Sure, if you’re a pro or are looking to be seriously competitive (i.e. qualifying for Kona is your life goal), you’re going to re-arrange a great portion of your life around your training. But for most of us, life should be the initial priority, and training is one more thing that must be arranged, juggled, and otherwise adjusted to fit in between work, family, faith, and social obligations. Oh, and a little fun never hurt, either.

This is a great run-down of tips that will help an athlete put everything in place. Is Bernhardt’s word the final word on the subject? Of course not. She admits that the research contradicts and conflicts and is generally hard to work with (as research often is). What Bernhardt offers is a definitive guide, a reason to pin your options down to one course of action; now you can tell yourself, “This is what Gale Bernhardt said to do, so this is what I’m going to do,” instead of endlessly arguing with yourself the pros/cons of morning vs. evening workouts.