An Actual Day in My Life as a D1 Athlete at LSU: Training, Classes, and Everything In Between

Being a Division 1 athlete is something a lot of kids dream about, but very few people actually see what the day-to-day reality looks like. In this video, I pull back the curtain on a full 24 hours in my life as a D1 runner at LSU—from the 6:30 AM alarm to the late-night study session. College athletics is not just workouts and races; it is about finding balance, and this is how I find mine.

D1 Athlete Daily Routine: The 6:30 AM Wake-Up Call

As I explained at the start of the video, “Every morning we have practice at either 6, 6:30 or 7 depending on how long the practice is supposed to go.” On this particular day, practice was at 7, which meant I was up at 6:30. The morning routine is minimal—grab the right pair of shoes, maybe eat a little something if my stomach allows it, and head to the track. There is no elaborate morning ritual. It is about getting out the door and being ready to work.

Morning Practice: What D1 Training Actually Looks Like

Practice structure varies depending on the day. Today was an easy day, which means the focus was entirely on volume and keeping the effort relaxed. As I noted, “On easy days, all we care about is volume and just ease.” That does not mean it is a throwaway day—easy runs are the foundation of distance running, and doing them correctly is what separates athletes who stay healthy from those who break down.

Fueling at the Dining Hall

After practice, the first stop is always the dining hall. Nutrition is a huge part of performing as a D1 athlete, and I take advantage of the resources LSU provides. The meal after morning practice is not just about recovery—it is about setting up the rest of the day. I usually load up on protein and carbs to refuel from the session and have enough energy for classes and the afternoon workout.

Balancing Classes with Athletics

After eating, it is straight to class. On this day I had two one-hour classes back to back. One of the realities of being a student-athlete that people do not always appreciate is the mental switching that happens dozens of times a day. You go from an all-out training session to sitting in a lecture hall trying to absorb organic chemistry or Spanish, and you have to be locked in for both.

The Hardest Part: Finding Balance Between Three Priorities

I was upfront in the video about the challenge of balance. “There’s this common saying that college athletes want to be successful at three things: school, social life, and their sport,” I said. And the hard truth is that you can usually only fully commit to two of those three on any given day. Some days school wins. Some days training takes everything. And some days you need your friends. Learning to accept that and not beat yourself up about it has been one of the biggest lessons of my college career so far.

The Double Workout: Afternoon Session at the UREC

On top of the morning practice, D1 athletes often have a second workout in the afternoon. I headed to the UREC (University Recreation Center) for an additional session. These double days are where the real volume builds up. The afternoon work might be a supplementary run, cross-training, or strength work depending on the training plan. It is the accumulation of these sessions that builds the fitness needed to compete at the SEC level.

Pre-Workout Routine Before a Hard Session

Later in the day, it was time for the hardest workout of the week. As I teased in the video, “We have probably the hardest workout that we’ve done all year.” I did not spoil the details, but the combination of fast pace and high volume was going to test everyone on the team. The anticipation before a big workout is its own kind of energy—nerves mixed with excitement.

The Evening Wind-Down: Studying, Poker, and Sleep

The day does not end after training. “I’m studying because I have a chemistry exam on Wednesday,” I shared, showing the reality that the work continues long after practice ends. The team also has a culture of poker nights and movie nights—small moments of normalcy that keep everyone sane during the grind of a season. Before bed, I always try to read a little bit. Then it is lights out, ready to wake up and do it all over again.

As I summed it up: “Wake up, work out, rinse, recycle, repeat day in, day out for just months on end. Yeah, that’s my life.” It is not glamorous every day, but there is a rhythm to it that becomes deeply satisfying when you commit to the process.

If you are considering the D1 path or just curious about what it takes, check out my Instagram and TikTok where I share more behind-the-scenes content from life at LSU.