I find that a lot of cooking is the prep work.  It helps if you can pick a day to chop your veggies & get things ready so that when it comes to making dinner in the evening, you can just focus on the cooking & not the preparation.  Plus, you won't have to wash your cutting board & knives each night.  Sometimes for shorter runs, I like to toss a couple of sweet potatoes into the oven to roast while I am running.  When I get home, they are hot & ready to be served with a salad or some eggs or leftovers for a quick & healthy meal.

For work, delegate to lower-ranking, hourly employees.  It's what my boss does.

As for caring for your wife & running errands for your mom--good on you.  You sound like a good person.

I think making your own gym is a good choice. Someone mentioned meal preps, that's also good. One day a week make everything (freezers are your best friend).

Why do you shave to run errands for your mom every day? I can see stopping to visit every day but why not cut the lunch errands to Monday, Wednesday, Friday and run Tuesday and Thursday? There's two days of easy running done. Then you get up early or run after work M,W,F and make those speed work or longer/harder days with one day being a floating rest day (whichever day you're too busy to fit it in). Then one weekend day is a rest day and the other is your long run (get up before the sun and get it done before anyone needs you).

Honestly, it's all in your commitment. I'm a wife, mother of 2 young girls, full time employee and full time student. I still fit in at least 20 MPW. I have cooked many dinners that I didn't get to sit down and eat with my family. I am often found hunched over my books with a fork in my hand at 8 PM after the kids are in bed. I have spent many lunch breaks racing out the door to fit in as many miles as I can before I have to be back. I have hired babysitters to watch the kids for 2-3 hours so I can do my long runs. If you're an average runner then 3 miles will only take you 30-ish minutes. That's 1/48th of your day so there's really no reason you can't prioritize it In.

Why do you shave to run errands for your mom every day? I can see stopping to visit every day but why not cut the lunch errands to Monday, Wednesday, Friday and run Tuesday and Thursday? There's two days of easy running done. Then you get up early or run after work M,W,F and make those speed work or longer/harder days with one day being a floating rest day (whichever day you're too busy to fit it in). Then one weekend day is a rest day and the other is your long run (get up before the sun and get it done before anyone needs you).

 

Honestly, it's all in your commitment. I'm a wife, mother of 2 young girls, full time employee and full time student. I still fit in at least 20 MPW. I have cooked many dinners that I didn't get to sit down and eat with my family. I am often found hunched over my books with a fork in my hand at 8 PM after the kids are in bed. I have spent many lunch breaks racing out the door to fit in as many miles as I can before I have to be back. I have hired babysitters to watch the kids for 2-3 hours so I can do my long runs. If you're an average runner then 3 miles will only take you 30-ish minutes. That's 1/48th of your day so there's really no reason you can't prioritize it In.

20MPW is generally not a problem. With the 5 I have planned for tonight, I'll have about 24-25 for the past 7 days. I'd like to "kick it up a notch" though. Maybe it's self imposed, but if I have time for an "easy 4-5" on the TM, I find myself often wanting to do more. I never thought I'd hear myself saying that I want more time so that I can run more. LOL!

I am currently working (typically) a 6 AM-4 PM schedule, with a 1-hr commute each way.  I am trying to get into the habit of running home from work a couple of days a week (somewhere around 11 miles).  I do feel, a lot of the time, though, like my life is pretty much working and running.  I have other hobbies I don't spend nearly enough time doing, and I might hang out with friends one night a week, but more than that seems pretty much impossible (or at least exhausting).  I am single right now and don't have kids, and believe me, I have a tremendous amount of sympathy/admiration for those of you who do because I simply can't see how I would even manage kids and work, much less kids and work and running and anything else.

I think it is important to remember that 3 miles does not always equal 30 minutes. For me to get dressed, run 3 miles, shower and change is a good 50 minutes.

One plus side of an early morning workout, is that I would be having a shower anyway.

Saves a few mins by not doubling up with one in the am and then one post-run.

Maybe now isn't your time to run more than you are.  I don't think I could run more miles than what you are currently running with the time and responsibilities that you have.  Instead, maybe you should focus on the quality of the runs you have time to run.  Work on form, work on speed, whatever you think you need to do to improve. Make the most out of every run.

Circumstances can change a year or two down the road and you could end up with a lot more free time to dedicate to running.  I understand where you are coming from completely, but I'm just saying maybe you need to devote as much time to your wife and Mom as possible right now.  Run as often as can so you maintain your fitness and reevaluate later.

To echo what others have said, I think its all about prioritizing what you need to accomplish.  I am a full-time law student, work, play the occasional music gig, am trying to finish up my thesis for my masters, and have social and familial obligations as well.  But running trumps all of that for me right now.  When I had running or working out down the list even a few slots on my priority list, it just didn't get done which I couldn't deal with.  Maybe it won't be this way for ever, but my personal health needed a turn at the top, at least for a while.

Good luck with finding the time to balance everything in your life!