What is your training schedule like? How do you deal with morning races when you are normally sleeping?
What is your training schedule like? How do you deal with morning races when you are normally sleeping?
99% of LRC has no idea what a night shift even is.
I didn't work night shift but for 2 years I often worked from 9:30 to 1:30-2. You can't train well, and I pretty much only did moderate volume but at a bit of a faster clip.
central governor wrote:
99% of LRC has no idea what a night shift even is.
1982 movie directed by Ron Howard and starring Henry Winkler and Michael Keaton, his first starring role! Also including Shelley Long, Kevin Costner, and Shannen Doherty.
Been working in the kitchen for 15 years. I hit the bed as early as I can, and run anywhere from 9-11am (depending on my schedule for the week). Racing takes a huge hit since most start at 8 or 9am and I end up running much slower than fitness indicates.
It also impacts training in general. Hard to link up with people, difficult to find a coach, running club, etc.
it suffers greatly wrote:
I didn't work night shift but for 2 years I often worked from 9:30 to 1:30-2. You can't train well, and I pretty much only did moderate volume but at a bit of a faster clip.
Is that just 9:30pm to 2am?
Sounds rough, I admire your fortitude. It’s hard to imagine optimal training/racing while working those odd hours. Our bodies aren’t made for that. Maybe you’ll beat the odds though, people adapt to almost anything. Best of luck!
Night Shift Runner wrote:
What is your training schedule like? How do you deal with morning races when you are normally sleeping?
I drove tractor trailers at night for years, typical schedule was 8pm-6am. It basically sucked for training, your body never gets used to it and I always felt sleep deprived. I mostly tried to to find Sunday races but if a race was on Saturday morning I would just call in sick on Friday and go to bed earlier.
I been working 10:30 pm til 6:30 am for 10 years. I've still can't get enough sleep and always feel tired. I usually run right when I'm done with work and then in the late afternoon if I'm doubling. Luckily Friday and Saturday nights when I'm not working I can still sleep 8 hours and feel alright for morning races. I agree that Sunday races seem to go better.
I have done some night shift working, mostly during the pandemic when races weren't really going on. Its actually EASIER to train on night shift because you can have more time off work while the sun is up. It makes for no social life though.
Go to work at night, drive home and immediately go to sleep. Wake up with at least a couple hours until sunset. Set an alarm if you have to - for the first few weeks you'll prob wake up way early, before 8 hours of sleep. You are basically living backwards.
Driving to a race and trying to run after a night of work is miserable. I had a few of my worst races the morning after a night of work. I suggest using direct athletics to find track meets where you can run one of the later distance events. The 5k is usually the second to last event and their are distance carnivals at night - those will be perfect. There are a few pm road races in the US that are big too - if you are willing to travel, this could work. It will make hotel stays a little weird, but you can probably figure it out.
The other option is to go about your day after work, then sleep, then go to work. So you'd run right when you get off work, then do stuff, and go to bed around noon/early afternoon - I'm not a fan of this. But eventually you'd adjust and you'd be fine doing morning races. It will be stressful trying to get everything you need to do done before sleeping though.
I've worked night shift when you do that work you just want to sleep when you're done.
I didn't run when I had shiftwork in the middle of the night. Maybe I threw in a run here and there but I haven't done paying shift work for years.
I did nightshift work at 3 places I remember at least
1 was delivering pizza ingredients and stock to supply a chain pizza store at their multiple locations in the city and in the outskirts. Long shift begins at 11pm or so done maybe 9 or 10 am next day something like that.
Worked at Costco 4am start that was brutal I had band practice into the evening and a solo gig evenings twice a week that summer. I slept in shifts it was all messed up.
Another job I had at an environmental engineering place doing basic labour was nightshift
Remember a prick there who threatened me. I think he dealt drugs wouldn't be surprised if he's 6 feet under by now.
I worked C shift (11:45pm - 8:15am) Monday - Friday for several years. Training consisted of easy miles during the work week and one quality run on the weekend, usually Sunday. I worked out at the local YMCA Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Most workouts, including weights, were completed before noon. I’d sleep mid afternoon through 10:00pm, broken sleep. Key point to remember: less is more, CONSISTENT workouts are king. I was able to run relatively well using this plan. Utilize weekends for social activities and survive during the workweek. Good luck!
I trained with a cat, actually an absolute dog who pulled it off well but he was tired a lot. We would train together in the late afternoon/early evening before his work shift started, I think he would sleep right after he finished work then get up and train before work. He had a disciplined routine and it worked for him. But yes I'd imagine training right after the shift ends would not be an ideal plan.
I did for over a year. My shift was midnight to 8am with my nights going thru the weekend. I trained when I got out of work and went to sleep in the afternoon/evening depending on if I had practice that day as I coached and had practice six days a week as well. On my nights off I would sleep from 7pm-7am usually to catchup. I would get out early or ask for the night off if I had a meet in the morning or a race for myself. I definitely raced less than before do to working the weekend nights.
Probably exaggerating a bit (i.e. a near-peak week), but it sounds like banking hours. 10 AM to 2:30 AM
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No impact at all. Been hitting the nightshift with your mom and still doing my 400s early next morning.
Night shift/ turning young men old for the last 100 years.
Work nights 12hrs saturday and sundays, day shift during the week. Double every day I don't have night shift and longrun saturday. Sunday is off/5miles max with monday being 8miles max coming off sheete sleep and 2 nights work
Summers in college I worked as a cook or a bartender.
Training was rough. I usually started work around 4 or 5 in the afternoon, so I would end up running either right before I went in (in the hottest part of the day), or after work at like 1 or 2AM.
It was mentally really hard to get out the door after a night of work on my feet when all I wanted to do was go to bed. Some night runs were a grind, some were actually really good once I got going. Running with no one around in the moonlight was kind of fun sometimes, but if I had it over I think I would try to find a job with more regular hours. It makes training unnecessarily hard.