I can run three kilometers at an easy pace without feeling wrecked afterward. The trouble is my work shifts change every week, so any plan that says ‘Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday’ falls apart quickly. I've tried running after late shifts and usually skipped it. I'm considering a rolling goal of three runs in any seven days, with at least a rest day between harder efforts. For other shift workers, what system survived the schedule changes?
Running three comfortable kilometers but struggling to stay consistent with changing work shifts
- running
- three
- comfortable
- kilometers
7
2 replies
I’ve had luck tying runs to sleep, not to the calendar. If I’m on an early shift, I go after work; if I’m on a late shift, I go before I sta...
I’ve had luck tying runs to sleep, not to the calendar. If I’m on an early shift, I go after work; if I’m on a late shift, I go before I start.
That’s sensible, but only if you’re honest about the late-shift days. If running after a rough shift means you skip it every time, it’s not really a plan.
Yeah, this. I had to stop pretending night-shift me was going to become a different person at 10 p.m. Planning for the version of you who ac...
1 reply
Your rolling three-in-seven idea sounds better than fixed weekdays. Shifts change, but a window gives you room to move things around without...
Your rolling three-in-seven idea sounds better than fixed weekdays. Shifts change, but a window gives you room to move things around without feeling like you’ve failed the plan.
I’d keep the runs short and leave one as the “if I’m tired, just do twenty minutes” run. That helped me stay consistent when work was a mess.