanding jobs, family responsibilities, and busy training schedules.
Read on to discover:
Marquardt’s meteoric rise in triathlon
Balancing pro triathlon with medical school
5 time management tips for busy athletes
*BONUS Triple Threat Life Club Members- Time Management Worksheet for Busy Athletes with a time management audit, weekly planning for balancing life and training, and customizable daily structure inspired by Matthew Marquardt.
*Each month, Triple Threat Life Club members get to participate in a video call with a guest speaker, and we were honored to have Matthew Marquardt join us in December. Club members listened to a full interview and had the opportunity to ask him their own questions! Don’t miss out on our next call. You never know who might show up… pro triathletes, triathlon coaches, nutritionists, ect.
Also, Club membership provides you with discounts to your favorite brands (ROKA, Rudy Project, Running Warehouse, ect.), and bonus content like worksheets, templates, and planners.
Matthew Marquardt’s meteoric rise in triathlon
In 2023, a then-unknown Matthew Marquardt snagged three podium finishes in his rookie year as a pro triathlete. (3rd at IRONMAN Texas, 2nd at IRONMAN Coeur D’Alene, and 3rd at IRONMAN Florida). In 2024, he repeated this feat placing 2nd at IRONMAN Lake Placid, 3rd at 70.3 Mont-Tremblant, and 3rd at IRONMAN Texas, finishing 4th overall in the IRONMAN Pro Series.
Pretty impressive results, but they’re downright remarkable considering that his first real triathlon was 70.3 Gulf Coast in 2021. This led many people to ask- “Who is Matthew Marquardt, and where on earth did he come from?” He came from Princeton, of course, but you have to go back a bit further to discover how his journey in triathlon truly began.
In high school, a young Marquardt varsity lettered 13 times in 5 different sports. He never cycled competitively, but he was on a bike from an early age. He also swam, ran track, did cross-country, and played soccer. “It became clear during freshman year that swimming was my ticket to college, so that’s what I focused on,” he says. “I was a backstroke and butterfly specialist and qualified for the 2016 US Olympic Trials in 200m backstroke. Being in that high pressure environment has been really valuable moving forward in a variety of different aspects of life.”
When COVID cancelled his senior year of swimming at Princeton, Marquardt was looking for a new challenge. He found an old, carbon-fiber bike and got back into cycling. During January of his senior year, he biked across the US. That’s how his triathlon career began. “I’d never biked more than 80 miles before, but I had a crazy idea to ride across the country. I really wanted to be challenged and get as close to failure as I could. There were 27 days between Christmas and the start of spring semester, so with driving time, I had to ride 110 miles a day for 23 days.”
He did better than that, finishing in 19 and a half days averaging between 130-150 miles a day. Then, he started looking for his next challenge. In 2021, he signed up for 70.3 Gulf Coast. The plan was to be “one and done.” It would be a fun thing before graduation, and then it was time to focus on medical school.
At least that was the plan…
“I trained for 3 weeks on my own, which really just consisted of going all out for 2 hours on the bike and doing a 9-mile hard run. I’d done a few sprint triathlons when I was really young, but this was my first real triathlon,” he says.
Marquardt placed 4th overall in a time of 4:05 with no aero helmet on a borrowed bike. Then, he immediately hopped in the car, drove to Atlanta, and caught a flight to graduation. “It was fun, because there were no expectations. I was hoping that maybe I would qualify for Worlds, do that, and that would be it,” he says.
After placing 2nd in his age group at the 70.3 World Championship, it became clear that triathlon might be something to pursue. “After Worlds, I had a decision to make,” he says. “I did well, but I was still really far away from the pros, by like 30 minutes. My coach said he thought I could do it, and while I wasn't sure, I give him tons of kudos for seeing that in me.”
With medical school on the horizon, Marquardt wondered if he should take a chance and see if he could excel in pro triathlon. Or should he take the more traditional route and focus on school? He sought guidance from his mentors who gave him some surprising advice.
