What Athletes Who Handle This Well Tend To Do Over the years, I have noticed a few habits among athletes who manage both sides without falling apart. As Patrick Wales-Dinan, I try to teach these habits directly rather than assuming an eighteen-year-old already knows how to manage a schedule this demanding. They plan ahead instead of reacting at the last minute. A runner who knows a big test is coming in three weeks can shape their training and their study time around it early. They are also honest with me and with their professors when something is not working, rather than trying to handle everything alone until it breaks down. They treat sleep as part of training, not something to give up first when life gets busy. They ask for help early. The ones who wait until they feel overwhelmed end up behind on both running and school more often than the ones who speak up sooner. Most of these athletes have never had to manage this kind of schedule before, and I don't think there is any good reason to expect them to figure it out alone. https://patrickwalesdinan.wordpress.com/2026/08/11/patrick-wales-dinan-how-i-help-athletes-balance-academics-and-a-demanding-training-schedule/