Fitness & Nutrition for Truckers

I have found two great sites bodyrock tv and spartan race most of their stuff i bdyw
eight of minimal equipment

 

To the runner and future driver, I think you'll find lots of amazing places to run. I'm a cyclist so I go through the hassle of dressing up and finding good rides.

I've run before I got my current bike and it's great. I remember parking off i70 in eastern colorado in summer and running down the road between the farms and up a hill where I climbed a windmill that was at the highest point and I could see four states.

There will be lots of opportunities for you and it is easier to get out and go than with a hike, and a bike takes maintenance, but to me it's worth it because I can go farther and explore things off the highway.

For them purposes of this thread I would recommend both.

 

Yep. I run. I only have 7 months trucking experience which may not be long, but I have yet to see any other truckers running. I do see the rare trucker on a bike once in a while. However, don't let that sentence about other truckers running discourage you, because I'm living proof that it can be done. Let me give you the basic idea:

-Most days you'll only have one free shower to work with. That fact requires a decision about when to take it. I'm not an early early riser. I also can't bring myself to pay 10 dollars for an extra shower. Plus, I can't go to sleep without a shower after many long hours working. Hate the thought of a filthy bed. Bit of a neat freak. So anyway, instead of running and showering before I start work, I use the free shower that I get when I fuel during the day (you get a free shower with 50 gallons) and take the shower after I run after my shift is over. I friggin look forward to my run and get a burst of energy when I park for the night. Yeah, sometimes you might need an energy drink. Moral of this point is that if you NEED that shower before you hit the rack at night, and don't want to spend all day behind the wheel like a filthy pig, run after you park for the night. Sometimes you stop for a delivery or pickup, and will want to take a nap in the bunk, and again...you'll want to maintain a clean bed if you are at all like me and can't sleep filthy.

-Before I started trucking, I was a basic running addict. 35-55 miles a week depending on injuries etc. I found no reason to cut down just because I was on the road. If you love to run, you'll improvise your routine, but not your mileage if that's important to you. Depending on your speed and or possesion of a GPS watch, all you have to do is figure out how long it takes you to complete your total daily mileage. Obviously, what you do on the unfamilar country road is take off in any direction and turn around halfway through your total time.

-This job is actually a runners paradise. You hardly ever have the same run twice and there are literally as many different runs as there are truck stops in the country. Hills, Mountain ranges, woods, cornfields, wilderness, beautiful small towns, big cities, whatever. So interesting! One time in Texas I was running and all of the sudden discovered I was running through Baylor University campus. Stopped to see the live bears. Beautiful place. So many cool things to see down the road. I often feel like the rest of the drivers hanging out in their trucks at the truck stop travel lots, but never really experience the country because there is a world outside of the window and the side of the interstate.

-The reality of trucking is, that you work very long hours, and must get your sleep. So assuming you run 5 days a week or more, lots of days you'll find that your day consists of trucking, running, sleeping, cleaning up and eating. But as you already know, you'd rather be running than just about anything else. Much more than slumping in a chair staring at the TV in a truck stop.

Its totally doable. Yet I never once saw another trucker doing it. Its bound to happen someday though. I know they are out there. Especially from reading the post above mine.

*Note of caution, wear reflective clothing at night. There is not always a shoulder to run on and you are constantly dodging traffic and crossing the road to avoid it coming from behind and oncoming. I was actually hit from behind by a car. Badly broken leg and also some other bones. Did it stop me? Hell no. Like I said. I'm an addict. Love it too much to ever stop.

 

The above post sums up my thoughts exactly but like I said I bike.

Oh and some days you may feel sluggish from sitting behind the wheel for so long and you don't have ttoo much time, but you just have to push yourself to get out and
moving and you'll always be glad you did. I think sitting fOr a while can make you sluggish so it takes a warmup to get the rust off

 

Fleet and Northoceanbeach. Thank you for your input. I always had the belief that running or cycling could fit amazingly well with a trucking lifestyle, provided the driver had the motivation to doit. Fleet you hit the nail right smack on the head when you spoke about the things you see when out on a run as opposed to what you see from inside your vehicle. Currently whenever I travel for work, tbe first thing I do upon arrival in a new place is grab my GPS and go for a run. My co-workers then lean on me for intel on the lay of the land and what's around.

Loved the info about the GPS. Its the best training tool i have ever invested in. Your mileage is right on par with my current abilities. Thanks for the shower info. I was trying work in my mind how I would sequence my days. I too am of the neatness vent. I know Ill carry babywipes and other supplies for impromptu cleanups. Here's a question, if your stuck at a shipper for a period of time. Can you or have you snuck in a run?

Oh btw, I did find a facebook group that is dedicated to truckers who run. Members post their run locations and training tips. Its a handy trucking site. The group is called Marathon truckers. (I have to verify. Ill post if there is a correction needed for the name.)

Thanks to all and keep the thread rollin. Ill be heading to CDL school in May

 

i think for me what working for me , is i had high bp, so on the advice of the doc, i began too look at what i eat, so my bp wasn't bad just a tad high, now i went back too my storage, i remember buying a milk crate full jump ropes and hand weight's, i put those in the truck, i then wacth u tube how too use em the right way, breath in , breath out for example, next i looked at my food, being single, i eat everything in site, so i had too rethink that too, so i by accident ,seen a ad for weight watchers and i been hook'ed every since, they showed how too shop, food's too buy, it's just a great program , in three weeks i lost a 1.5 and working toward my goal of 120 from 140 , i have more energy, more everything, i feel great and my bp is dropping which is great, with no meds too, which i hate taking, one my fav exercise tool is a just a soup can full, tie a string around it , make sure it's right weight and just twirl it around, work's wonders for arm toning the skin, so you don't get flabby arm's but it still feel's good too do it, i make up alot thing;s like that, i just found in a thrift shop a rubber tube with handles for a doller and couple of those shake weights for 2 bucks each , im gonna try those out too.

 

Hey the kettlebell is a trucker best friend .

 

I will be attending cdl school in January and I'm a runner also. I guess I was under the impression that I would be running around the truck stops because you overnight on major roads. Sounds like that's not always the case - which I'm glad to hear.

 

Resistance training will work better due to distance

 

I joined planet fitness 20 bucks a month you can go to any location in the country. Some toys can get tractor trailer into some just tractor. Been doing this for three months been working good for me. I either get up early and go or go after I'm done driving. They have good equipment, showers too so you can workout then shower.