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Between work and training, weekdays can be extremely busy and I need to be efficient with my time. When the alarm goes off at 4:45 am, I want to roll out of bed and head to the pool without using much time or brain power. Here’s the breakdown of how I organize my outfits and gym bags for the week.
Plan every outfit for the week ahead
My coach sends me my training plan for the week on Sunday. Once I know my schedule, I pick all my clothes and bath towels for the week and separate them by day in a cheap sweater organizer that hangs in my closet.
Here’s an example of what I would do on a day where I only have one workout. I’ll set aside jeans, underwear, a long sleeved shirt, tank top, sports bra, running socks, running tights, and gym towel. I’ll wear the sports bra and tank top under the long sleeved shirt while I’m at work so I’ll just have to change my pants at the gym.
Here’s an example of what I might set aside for the days I have to swim before work and spin on the trainer in the evening. A swimsuit and bath towel for masters. Jeans, shirt, bra, underwear, and compression socks for work. Bike shorts, sports bra, and tri top for the evening spin session.
For the days I work out in the morning and shower in a locker room
I keep an extra set of my essential toiletries in my gym bag and shower caddy so I don’t have to worry about forgetting something at home or deal with digging through my gym bag in the middle of a shower at home.
Shower Caddy
- Shampoo
- Conditioner
- Body wash
- Face wash
- Spray bottle with vitamin C solution
Gym Bag
- Shower shoes
- Bag for dirty/wet clothes
- Deodorant
- Cotton swabs
- Moisturizer
- Body lotion
- Leave-in conditioner
- Perfume
- Comb
- Hair bands and bobby pins
- Spare pair of contact lenses
- Extra vitamin C powder/measuring spoon/funnel
For the days I work out in the evening and shower at home
I’ll pack a smaller gym bag with my workout clothes, running shoes, gym towel, water bottle, iPod, and a resistance band.
What are your tips for saving precious time during the week?
Malnourished Triathlete 
Dude, that’s organization! Uh, get home, rifle through my stuff, pick out what I need and I’m out the door. Tools on the bike? H2O? Good enough, I’m ready…
I had a few too many incidents in the past where I got out of the shower at work and realized I forgot to bring a towel underwear or a bra. I’m glad that hasn’t been an issue for you 🙂
Wow! Base is my home, gym is my office, I’m lucky that way… Though I have, on occasion, forgotten my cycling shoes at the office or at home. Picking up a second pair this year so I can have one in each spot.
The second pair of shoes is a good idea.
This organization scheme was bred out of necessity because my schedule is different every day. Where I shower depends on the workout du jour. Most days I have to fit in 3 hours of training on top of 10 hours at the office and at least 1 hour in the car. 10 minutes of planning on Sunday saves me a lot of stress during the week. I really don’t know how people do this shit when they have kids to raise too!
I can’t. I can fake it through an Olympic, but even a half is just too much.
Ok dont mind me .. I am OCD i need to have all my hangers in the same color and shape. arranging my wardrobe in color coordinated way and folded in shapes and sized. LOL
but anyway … your waterbottle is BAD ASS !!
I uses to be the same way but now I’m all about maximizing efficiency 🙂
Very organized! I used to set in advance my outfits for the week, but later on I realized it was easier for me to just get my clothes ready the evening before, instead of having a pile of weekly outfits in my closet.
I love that black and white swimsuit!
good tips, I usually find I dont know where I have put everything, and with training being all week I can run out of stuff really easily.
good to read your blog