“In medicine, we always try to find the predictors of future greatness. We’ve looked at grades, what college you went to, what medical school you went to, recommendations, and publications you’ve contributed to, but nothing has correlated with future success except for being elite at something other than medicine,” he says. “They told me that if I could do both, and be good at triathlon, then this was my ticket.”
So he took a risk, went down a non-traditional path, and raced as an age-grouper in 2022. He turned pro in 2023.
Balancing Act: Pro triathlon + medical school
The coolest thing about Marquardt is that he’s one of the most successful working triathletes in the pro field. He’s someone age-groupers can relate to because he faces the same challenge as you. At the age of 27, Marquardt balances his pro triathlon career with being a medical student at The Ohio State University. He’s also a researcher at The James Cancer Center, which is the title logo that’s proudly displayed on his white and red kit. He starts hospital rotations this month, and his end goal is to become a head and neck surgeon.
The first thing he wants to make clear is that balancing triathlon training with a busy life is not easy. “If any successful age-grouper says it’s easy to balance both… it’s not,” he says.
In his opinion, there are three non-negotiables.
A good support system
Marquardt relies on the support of his parents, girlfriend, and sponsors, as well as The Ohio State University and The James Cancer Center to help him reach his goals. Having an extensive network that’s committed to helping you achieve your best is essential.
Similarly, Matt and I relied a lot on my mom during this last build to IRONMAN Arizona. With two people in the same household training for an Ironman, it was a big task balancing full time jobs with training, cooking, and cleaning. She helped out by making dinner a few nights a week, and she accompanied us to the race to act as our sherpa.
Excellent time management skills
“The most important thing is time management and making sure that how you’re spending your time is intentional, valuable, and productive,” Marquardt says.
On a typical day, he’s up around 5:00-5:30 am for his first workout and done by 8:00-8:30 am so he’s ready to start a full day of lectures and research. By 6 pm, it’s time to unwind and focus on quality time with bedtime between 8-9 pm. Then, rinse and repeat. He also works on Saturday and Sunday, so there’s really no “off day.” When he starts hospital rotations in January, he will lose some of that autonomy during the week, but his weekends will be free… for more studying and training.
“My guess is there will be a lot of 3-4 am workouts before I go to the hospital. We’ll probably put my high priority workout in the morning so I have that done. Then, we will play it day by day based on when I get out,” he says.
Intentional prioritization and focus
We all get the same number of hours in a day. How you use them is up to you. For Marquardt, this means intentional prioritization on what’s most important to him. “I watch basically no TV, maybe an hour a week. There’s also sacrifices. I don’t go out as much as the typical person my age, and there’s definitely been some social aspects that have suffered, but I’m ok with that.”
It’s also important to focus on the task at hand by giving it your full and undivided attention. When you’re studying- put away your phone and turn off the TV. When you’re working- work to get things done, don’t waste time scrolling on social media. When you’re training- train to accomplish a specific purpose, don’t just go through the motions.
This might sound hard. That’s because it is! If you want to achieve what nobody else has, then you must be willing to do what nobody else will in order to achieve it.
“Some people want it to happen. Some wish it would happen. Others make it happen.”- Michael Jordan
Marquardt’s Approach: A masterclass in efficiency
Although most of us aren’t balancing pro triathlon with medical school, here’s how you can apply Marquardt’s principles to your own life.
Early mornings: Plan your key workouts in the early morning to get them done before you have to start work, school, ect. Although this means an early wake-up call, the likelihood that something will derail your workout as the day goes on is high. Then, you can always add an easier session in the evening. Training twice a day is common for most triathletes.
Time management and prioritization: Plan your day around your most important workouts or tasks you need to accomplish. Prioritize what’s essential and use time-blocks (2 hours max) to help you stay focused.
Minimize distractions: Limit nonessential activities like TV or excessive social media. Replace scrolling through your phone with intentional downtime like stretching, meal prep, or spending quality time with family.
