General Discussion Triathlon Talk » Job in service industry and training for IM Rss Feed  
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2010-03-07 1:35 PM

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Subject: Job in service industry and training for IM
Does anyone else here have a job in the service industry that requires them to work until 12,1, or 2 in the morning, or work double shifts on weekends? How does it effect your training? For me personally I feel that I can only do soo much planning before a week and then my Saturday double makes that Sunday long run hard, or working until close makes me a bit fatigued the next morning. Just wondering how everyone deals with these situations.


2010-03-07 2:25 PM
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Subject: RE: Job in service industry and training for IM
I'm not in the service industry now, but remembering those late nights and doubles on the weekends, I think maybe you should plan your long run and/or bike for during the week on the day(s) that you don't work the lunch shift.  However, if you don't work Sundays, maybe you could try to do your long bike or run early on Sunday and then nap afterwards.  Also, you may want to plan your long bikes for the days after the doubles so that it gives your feet a chance to rest and do your runs on other days.
2010-03-07 8:00 PM
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Subject: RE: Job in service industry and training for IM
Do you work both weekend days and are off a couple days during the week? If so, why not do your long run and/or bike during the week and rest on weekends? I did this for years while in the retail industry.
2010-03-12 11:06 PM
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Subject: RE: Job in service industry and training for IM
I'm a bartender at a country club and I've done 2 IM and currently training for my third one. It's not too bad because you have your days to train. It's important to get the sleep you need. I usually do my workouts around 10am. I also think you built stamina which is essential in a IM. I'm on my feet especially in the summer all day and night. I would work doubles with late night weddings and would still workout the next day, or have days where I would go to work at 5 after a 6 hr bike . You can do it. There is a lot of time during the day and sometimes you have to be creative but as long as you plan your workouts and get enough sleep ( can't stress that enough)

Good luck !

Nathalie
2010-03-17 10:03 AM
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Subject: RE: Job in service industry and training for IM
I am manager in a hotel and can relate to this. I have only worked up to 1/2 mary's but plan on stepping up to the big leagues in 2011 (volunteering at IMLP in June). I stand about 10 out of my 12 hour work day. I doubt us in this industry will recover as well as others might but we do what we have to...
2010-03-17 11:07 AM
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Subject: RE: Job in service industry and training for IM

I recently re-entered the service industry and think the schedule is a godsend for training. My work hours are 6pm - 12am, everyday except Thursday. Therefore, even if I sleep in until noon (which I don't), that still gives me 6 hours before I have to work. Plenty of time.

If you work doubles on the weekend, I'd recommend getting your long workouts done during the week instead. There's no rule that says long workouts must be done on Saturday or Sunday, it's just what most 9-5 people do.



2010-03-17 2:44 PM
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Subject: RE: Job in service industry and training for IM
I would recommend planning out all your workouts for the week when you sit down with your work schedule.
I am not in the service industry, so I can't comment on being on my feet all day, but I can relate to the hours.
I work normal hours, but I have two little kids who take precedence over everything else when I get home, and a husband who is fantastic but goes to classes some evenings and is also a triathlete.

It's actually not bad having to work out all your training for the week in advance. It helps make sure you have good training goals, and that you have an expectation for each workout.

Good luck to you!
2010-03-17 8:50 PM
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Subject: RE: Job in service industry and training for IM
Not in the service industry, but I'm an engineer and do a lot of field work.  My hours are often dictated by daylight hours and in the summer i can end up working 12-14 hour day.  The most important thing, like others have said is to be flexible.  When you know what your work hours are, play with your schedule to make it work.  My coach prioritizes workouts for me, so that I now if I have to miss a workout, which one is the first to go (for me, it i my monday morning swim which focuses on technique - I'm a strong swimmer so this is less important than the long swim and interval swim).  I love the way that he set up my schedule and I'm confident that when my work schedule gets crazy that I will be able to keep up with my training.
2010-03-19 10:34 PM
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Subject: RE: Job in service industry and training for IM
chasingkona - 2010-03-07 1:35 PM Does anyone else here have a job in the service industry that requires them to work until 12,1, or 2 in the morning, or work double shifts on weekends? How does it effect your training? For me personally I feel that I can only do soo much planning before a week and then my Saturday double makes that Sunday long run hard, or working until close makes me a bit fatigued the next morning. Just wondering how everyone deals with these situations.


I don't know that I have a bunch of bright ideas for you, but I feel your pain.  I work an irregular schedule -  many overnights and many shifts that are scheduled for 15 hours, but often end up running 16-18hours.  If I work three of my "15s" (which usually end up being 16-18s) in a row, I am completely incapacitated and I cannot train in between. Sleeping for 4-5 hours between shifts (after giving myself time to get home, eat, decompress, etc) is worth more than the workout, and any training with that kind of fatigue is pretty much junk.

I have been completing some double work-outs over  the winter (bike-run, swim-run, etc) on the same day during my days off.  I am planning for IM WI in 2011, so I know I'll have my work cut out for me.  I'm not a competitive athlete, just an average Joe, but I still have to put a lot of planning and effort into my training to achieve my goals. When embarking on the IM journey, I think I'm going to go with a coach to  help prioritize workouts.

Right now, I write my key workouts in the calendar several weeks in advance, and once a week, I review my work schedule and fill in other training times to fit on that particular upcoming week.

Good luck!  It's a tough road but you can do it!!
2010-03-27 7:55 PM
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Subject: RE: Job in service industry and training for IM
My husband works a 24 hour shifts. It's very difficult to balance hard workouts with easy workouts b/c it's never 100% certain that he will be able to train at work. If call volume is light, he might get a chance to work out. Often he is interrupted by a call while working out and could be on scene for hours. Hence, the workout comes to an abrupt end. Add to that the great possibility that he will be woken in the middle of the night for calls and well, that doesn't help with the energy level for the next day's training.

However, my hubby is seriously motivated when it comes to triathlon... so that helps a lot. However, he also is very realistic with his race expectations. Peak weeks for a HIM training can only amount to close to 14 hours... and sometimes that's even difficult depending on how many calls he has when he's on-shift. We've talked about the possibility of doing an IM someday, but I'm not sure his schedule could handle the training volume... even if his mind/body could.

As for planning, I pretty much sit down with his schedule and try my best to plan workouts that fit around it. We often do long rides and runs on non-traditional days (weekdays) and hence, we miss out on a lot of the fun that takes place with group rides, etc... We do a lot of doubles, of course. I also try to give him shorter, non-key workouts for the days that he's at work... this way if something does come up, it's not like he missed a breakthrough effort. I also modify his plan when necessary (if overtime comes up or if he is mandated) and we do not fret about missing a key workout now and then (this doesn't happen often, usually I can modify things enough to fit in a key workout). It's tough... but we deal. Good luck to you!

Edited by shellabree 2010-03-27 8:04 PM
2010-03-31 9:08 AM
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Subject: RE: Job in service industry and training for IM
Thanks for the great responses. I work in a restaurant downtown and for the past 3-4 weekends I have worked 12-14 hour days Fri-Sun so I have adjusted my schedule this week to do my high volume training during the week and shorter stuff on the weekend. The only problem is getting enough rest when I work til 1 on Fri or Sat night then have to be back at work around 11 and still find time to train before that eat, get ready, shower, etc with a decent amount of sleep.


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