Breaking the Nightshift Code: Advice for a unique work schedule
Surprise
After ending my final race of 2017, I was informed my work schedule would be changing by my boss. To me this has the ability to hinder my goals for 2018 but I haven’t given up yet. I’m hoping someone on the team has navigated this and can give me some advice.
My Schedule
As of now I’m on a “work a week off a week” type of schedule which consists of six 12 hr night shifts with a night off in the middle of the week. I have worked this before but not while training for IM distance racing.
I flip back and forth from days/nights without issue, it’s getting in the longer workouts during my work week I’m unsure about. I’m a stickler with my sleep, 7.5-8 hrs, if I compromise here it will definitely hinder my desire to workout before a long night on my feet.
Available Workout Time: Work Week
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Monday |
6am-12pm Usually Swim and Run day. No issues here. |
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Tuesday |
4-5:45pm 3-4 mile run shower then work |
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Wednesday- off night |
Sleep 830-130pm, then FTP bike/run 3-5 miles |
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Thursday |
6am-12pm Long run/swim before napping until work. |
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Friday |
Possibly swim after working Thursday night. Or 4-5:45pm Run before working Friday night |
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Saturday |
No idea what to do here. I need a long bike but 4-5:45pm is all I can spare?? |
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Sunday |
4-5:45pm bike or run?? |
Critiques Please
The above is just there to give an idea of what’s going on. It seems I can get in runs and swims ok, it’s the 3-6 hr bikes on the weekend that cause the issues. Completely revamping the workouts for example: Tuesday ftp, Wednesday swim/Run, Thursday long bike and let the weekend be all runs??
The Bright Side
I will get lots of training and sleeping during my 7 days off!!
Looking for all the advice and wisdom to help crack the code here.
Comments
For me, I know I would not be able to get the same type of sleep quality shifting my schedule from night to day in terms of sleep/recovery. So this may be an experiment that you will end up reporting back to the team on.
I would try a few things:
Load up my off weeks with a steadily increasing TSS ramp that support my OS and Training road map.
During work weeks, I would pull the TSS back a bit, recover from the prior week TSS overload and adjust as needed.
First, for work weeks, I would schedule my long bike and long run using the Wednesday day off for one of those.
Once this is done, everything else is scheduled around this. Make sure the day after long run is relatively light and include a swim there if you want to swim.
Listen to your body, your RPE, your quality of hard wkos during the work week and modify as needed.
Don't get caught up in the Strava hours posting competition and comparison of what others are doing. This is so easy to do, but frankly, these people are on an entirely different schedule and this is not apples to apples.
Good luck,
SS
For the OS, key bike workouts are on Tues/Thurs and Sat or Sun depending on bike or run focus. Make sure your revised schedule has at least one easy day between the bike FTP and VO2 workout and long/ABP ride. Same with the two longer runs that are on Wed and Sat or Sun.
With rigid workout times, make sure you're still stretching/foam rolling/etc after workouts, even if you have to cut a workout short to fit it in.
Since you'll be in the OS for the next few months, I recommend posting a revised OS workout schedule to let the team critique. Then do the same once you transition into the IM training plan.
Thanks so much guys. Taking notes on your advice and I’ll be working on a plan for my February OS and beyond.
Shaughn there is definitely some decrease in quality of sleep but Since I’ve been working 12 hr nights for 6 years I’ve learned how to shut off my mind and sleep pretty well during the day.
Derrek allowing for those easy days between FTP, long run and long ride is what I’ve been trying to map out and I’m hoping to give a day between those wkos.
Just as both of you have said this is going to be quite the experiment that may require lots of revamping as the process is perfected. If you can even perfect a hellacious schedule like this lol.
For the IM schedule this could be two different schedules or a 14 day cycle. That is when you are working the 12 hour shifts its a swim/bike focus with the shorter bike FTP work. On the off week you load up more on the longer stuff. I'll think about this more but my initial thoughts might be 3-4 longer bikes, two on the front and one to two one the back with the long run in the middle sprinkle in the swims and other runs as the body recovery allows. Break up the long bikes with a swim on the front and fit is some run durability.
We try to get the back to back bikes in the IM plan so that's why I'm thinking a 3-4 and doubling up on the off week but 3 maybe more than enough. What can you realistically get in during your off day of 12 hour shifts? I was just thinking it might be better to get in the long run on this day if you think you might need more sleep/time on Thursdays.
Other factors to consider includes how much FTP/run intensity can you handle while working a 12 hour shift.
Consider some strategically placed big tri weeks, maybe 5-6 days to allow for recovery to help boost your fitness on the way to IM.
Finally hit Coach P up after you get some feedback from the team to refine the ideas provided here.
Most of us have 6-7 days between long rides, so you can easily maintain that frequency by going long on Day 1 and 6 on your off week. Over a 12-day period, you'll actually end up doing 2 long rides whereas most of us do 2 over 14 days. In fact, you could probably do a 3-hr trainer ride on Day 1 of the off week (you'll likely be tired from work) and 4 hours on Day 6 of the off week. Squeeze in a few shorter intensity rides during each 6-day period, maybe even a 2-hr tempo ride on your Wednesday afternoon during the "on" phase, you're good. Coach P can dial this in for you.
IMO, running is what will require more planning, but it looks doable. Any time I'm not in an IM plan, I rank my running priorities something like this: (1) consistency, (2) frequency, (3) rest, (4) intensity and (5) volume. When I enter the IM phase, #5 moves up and #4 nearly drops off the list altogether. And the key run each week, of course, is the long one. That's where the planning comes in. If your ultimate schedule has you doing one every 6 days (e.g., the 4th day of each 6-day on/off period) instead of 7, I personally would make sure that I stagger them as the distance increases, such that my every-six-day long runs would look something like: 14, 15, 11, 16, 12, 17, 13, 18, 13, 18, taper. I'm just tossing those numbers out there as an example. Maybe doing a LR every 6 days vs. 7 doesn't dramatically increase the risk of injury, but I wouldn't do it (at my advanced age). Once you've got your options narrowed down, I'd hit up Coach P.
Best of luck. I wish I were you. That way, I could finally tell the headhunter who calls me every three months, "yes, I am interested in your help."
MR
I typed this up this AM and never hit enter... Read MR post above... great minds think alike
@Gordon Cherwoniak yes I think the OS will be ok also, but the IM build will be another beast! I really like the idea of loading up on long rides during the off week.
I dont do alot of intensity any time of the year, but I always try during the OS and see how I do. ITB usually flares up, even with rolling/stretching, so thats why I shy away from it. Sprinkling in swim and other runs is definatly going to be my approach until I see what works.
@Satish Punna Yes I think I could manage the morning swim and evening run before work, if i feel too trashed i may have to shift the swim to another day or something. And yes Mondays/tuesdays during my work week are usually lite so I will continue that.
@Mike Roberts
In fact, you could probably do a 3-hr trainer ride on Day 1 of the off week (you'll likely be tired from work) and 4 hours on Day 6 of the off week. Squeeze in a few shorter intensity rides during each 6-day period, maybe even a 2-hr tempo ride on your Wednesday afternoon during the "on" phase, you're good--This is perfect. I am expecting some work fatigue Monday so the 3 hr will be good (possibly tough). Liking the 2 hr Wed ride.
Running wise, I am going to keep Long runs on thursday of each week(fingers crossed), this lines up with my swim/short run on Fridays.
By the way, nice 2018 goals and SwimRun NC!? I like it!
@tim cronk
Great minds you and MR have for sure. I have been putting some thought into the admin time during during my work week and keep getting killed with the swim. I need a Vasa for the garage lol. Maybe my wife will agree:)