70 hour a week job is destroying my running career!

I recently have been struggling with same issue. In order to do well in my job most people work 12 hour days. After about a year and a half of this, along with not being able to take vacations because of sales over committing us to projects I have taken up the attitude that if my company does not give a F about me I don't give a F about them. Now obviously I don't plan on staying here long term and I have been applying to jobs over the past 2 months. It's also important to realize you are in control of your life.

Weiner guard wrote:

I recently have been struggling with same issue. In order to do well in my job most people work 12 hour days. After about a year and a half of this, along with not being able to take vacations because of sales over committing us to projects I have taken up the attitude that if my company does not give a F about me I don't give a F about them. Now obviously I don't plan on staying here long term and I have been applying to jobs over the past 2 months. It's also important to realize you are in control of your life.

Ya, I think if I found a new position or had one lined up, I'd be like screw you and clock out after 8. The problem is I'm stuck here for the forseeable future (been applying to jobs for years rarely hearing back because of my degree field, was lucky to get in where I am now through a connection). If I want to go anywhere else in this industry, even though hours would be mostly the same, I'd need a good recommendation from here and a few years experience, which means putting up with the 12 hour days. I at least can take vacations if I plan them well in advance, so at least I know I'll get 2 good weeks of running in december. All my coworkers seem to be focused on putting kids through college, buying houses, nice cars, weddings, vacations, etc. where as I'd just like to use my money to travel to races every now and then and maybe a couple other minor hobbies.

What industry is this and why on earth would you do such a thing? People will sometimes say disparaging things about my 50k a year salary, but I walk to work and spend 35 hours a week there. Do you know how much life you can live outside of worktime with that?

Good luck with whatever futures you choose, but I would consider expanding my career options if I were in your shoes.

Choose your career wisely. I've seen guys retire at 55 who lost out on their 20s, 30s, and 40s, kids growing up, etc because they worked 60+ hours a week. Its not worth it. You only live once. If you want to work 24/7 go for it but if that's not whats important to you, then don't do it. Not many people on their death bed wish they had worked more, spent less time with family, made more money, etc. Don't get caught up in a life that involves taking away your best years because you wanted a 70k huge SUV and 5000 sq ft house. I see some of my good friends doing this and every time I talk to them for more than an hour (you know when they first tell me how great they are doing) they reveal they want a new job, they work too much, they wish they could invent something and get rich, they hate their hour commute, etc. I feel bad for them and I can tell they sometimes resent me for the choices I've made.

I was in your place about 15 years ago. I said F that and chose a much different career path, something that I was interested in and pursued my dreams. Without divulging much about my private life I now live at the beach, work from home 90% of the time on my own projects that I choose, and get to see my family all of the time. I get to take my kids to and from school. I get to spend time outside doing whatever I choose on a tuesday morning at 10am if I want. And guess what, the money is more than enough to be happy. I own 2 houses, have 2 cars, wife, kids, etc. and we aren't struggling to pay for dinner or electricity. But I could care less about money and I know I won't own a BMW. I won't ever be rich. I will be middle class. But I also go to spend half of my 20s and all of my 30s living for life not work and you couldn't pay me 5 mill for those memories and experiences. No amount of money is worth your life. I'm not saying be a bum, on the contrary, I am saying follow your dreams and be happy. Find a job that gives you that freedom or even start your own.

averageisgreat wrote:

What industry is this and why on earth would you do such a thing? People will sometimes say disparaging things about my 50k a year salary, but I walk to work and spend 35 hours a week there. Do you know how much life you can live outside of worktime with that?

Good luck with whatever futures you choose, but I would consider expanding my career options if I were in your shoes.

I work in a very specific job related to nuclear power.

I'd love to expand my career options, but I don't know what to. I felt like I was applying right and left to everything I thought I could do or be trained to do for a few years before getting in where I am now. I think the biggest problem might be I have no connections who could get me in anywhere, but I'm open to suggestions.

working to death wrote:

I suppose it wouldn't be so bad if I was able to go in later in the morning and run before work. As it is, I get up at 330 (sometimes) to run an hour before getting ready for work at 430 am (and its a rush to get out the door). I try to run after work, but its hard after working sometimes 12 hours in a day. Just this week the boss said we'd have to take fewer short days because of some projects coming up which could push me up around 80 hours a week for the forseeable future. This type of schedule seems to be industry standard. I do have a degree in an unrelated field (history), which seems to be almost useless. Please help letsrun! I don't want to be a fat, bald middle aged man with a george costanza body in 10 years.

what industry do you work in?

nuclear power

Weiner guard wrote:

I recently have been struggling with same issue. In order to do well in my job most people work 12 hour days.