Plan ahead and communicate: Block off training time on your calendar just like you would an appointment. Be upfront about your commitments with family, friends, and work so they know when you’re available. Plan ahead with time-saving tasks like doing meal prep on the weekends to free up more time during the week.
Build a support system: Matthew surrounds himself with people who support his goals. Whether it’s a training partner, coach, or family, having others in your corner can make balancing life with triathlon feel more manageable.
Marquardt has another great tip for time-starved age-groupers looking to maximize their training. Get a coach. Coaching isn’t just for the elite or result-driven athlete. Coaching is for any athlete who needs direction, structure, and accountability.
“I’ve taken an atypical approach to training where I focused on outsourcing from an early stage. From the beginning, I knew that I probably wasn’t doing the best job of it myself, and there was probably an expert who could do a much better job,” he says. “It became clear that what I did best with was having a coach I could trust and fully buy into. She could handle the training and I could do it. Then, I could go off and be a medical student. I didn't have to analyze training or think about what I had to do for the next session.”
Triathlon is a big thing, but it’s not the only thing
It’s worth mentioning that despite competing in triathlon at an elite level, sport isn’t the only thing in Marquardt’s life. Being a well-rounded person with a variety of interests helps to provide perspective and prevents burnout. “I always try to remind myself that whether I do well, or whether I do poorly, it doesn’t matter because I’m going to end up being a doctor one day. That takes some of the pressure off,” he says.
Of course he wants to race well, but for Marquardt, a key focus is using his platform to spread knowledge about cancer screenings and fundraising for cancer research.
It all started during freshman year of high school when one of his childhood friends was diagnosed with leukemia. Around that time, his class was tasked with a 30-hour “personal challenge” project. While others learned to cook or knit, Marquardt climbed Mount Kilimanjaro and raised $6,000 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. During his bike ride across the US., Marquardt raised $15,000 for Pelotonia, a nonprofit organization that raises funds for cancer research.
“As it became apparent I had a future in triathlon at the top level, I wanted to do something more than just sell more bikes and shoes. That’s really when I started thinking about how I could use the platform I have to raise awareness about cancer screening and fundraising for cancer research,” he says. “That’s my overarching goal in triathlon, as well as showing people you can do things that other people, including yourself, think you can’t do.”
That’s why The James Cancer Center is emblazoned across the front of his red and white kit, and his Trek Speed Concept has the initials of friends and family members who have been affected by cancer.
“I always try to ground my racing in them,” he says. “Triathlon is obviously really hard. When you’re trying to push yourself to the absolute limit, doing something for someone other than yourself is what really motivates me, keeps me grounded, and provides good perspective.”
Marquardt has also partnered with several of his sponsors by putting a unique “charity clause” in his contracts. Based on his results at races (top 3 or top 5) sponsors either donate funds or goods. “Based on results, they will donate a couple hundred dollars to my fundraising portal for Pelotonia or gear that we can auction off,” he says. “It’s awesome to have that kind of support, belief, and focus on the greater mission.”
Fun Speed Round Q&A
Favorite snack? “Banana and protein shake after every workout. After a long ride, I might treat myself to pancakes.”
Favorite discipline? “Bike.”
Go-to running shoe? “I train in the Nike Vomero and race in the Nike Alphafly 3.”
Are you N + 1? “I have an electric bike I built in college that goes 45 mph, a free wheel single-speed I use around campus, a Madone road bike, a gravel bike, two Trek speed concepts, and an old Cervelo that I rode across the country.”
Triathlon shouldn’t compete with your life; it should enhance your life. By adopting strategies like those Matthew Marquardt uses, you can stay consistent with training, reach your athletic goals, and thrive in your personal and professional life.
*BONUS Triple Threat Life Club Members- Time Management Worksheet for Busy Athletes
The worksheet below contains a time management audit, weekly planning for balancing life and training, and customizable daily structure inspired by Matthew Marquardt.
Sign up for the Triple Threat Life Club to access bonus content and listen to our next guest speaker.