Career change/shift working

[ttcycle]

Well got the insomia again and find myself on CC

Thinking..I've long thought about changing careers and becoming a paramedic, to give up my current job/career, take a big paycut and go and train for three years on the job before qualifying.

This is not something that I could do today as still learning to drive and I need to have held a license for two years before I can apply for the training placement.

Being a paramedic wouldn't be my dream profession - that in in itself is a very long story that seems further away than this one.

Despite the paycut, the one big thing putting me off is the shift work for a long period of my intial days as a paramedic and whilst training and it's impact on me and importantly my ability to train consistently and continue with cycle racing etc which is a big passion and keeps me sane.

Any paramedics on here or people who do shift work have experience of how it affects their ability to train consistently. As it's not the dream profession I'm trying to think long about whether it's worth sacrificing a few things for it

 

[Aperitif]

Having spent a lot of Monday night in the company of a paramedic, ambulance people (they are massively peeved at their working conditions and top-heavy administration judging by the conversations at the A&E) and then a lot of triage, nursing, docs etc...I have nothing but admiration for the way in which all those people do their jobs. That would be a fantastic challenge and something to be done with immense pride I feel..
Re: the cycling - it depends on what you want to do surely? For most, cash acquisition is a priority and hobbies might have to take a back seat. There are cycling paramedics but obviously not comparable to what you're keen on doing.
Anyway, good luck with your troubled thoughts and, hopefully, us elderly will have good backup for the Friday Night Bath Chair Rides to the Coast. You as medic, Will as PC49...I doubt we will need a fireman.

 

[marinyork]

I never cycled when I did funny hours, well not for that long a stint, but I did do running. It's quite enjoyable, you need time doing nothing. It kind of stops zombie hours in daylight becoming joyless. Never affected my physical activity but then I was never that good a runner and rather a less good cyclist. If you work certain hours and train about 4pm it even works better.

No idea about any of the other stuff but I'd have thought it would work if that is what you want, it would add structure (I don't mean structure structure as in reality) but in a chronological existence kind of way.

 

[ttcycle]

us elderly will have good backup for the Friday Night Bath Chair Rides to the Coast. You as medic, Will as PC49...I doubt we will need a fireman.

Teef - what do you mean elderly? It'll be alright on a FNRttC I've got my first aid training so can sort out most night ride problems-if anyone cracks open their head/needs stitches or a blood transfusion then we might struggle a bit there..ER eat your heart out.

I think this thread is for insomniacs anonymous.

Marin - it would be ok if I could train at the same time but it'll be nights for a week or two then days for two weeks and a week each time of feeling like you're jet lagged might just kill the ability to compete. Didn't manage it due to health in 2009 - here's hoping for 2010. How did you find it affected the running?

EDIT: forgot to ask - Teef what were you doing in A&E with paramedics - hope you're alright!

 

[marinyork]

If you could get some kind of thing in mid afternoon it seemed to work all right, so that's 3hrs displaced or something like that, I suppose the problem is every night, I never quite had that. I understand you'd have even bigger flip in hours, it's more extreme but I don't know what you'd do in the other weeks go back to evening training or eat into weekends and events? I think some people can get used to anything after a couple of months.

I don't have any deep answers but it sounded like 2009 sucked so all this sounds like a plan and I hope you can get more training in when the temperature goes up a couple of degrees in 2010.

 

[Aperitif]

I wish I could say training to be a para m! But I was with my Mum who had fallen over again (a story longer than your 'dream' job I'll bet!) She's 90 and in absolute denial of infirmity etc. It was a long night, then day without food or sleep but it was ok as I don't find it easy to sleep anyway!
She's wired up, drugged up and perhaps going for hip surgery as she smashed that up for good measure, inconsiderate old dear.

 

[marinyork]

Argh that's pretty bad. One of my friend's parents broke their hand in the snow/ice.

