Training with a night job - Advice plz!!

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DanielleM7810
DanielleM7810 Posts: 26 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I don't post much in the forums but I need some suggestions from my fellow runners. I have been running consistently for a little over a year now. I started training for Spartan in Dec '16 and ran my first trifecta last year. I decided I really wanted to transition into distance running and eventually begin running ultras. Things were going well until I got a new job working overnight. My schedule has been totally derailed and Imm struggling to get many miles in at all. My first full marathon is in Sept but I'm sweating it. I used to run in the morning but now I'm trying to sleep. With a family and the job, finding a consistent time to run is proving to be a huge challenge. I'm sure there are others here who work wonky hours. How do you schedule your runs? I don't want to lose my joy of running and I don't think I have to. I just need some help figuring out how to reset my body to sleep and run differently. Thoughts??

Replies

  • pondee629
    pondee629 Posts: 2,469 Member
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    What are your work hours? You say you work nights, you can't get your run in in the morning once you get home? Get your run in after you wake up before going to work?
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    I was a night shift worker for awhile back in the day...I got off work at 6 AM and that's when I'd go workout...just like if I had a day job and got off at 5 or 6 and then went and worked out afterwards...

    I'd typically go do my thing, come home and have breakfast and chill out a bit and then off to bed.
  • gearhead426hemi
    gearhead426hemi Posts: 919 Member
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    I work rotating 12 hours shift work from days to nights and some days are harder then others. I don't like to do anything except crawl right into bed when I get home after a night shift. When I work night shift I go run about an hour after I wake up. I actually prefer to run on an almost empty stomach so it works out. When I work day shift I run about an hour after dinner. I work from 6:30 am to 6:30 pm on days and 6:30 pm to 6:30 am on nights so when the weather doesn't allow me to run I have a treadmill in my shop. Just try to stay focused and get your body into a good routine. It took me about 3 months to really get my body to where I don't even need an alarm clock anymore.
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,442 Member
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    I worked 6 pm to 6 am for years. I loved hitting the gym after I woke up, around 2 pm. Hardly anyone there.
  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
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    used to be a night shift worker (alternating day/swing/night shifts) - I'd either run as soon as I got off work or right before I went in (it would wake me up before)
  • haroldrios1692
    haroldrios1692 Posts: 90 Member
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    can you do your run right before starting your night shift? that way it almost becomes part of your going to work routine.
  • DanielleM7810
    DanielleM7810 Posts: 26 Member
    edited July 2017
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    pondee629 wrote: »
    What are your work hours? You say you work nights, you can't get your run in in the morning once you get home? Get your run in after you wake up before going to work?

    I work 10:30p-6:30a, 40hrs/week. When I get home, I'm pretty much right back out the door to take my three kids to school. Right now my older ones are on summer break but my youngest has preschool year round. If I don't get some sleep before noon, it won't happen due to other responsibilities. I have run in the evening a few times but after 3 or 4 days of only a lil sleep, I have no energy left. I don't work any more hrs than I did working days but the change has just thrown me off so much. #whatawimp
  • DanielleM7810
    DanielleM7810 Posts: 26 Member
    edited July 2017
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    I can try running in the morning when I get home. I'm a CNA and I work exclusively with advanced dementia residents. My job includes a lot of lifting so I definitely stay active even though it's night. I usually feel so tired when I get home but I'm willing to try anything to get a routine back. Its been stupid hot here lately so some days might have to be on the incline trainer but that's better than nada!
  • pondee629
    pondee629 Posts: 2,469 Member
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    DanielleM7810 wrote: »
    pondee629 wrote: »
    What are your work hours? You say you work nights, you can't get your run in in the morning once you get home? Get your run in after you wake up before going to work?

    I work 10:30p-6:30a, 40hrs/week. When I get home, I'm pretty much right back out the door to take my three kids to school. Right now my older ones are on summer break but my youngest has preschool year round. If I don't get some sleep before noon, it won't happen due to other responsibilities. I have run in the evening a few times but after 3 or 4 days of only a lil sleep, I have no energy left. I don't work any more hrs than I did working days but the change has just thrown me off so much. #whatawimp

    Depending on your sleep schedule (8 hours) and the length of your commute, you have the same 8 hours of discretionary time every other working parent has to fit in a workout/run. Right after you get home from work before taking the kids to school; right after you take the kids to school; after you wake and before you go to work seem to be the most likely.

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