Consistency is King

Training consistently around shift work is hard.  

There's no two ways about it, without a steady routine to work around, I've found it hard to feel like I'm being consistent, getting my sessions in week-on-week.  

Since joining the Brownlee Fitness Squad, one message that has come across loud and clear, including from Alistair Brownlee himself, has been to try and find a way of becoming consistent.  Consistency is King... It gives you a base to work from, means sessions happen no matter the weather, and helps prevent injury by making sure your body is used to swimming, biking or running regularly.  

For the last few months, since starting to train for Celtman Solo Point Five, I've been training regularly but haven't really felt consistent.  

My training schedule has this week moved into winter 'Aerobic Base Build' mode before it steps up to the full Celtman next spring-into-summer, so it feels like a good time to try and solve the consistency issue over the winter months.  

I asked around within the Brownlee Fitness community, and came up with various tips about training before shifts, prioritising sleep, ensuring rest days are protected, and sticking to a routine wherever possible.  Along with the coaches the community includes a number of very experienced, high performing athletes with many years of training under their belts: very helpful when you're less experienced and trying new ideas! 

So, I came up with a set of rules to try and work by... 

So how do I make it work? 

Day shifts for me are 7am to 7pm (or later), leaving home by 6:15am.  So to get in a meaningful run, whether that be on the treadmill in bad weather or outside with the dog, or to fit in a decent session in the gym, that means leaving the house by 5am!

One tip from an experienced runner was 'time is just a number, if you need to get up earlier, go to bed earlier'.  I've always struggled with this idea - but yet I can do a night shift.  So surely I can adapt my sleep to get up earlier?  

Between-night-shift-days are particularly hard for fatigue, so they should be protected as rest or recovery days, and days following a final night shift can be similar, depending on the nature of the shift.   

Days before a first night should be shorter, harder sessions, and and the really tough or long sessions reserved for days off.  

Yesterday was day one... following a last night shift, an easy swim and gym day.  

Then today, with an unusual shift pattern due to some swaps, a day shift. Early to bed, early to rise... At 5am, Riof didn't look too convinced! 

Despite the dark and periodic rain, we made it out the door, head torches on and Mark & Riof keeping me company.  

No cars on the road, Riof trotting ahead on the long lead, a fox ran across our path in the dark while all around us slept. I think we took this hedgehog by surprise... 

How did it feel?  Well, surprisingly good to be up & out so early; will I be able to sustain it?  I don't know - but I'm going to give it a good go, and give it a few weeks to bed in before making any other changes.  Hopefully bringing some routine to a life that has had very little routine in it will help with all manner of things; most importantly, allowing me to properly recover before doing it all again.