I run less (but workout more) than you think.

Very typical exchange between me and another amateur athlete or an aspiring athlete:

Them: "So how many hours a week do you workout?"
Me: "Fifteen to twenty hours a week."
Them: "And that is all or pretty much all running?"
Me: "Heavens no.  Jeez."

I ran my way into running shape, or marathon shape.  That was when I was logging sixty and more miles every week, sometimes running twice a day.  But now that marathon distances and six-hour runs are fairly routine (OK, that was kinda weird to say/type, but it is truthful and accurate.  Wow.), my strategy has been to train more but run less to save the miles on the body.  I might actually train less too.  I used to do at least an hour on the elliptical almost everyday, almost always more, and in addition to running.  I have not been on the elliptical in weeks.  A lot of my peers run in the hundred-miles-per-week neighborhood.  I am currently sitting at about half of that, but racing more than once a month -- assuring regular thirty or fifty-mile supported training runs.  I spend considerable time on upper-body workouts (my vanity workouts), but the vast majority on cardio and core.  Fifteen to twenty hours per week is based on this:

8 hours running: Tuesday track; Thursday and Saturday and/or Sunday runs with Jill.  Track is an hour and usually three to five miles.  Jill and I run up to, but seldom over, twenty miles and three or so hours.  Since we are "in-season", and usually right up against either a taper or recover, these have been more like twelve or so miles and two hours -- but then that means a 50K or 50M or whatever race and all those miles and time.  Catching a bonus run on the weekend happens plenty often enough to round up to an average of eight hours per week here.

3.25 hours yoga with Delanie: Monday 5:30PM and Wednesday 6:30AM at Cisco, one hour each; 8:00 to 9:15AM Saturday at the studio on Lincoln.  I obviously miss the Saturday class for a Saturday race.  Other than that, I basically never miss yoga.

2 hours rowing: 10K three times per week at forty minutes each.  I usually row on Mondays and Fridays.  I row after yoga.  Sometimes I row twice on Wednesdays.  I still do not think I have rowed four times in one week.

3 hours vanity stuff: Pretty much everyday that I am in the SJQ gym (for yoga, sometimes after track, Wednesday and Friday evenings), I do twenty to thirty or so minutes of weights (upper-body) and stretching.  I move quickly and purposely in the gym, doing rounds of a set of push something, then a set of pull something, then stretch.  I can usually get in at least five rounds.  I also do push-ups and pull-ups around the house, usually in the mornings (but Thursdays and weekends too).

That is over 16 hours and pretty much guaranteed.

Bonus time: It happens.  I find extra workouts for fun.  Seriously.  Like training runs with Franz and Coastside Running Club or free guest night yoga at Planet Granite with Annie and Dave.  I might kill some time on the elliptical or stationary bike.  Crazy, right?

So yeah.  That is how I workout fifteen to twenty hours per week.  I work my friggin tail off, so it definitely is not for everybody.  If you want to try it, you will probably have to give up television to get those extra hours.  Good luck!