70 hour a week job is destroying my running career!

Homer?

you mean destroying your "running hobby..."

I am a resident at a busy urban academic hospital. I run about 40 mpw and work 80 hours per week. I still sleep 7 hours per night. I don't have the biggest social life, but I still have time for a girlfriend. I probably could run 60 mpw if I didn't have a girlfriend. Unfortunately you probably weren't good enough to make a good income off running and should probably focus on your career. I use to run 14:30 and 30:00. Now I run 16:00 and 34:00. I still enjoy racing even though I am not very good anymore.

I hear you on all that. I'm a restaurant executive and been opening restaurants around the world since I graduated college (12 years ago). That said, keep at it! You can still put together some solid training.

Some things that have saved me and my 5k time:

- 24 hr gyms (a treadmill is your friend)

- If you have early shifts at work, run at night.

- If you have late shifts at work, run in the morning. Don't try to cram runs in before work with an early start time.

- If possible, run home from work. (There is always a coat check in a restaurant so maybe thats not possible in your line of work).

- Sign up for races in advance so you hold yourself accountable. Race only tough competition so you're not winning a local 5k where second place runs 18min.

- Get used to training solo with a good inventory of measured and dynamic running routes.

- Set boundaries at work. (Don't proclaim them out loud to your boss, but internally aim to keep them.)

- Read books or watch YouTube videos about running so you stay motivated. Once a Runner and Running with the Buffaloes has gotten me out the door plenty of times. Watching Triathlon training videos on YouTube helps me on my commute home -- Jan Frodeno, Tim Don, even Heather Jackson help motivate when you're tired.

Good luck!

Unless you LOVE your work, don’t be working 70hr weeks. Find another job. Be a dog walker.

resident runner wrote:

I am a resident at a busy urban academic hospital. I run about 40 mpw and work 80 hours per week. I still sleep 7 hours per night. I don't have the biggest social life, but I still have time for a girlfriend. I probably could run 60 mpw if I didn't have a girlfriend. Unfortunately you probably weren't good enough to make a good income off running and should probably focus on your career. I use to run 14:30 and 30:00. Now I run 16:00 and 34:00. I still enjoy racing even though I am not very good anymore.

Nice humblebrag.

Our sport still revovles around the Olypmpics and that is not a problem. Any runner who wants to run and minimize interference caused by a full time job, should figure that with the Olympics 3 years away, they will train as much as possilbe with as little distractions as possible. The distraction is the dreaded full time job. So if you can afford it, you should put the career on hold for three years and go for it as a

runner.

At the end of the cycle, say July of 2020, you will know whether or not you've accomplished your goal.....if yes, you've made it, conratulations. If not, you have to reevaluate your running and the other things in life that you must do. If single, it's easy, you can afford to be selfish and re-up for another 4 year cycle. If you are married, or want to get married, or just devote your energy to a full time career, this would be the time to retire. Student/athlete is productive. Full time worker/ runner is very very hared to do and for most not worth it.

The 3 or 4 year cycle allows you the chance to fulfill your dreams--- but also introduces reality --- at the end of the cycle. You will either be a pro who gets to continue, or you may have to become a much more casual runner who wants to or must, get on with their other obligations....... At least you can look yourself in the mirror, and say I had the guts to try......,

resident runner wrote:

I am a resident at a busy urban academic hospital. I run about 40 mpw and work 80 hours per week. I still sleep 7 hours per night. I don't have the biggest social life, but I still have time for a girlfriend. I probably could run 60 mpw if I didn't have a girlfriend. Unfortunately you probably weren't good enough to make a good income off running and should probably focus on your career. I use to run 14:30 and 30:00. Now I run 16:00 and 34:00. I still enjoy racing even though I am not very good anymore.

Never understood why American residents work such long hours, yet still have such poor healthcare. We have a cap at 48 hours on residents and much better healthcare here.

I work in strategy at an F50 corporation and I regularly put in 70-80 hour weeks. I haven't run a step in months. Hopefully I can get back into when I go to B School....

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.

