There have been a ton of articles on this in NCJ over the years.
My regimen is a little bit of a "playing chicken" strategy. I will
purposely stay up late on Thursday before a major contest to ensure I
am tired on Friday. I will take that Friday off or QRT from the
office work by noon. East coast contests start at 8:00 pm or 7:00 pm.
My goal is to be "station ready" by 1:00 pm and then go to sleep -
sleep mask, one drink, white noise maker, cell phone on mute. My goal
is to get at least 5 hours of sleep and be up 60 minutes before the
contest to eat dinner (protein, no carbs), take a shower, and be ready
to rumble at 0000z.
The expectation is no sleep the first night.
The real "hump" especially for USA contesters is the second night. Do
you go QRT between 0200z and 0400z when Europe is largely asleep or do
you "fight" all the way through EU sunrise and then go QRT for two
hours between 0700z and 0900z? Thats a body decision and a rate
decision.
If I opt for the early track, I will be really dragging (no surprise -
between 0700z and 0900z). That usually means a 20-minute power nap,
and then its off to the races until 2359z. If I opt for the late
track, its a battle to physically stay awake until 0700z. This can be
done through adrenaline if you're a DX station, but its a murderous
time for US stations where nobody gives a damn who you are (there are
2000+ US hams on...).
The risk is if there are serious station issues on Friday, I might not
get to sleep until 300 pm or 400 pm local. That leaves only one sleep
cycle for sleep. Not a lot.
73 Rich NN3W
On Thu, Nov 9, 2023 at 7:42 PM Joe <nss@mwt.net> wrote:
>
> A I guess a survey?
>
> I have been into this whole contesting thing since 1975. I was only
> 18 years old then.
> And had more energy and stamina than I could ever use. Like this was the
> "Norm" An Example...
>
> CQWW Contests...
>
> * Friday 4 AM I get up and go to work. Do a full days work. A 3 PM get
> off work and go home.
>
>
> * Change clothes, get in car and head off to the guys station I will
> be doing the contest at.
>
>
> * Ohhh a 90 Minute drive or so. Grab some Mc Donalds on the way. Get
> there with like 30 minutes before start.
>
>
> * Contest Starts, do the whole 48 hours. The only breaks taken are
> potty breaks. A few minutes here and there.
>
>
> * Contest finishes Sunday Evening.
>
>
> * Sit with station owner, discuss contest, eat Pizza, drink more Beer
> than should drink.
>
>
> * Leave station at around midnight, and get home at 2 AM or so.
>
>
> * Take a shower, and kind of chill out.
>
>
> * It's now 3 AM, Watch some TV, no sense going to bed, when ya have to
> get up at 4 to go to work!
>
>
> * Go to work, Get off again at 3 PM, and finally go home. Go to bed
> when chilled out.
>
>
> That's being awake for 66 Hours!!!!!
>
> Now lets move to 48 years later! I can not do even a 24 hour contest
> anymore. Like Field Day or say Sweepstakes.
> I MUST take a nap sometime during the contest. I remember times when I'd
> fall asleep at the key.
> it was on auto repeat, CQing away, I wonder how many people called me!
>
> How are you all doing with this issue? Trying to stay awake and alert
> for the duration of a contest?
>
> Is it a problem at all?
>
> Or what do you do to be your best to combat the fatigue?
>
> Joe WB9SBD
> _______________________________________________
> CQ-Contest mailing list
> CQ-Contest@contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/cq-contest
_______________________________________________
CQ-Contest mailing list
CQ-Contest@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/cq-contest
|