I'm guessing this is your first or second "real" dev job, maybe in a familiar company name. These shops rely on you to join the cult and then pay you very little for you to give up pretty much everything else. Is the refrigerator even stocked with soda? Crap coffee out of a dirty coffee machine?

That is not to say you shouldn't work really hard on producing code more efficiently. That is absolutely required regardless of how long you've been in the industry. That is not to say you should complain about Sales committing to customers. That's a great problem to have and unavoidable.

OP, stop working 70 hour weeks. I am guessing the money is okay. If you think you are making money, your employer is making 2-3x that in the worst case.

A career in running doesn't mean paying to run. It's a hobby.

working to death wrote:

I work in a very specific job related to nuclear power.

Why do you have to stay in a job where you aren't happy? The employer is relying on you to join the cult, you joined, and like every good cult member you have an internal debate about an organization that treats you very, very, poorly.

Every job I've had I knew no one at the new job. Each one has been better than the last in every way. I submitted a ton of resumes to a ton of openings. It's how you get a job without nepotism.

The best advice anyone could give you is to get your priorities straight, shed yourself of your love of money, stop working so much, and enjoy life. Working that much will shorten your life. It will kill your marriages. It will make you fat and bald. It will make you take dozens of prescription drugs. You are not on a good path, regardless of your paycheck. Learn to value your short time on this earth, and stop giving it to an employer/industry that asks too much.

pop_pop!_v2.2.1 wrote:

working to death wrote:

I work in a very specific job related to nuclear power.

Why do you have to stay in a job where you aren't happy? The employer is relying on you to join the cult, you joined, and like every good cult member you have an internal debate about an organization that treats you very, very, poorly.

Every job I've had I knew no one at the new job. Each one has been better than the last in every way. I submitted a ton of resumes to a ton of openings. It's how you get a job without nepotism.

That's my story. Every job got better. I started at a small place like OP. I worked 70 hours per week for peanuts. I applied around and tripled my salary with 50 hours per work. Since then, I found a place with reasonable hours but a bit less pay. Next step is even less hours with same pay. Unless you are on the partnership track to make 10mill per year able to retire super early, don't get sucked in. Stop working 70 hours per week. Tell them you are busy on the weekends. Balance dude.

I'm by no means a career expert, but I will throw out some thoughts on how myself and friends of mine have moved from one field to another. First, look at your current job and focus on the skills you are good at because of that job. I know nothing about nuclear power, but I would imagine you have strong technical skills, excellent analytic problem solving skills, can handle pressure (you're around nuclear power!), are highly organized and perhaps used to working off complex checklists, and much more. Second, think about new jobs that might utilize a similar skill set. I could see those skills working well all over the place, anything business, politics, many areas in the tech industry, and other places (I work at a university and you could easily get hired in any number of positions on campus). Best of luck to you.

Well...just quit and go low-income!

No more stress & more time for training! ?

i would rather have no job than anything over 40 hours. i was doing 120mpw until I got a job now i can barely do 70 without breaking my legs. i was at work today and i looked out the window it was a beautiful sunny fall day and i was thinking why the f am i here when i could be out there running in the sun

Smicksmoll wrote:

i would rather have no job than anything over 40 hours. i was doing 120mpw until I got a job now i can barely do 70 without breaking my legs. i was at work today and i looked out the window it was a beautiful sunny fall day and i was thinking why the f am i here when i could be out there running in the sun

Go low income like the other poster suggested. There are people now who quit their mega hour, high-stress jobs & go low income. They'll find a part time job & downscale to a cheap apartment or better yet live out of a RV & travel the US.

I met a runner a couple of months at the open space park that I train at who was running 100+ weeks and living out of nice RV. He had a nice bedroom, kitchen, LED TV, frig, bathroom, etc. in his "traveling home." This dude said he quit a mega hour, high-stress job and does some part time work out of the RV. He said he sold his house, his fancy cars, his toys and bought the RV... the guy seemed really happy being able to focus more on running (he wants to qualify for the Olympic trials in 2020).

OP how flexible are your hours? Can you take a long lunch and run then?

Do you work for the FBI or something with those crazy hours?

Can you just not work more quickly effectively. Are you the working equivalent of an ultra runner?

I worked in the city in London where people supposedly work long hours. In theory they started later and worked later. Well they started after 9 and worked later. But odd times I stayed late after 5:30 they are stood around chatting and only stayed an hour then went home / to the bar.

Is the real reason you work late to Impress the boss and fit in rather than actually being busy.

You've never had a "running career".