I had the same problem in 2003/2004. I ran a 1:15 half at age 44 then started working 65+ hours per week, driving 108 mile round trip. I just had to not run as much until things calmed down. Yes I hated my company because they gave no support and worked me to death---I ended up suing them for un related reasons. But as soon as things settled down I got right back at it, training wise. By the way, you do not have to choose between getting fat and working a bunch of hours, run when you can......I can't see you getting fat if you stay in touch with running until whatever this things is passes. Things like work and raising kids can get in the way--that's just reality!

And I would get another job if you did not see a path to improvement.

Working 70 hours a week will ruin every other aspect of your life except the work part.

What's The Deal? wrote:

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

Homer:

I told you to file a union grievance at the plant regarding overtime. Mr. Burns doesn't care about your personal life.

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.

Do you live in a high cost of living region? I know that personal reasons can prevent some from relocating but if moving is a possibility, you may find a new job with less pay in a smaller metro area that may provide more leisure hours and an even higher standard of living. There are more than a few medium size metro areas that contain big league sports, arts and entertainment with housing and tax bills that are 1/3 or less what you'd pay in San Fran, NYC, Chicago or Boston.

I

resident runner wrote:

I am a resident at a busy urban academic hospital. I run about 40 mpw and work 80 hours per week. I still sleep 7 hours per night. I don't have the biggest social life, but I still have time for a girlfriend. I probably could run 60 mpw if I didn't have a girlfriend. Unfortunately you probably weren't good enough to make a good income off running and should probably focus on your career. I use to run 14:30 and 30:00. Now I run 16:00 and 34:00. I still enjoy racing even though I am not very good anymore.

That's great. I'm glad you are satisfied with your times, I guess. I'm not satisfied with my college prs, they're more in line with what you run now.

vivalarepublica wrote:

Working 70 hours a week will ruin every other aspect of your life except the work part.

No shi-. I literally do nothing but work, run if I'm not too tired, always in the dark, dark when I go into work now, dark before I get home. I don't even have time to clean my place, unless I barely sleep or cut out running. My one day off a week, if I get one, I have 7 days worth of outside of work stuff to do and I can't get it all done.[

quote]47yroldrunna wrote:

Unless you LOVE your work, don’t be working 70hr weeks. Find another job. Be a dog walker.[/quote]

I'd love to if I could still afford my apartment. Like I said, my degree is in history. Someone else mentioned just don't work 70 hours a week. While technically I could, it could lead to me being fired (they could find something I did wrong with as many things as I have to do) or being reassigned somewhere. 70 hours is awful, but it might be better than say filing papers for 40 hours a week. Everyone seems to work these hours, not last long, or get reassigned to clerical work. Per my contract they can work me 12 hours a day on average 13 days out of 14 and its better to agree to work these kind of hours than have the boss come and force you to. Plus its kind of hard to say no when I'm a single guy and guys with a spouse and kids are working the same hours. Oh and there is the fact that if I want to go somewhere else in the industry (I've been reading about a place I could go that only works 50 hours a week I could maybe get in with 3 years experience), I need a good recommendation and evaluations by my boss.

Its the industry that prevents me from moving, along with my need for a couple years more experience. There aren't exactly nuclear plants in every medium size metro.

I find it hilarious that a guy with a History degree can get a job in Nuclear power. Clearly the whole degree and field of study means zilch.

That's like an Engineer working as a Gynecologist.

It is unclear to me whether the op is more concerned about his running training or working too many hours.

If it’s worrying about running times vs your career, trust me, you are wasting you time worrying about running. Running is a temporary sport not conducive to long “careers”. It’s an idiotic sport to choose as a primary career for all but the very very best. And it’s not worth ruining your career because you can’t rest enough to log mega mileage etc.

Focus on your career and run for exercise (if u are good, you will still win local races and people will think of you as elite runner) and try other sports as well.

If you are upset that u r working too much then you either have to choose a different career pathway or if you cannot do that, you may have to accept your current situation.

You think running keeps your hair from falling out?

Or are you going bald already and middle aged is a certainty and just don't want to get fat?

"So often times it happens that we live our lives in chains

And we never even know we have the key"