 

[ttcycle]

Teef sorry to hear that - I hope she is ok. I can sympathise. Take it easy

 

[beanzontoast]

I worked shifts during the summers when I was at Uni and I hated it - especially nights. Just couldn't get used to sleeping during the day. I never felt like I was getting the right sort of sleep, if you know what I mean by that - it felt weird to be going to bed just as most of the world was getting up. I was waking at about 1pm after about 6 hours sleep and yes - didn't feel like I had time or inclination to do much exercise before it was time to go back to work in the evening. Maybe I'd have gotten used to it over years rather than months, but I don't think so. Millions of folk do shift work by choice after all. You either are disposed to long-term shift work or you're not - and I discovered I'm not.

Good luck with your change of career though, and maybe you can try to get a taste of doing shifts in some other context to see how they would suit you?

 

[John Ponting]

... I was with my Mum who had fallen over again ...

You have my sympathies; been there with my Mum - several times. You soon get to know the A&E staff on late shift and I even got to like the muzak in MAU after a while.

 

[zacklaws]

I'm a shift worker, usually work 4 or 5 days and nights, 12 hour shifts then I get 4 or 5 days off, maybe even 7 off if my shifts work right. But its not all that bad as I find that I get more time to do things. When I'm on nights I can fit 30 to 40 mile rides in as soon as I get home and get some admin done in preparation for my days off, then sleep for about 6 hours. Days are the worst as there can be little time left in the evening apart from a short span in mid summer before its dark. But its when you get your days off, then its easy to get 100+ rides done and a few shorter ones thrown in as well.

If I was to work Monday to Friday 8 hour shifts then I feel that I would do less cycling as I would only have Sat's and Sun's to do anything major and maybe just short runs in an evening and somehow fit in all my admin as well.

A draw back with shifts I find is that you may work weekends, which is when most events etc are held so it takes careful planning with your leave to make sure you get them off, plus you find your cycling friends do not get the week days off so you do a lot of solo riding, but that can be an advantage as you can do your own thing on weekdays and train on your weakness's etc and go out with the lads on a weekend.

One other tip for when you work nights, don't eat bananas at work, they may be a good source of energy but they also help you sleep due to some chemical in them, tryptopan I think. I learnt the hard way when I used to load my body up with carbs the night before a big ride and eat about 4 banana banjo's covered in honey, shortly after I would be nodding. Now I like to eat a couple before bed to help me sleep.

 

[ASC1951]

Being a paramedic wouldn't be my dream profession - that in in itself is a very long story that seems further away than this one.

What is the dream profession and would being a paramedic help get you there? If not, can you find something that does start you on the way, at least far enough to see if it's feasible?

Or is it like my "I'd like to be a high altitude climbing guide in South America"? i.e.at 60, dream on.

 

[Vikeonabike]

TT
There are plenty of people that do shift work, TBH sometimes shift work will give you more time to train as you can be off during the day to get out and ride when others are at work.
You do have to be fairly well organised, especially if planning on training coming off nights
There are other options if you wish to change career and take up a rewarding job.
The Forces also require medical staff....they'll teach you to drive and will give you time off to train and race. (I know several athletes, cyclists etc that never wore a uniform from one day to the next!).

 

[zacklaws]

>>>The Forces also require medical staff....they'll teach you to drive and will give you time off to train and race. (I know several athletes, cyclists etc that never wore a uniform from one day to the next!).<<<

Also consider being a PTI (physical training instructor) in the army, then you can cycle as much as you want with all the training facilities you need free at hand.

 

[Vikeonabike]

>>>The Forces also require medical staff....they'll teach you to drive and will give you time off to train and race. (I know several athletes, cyclists etc that never wore a uniform from one day to the next!).<<<

Also consider being a PTI (physical training instructor) in the army, then you can cycle as much as you want with all the training facilities you need free at hand.

Yep...did that Gym Queen in my Blue tracksuit top and serge trousers.....best job in the world ever..
Never made it into the PT Corps though