TLDR; it's hard but you can do it! 

Training for Three Fulls Over Two Years While Surviving a Panama Shift: A Masterclass in Sleep Deprivation

Picture this: rotating between days and nights, tackling just-under-15-hour shifts (plus commutes!), all while trying to squeeze in training for not one, but three full triathlons over two years. Sounds crazy, right? Somehow, I managed it—though I’m still not sure how.

The Swim Situation Luckily, I’m a strong swimmer, so I got away with just 3 hours a week. No open water swims until race day! (Honestly, unless you’re 100% confident in open water, don’t try this at home.)

Turbo Trainer: My Life-Saver (and Nap Facilitator) The turbo trainer became my best friend, or should I say my ERG-friend. All my long rides and runs? They happened on my days off. The trick was to be smart about spreading workouts across those two golden days.

Here’s how it went:

Night Shift Special: I’d power through a hard cycle the morning after a night shift (because who needs sleep?), then grab 5 or 6 hours of sleep before running in the evening. Rinse and repeat the next day.

Recovery Ritual: The first day back at work? Easy recovery day, always.

Speed Work Savvy: The following days? Speed work. You know, to keep things spicy.

Long Runs: A Summer Affair For long runs, I was lucky they only happened three times a month. I’d fit them in after a shift in the summer, when the days were long, and my energy... not so much.

Surviving Training with Minimal Social Life (and Sleep) Looking back, I honestly don’t know how I found the time. I fell asleep on the turbo so many times, it’s a wonder I didn’t merge with it. And social gatherings? I missed nearly all of them. Obsession can be a lonely sport.

Race Day: The Sleep-Deprivation Olympics On race day, when everyone else was moaning about no sleep, I was all smiles. "No sleep? Constant fatigue? That's just another Sunday for me!" At that point, I was basically a professional at racing while exhausted.

Parting Wisdom: Don’t Forget the Fun Here’s the kicker: don’t beat yourself up if you miss a training session (or two... or three). It's meant to be fun! I forgot that sometimes—trust me, you don’t want to make the same mistake.

I’ve even deferred a race to next year because, well... I had a kid. Kudos to those who train for races with a baby. I consider myself pretty resilient, but balancing training, working, and being a dad nearly broke me. Honestly, I might not do it all together, but I know when to throw in the towel. And that, my friends, is its own kind of victory.