Pre-Christmas update

Hi. Just a quick ( I hope ) update on my goings on. This week has slowed down considerably, at least at work. A normal 6 day/ 8 hours per day week. 3-11 this week. Actually it should be a five day week since I took an extra day off to visit with family. Tammy and I went to my sister and brother-in-laws home for a little get together tonight. My father and his wife were here from Ashland, WI for the weekend and an early Christmas. With my crazy schedule it was nice to just relax, eat too much and visit. I don't get to see my Dad as much as I would like and when I do it seems to be too short of a visit. I had a great time and just loved listening to the stories and catching up with what everyone has been up to.
I have been getting some runs in. I would rather be skiing but just haven't found time to get out as often as I like. It seems the cleaning/waxing/traveling just doesn't mesh well on 3-11. I did get out one day early this week. The rest has been running. A nice long run today in the fog/mist. 41 degrees on the 22nd of December! Probably could have run in shorts. Felt pretty beat and tired. It was one of the runs I should have cut short but I never have the sense to do that. I slogged through it and the felt drained afterwards. I even took a short 30 minute nap waiting for Tammy to get home.
On the way home from our visit tonight it was raining! That will certainly put a crimp on the cross country skiing. They are calling for the rain to change to snow and possible accumulations of 4-8 inches. We'll see. I am hoping they are right. The snow we had has been disappearing with the warm weather the last couple days.
Okay, off I go. I probably won't post on here until after the holidays so I would like to wish everyone Happy Holidays, what ever Holiday you may celebrate.
Later.....

Yes, it's been a while

Yes, I'm still here. Not that anyone is looking or missing me. Just when I thought it would start slowing down, my life and work schedule is back on the road to Crazytown. After a relatively quiet couple of weeks this week is INSANE! Okay, I've read all about how individuals who run a business or who are medical students compete on an elite level and still maintain some semblance of a normal (what's normal?) life but I need some hints on how they do it. I spent the better part of Monday doing some Christmas shopping out of town. I came home and had a message on the phone asking if I wanted to go to work early to help out with heavy truck shipments. Like an idiot I said yes. In my defense, there are times in my job if you don't work a little extra you are just creating a longer/harder/busier day for yourself. So....day one of 7pm to 7am. Oh, and I did get a short run in before that 12 hour shift. Home in the morning to sleep. Up early for a meeting with our realtor-we're trying to sell our home-more stress and insanity- and in early again. So day two of 12 hours-7pm to 7am. Home again to sleep a few hours. Got up and did a short half hour on the bike on the windtrainer. Then.......yep, in again early to work, 7pm t 7am. Can anyone see a pattern here? Finally a day off! Yeah right. After sleeping a couple hours I went to work 3pm to 11pm on my supposed day off. So, 4 days-44 hours worked, maybe 12 hours sleep. Again, how do people manage to fit in time to train at any level with long and crazy hours or difficult jobs. Yes, I know, people do it. I would just like some hints on how to stay sane with these conditions. I know people do even more; juggling kids, household duties, work, etc.... BUT HOW? Yes, most, if not all of this weeks insanity was self-induced, but as I stated, sometimes I feel like I have to just so my regular shift at work isn't so crazy. So, all this work and no play is making my crabby, moody and slightly depressed. It is now Friday morning and I haven't seen my wife since Tuesday afternoon. I think she is the one who suffers the most during these busy times. I never have said I am an easy guy to live with and this kind of hectic schedule just makes it harder to be around me. I need, yes, NEED, my run or bike or whatever to de-stress and clear my head and when time is short and I don't get it I get blue. That's the best way to describe it. Little sleep, crappy eating, no workouts, too much time at work all add up to one cranky fella.
Okay, time to finish my beer and head off to dreamland. If the phone rings tomorrow with an opportunity for more overtime at work, I hope I have the brains to say NO!!!!
Seriously, any hints, ideas, help with workout schedules would be greatly appreciated.
Next time I hope to address goals for the new year. Maybe if I write them down for all the world to be able to see I will be held more accountable and try to meet them.
Later........

Another crazy week!

Well, just when I think it can't get much more insane between home and work, of course, it does. I worked 11-7 last week, or graveyard shift as some people call it. Unfortunately the mill does not shut down for Thanksgiving, or any holiday for that matter. That means trying to schedule Thanksgiving between my family and Tammy's family. We spent Thanksgiving at my Mother's house and then off to work I went. Our meal at our home was on Sunday. I ended up working 12 hour shifts, again, so I tried to sleep, visit and eat and then, what else, off to work. 56 hours last week. Now, I know I gripe about work on here. I don't want it to seem that I don't appreciate the fact that I do have a job. I do! There must be some sort of a happy medium though. One day off per week and 50+ hours 3 out of the last 4 weeks! Yes, I also realize that lots of others work longer/harder hours. Shift work just seems to make it just a bit harder. The human body just never adjusts to changing work schedules every 7 days.
Well, enought whining. My training/running has actually been going well. I have been averaging 50+ miles per week even with my crazy schedule. I'm not training for anything at the moment. Just trying to get in some long runs and build endurance for x-c ski season, if we have one. It's been mostly moderate pace and mostly longer runs. No speed, or tempo, or hill work. Just miles. I am trying to reach a goal I set on the Nike+ site of 200 miles in 4 weeks. After that I think it will be time to add some cross training. I have my road bike set up on the fluid trainer and as soon as I clean it and do some maintenance I hope to add a couple of workouts per week on that.
Well, thanks again for the opportunity to blather away. I am going to finish my frosty New Glarus Coffee Stout and hit the hay so I can start another crazy day. More later........Sven

Busy weekend

It's been over a week so it's about time I updated this. I worked 7 a.m. - 3 p.m. last week. Since I am not an early bird this isn't my favorite but once I am up it gets better. It was supposed to be my weekend off. I would have been done at 3 p.m. Friday and not had to go back to work until 11 p.m. Tuesday. Well.... it was also opening weekend of gun deer hunting season also. I am one of the few who does not hunt. I was asked months ago by someone who does hunt if I would trade days off that week. No problem. Hopefully when I need a weekend in the future he will reciprocate. Anyway.... I ended up with Wednesday off. Kind of a hectic day off. Waited for someone from the city to come do repairs on the water meter in the basement. Then I was supposed to babysit for some of the grandkids. Then plans changed and I didn't have to babysit. While all that was transpiring I moved my plans around. Still ended up being a good day. By trading days off I moved to 3 p.m -11 p.m. for the weekend. I don't mind that shift so much. I can get up and still do things around the house, run errands, and hopefully get in some kind of workout. About 10 a.m. on Saturday I received a call from work. The person who would relieve me at 11 p.m. was going to be off. Would I like to split 12's- 7 p.m - 7 a.m. Since this seemed like a better choice than 3 p.m. - 7 a.m. I said yes. It kind of screwed up my weekend but 12 is always better than 16. Same deal on Sunday. I still got in 10 miles on Saturday and 7+ on Sunday but I was pretty wiped out. My job for the weekend required that I be on my feet most of the time. Not really physical but alot of walking and moving about. This also messed my day off this week (Monday) since I slept half of that away. Managed to get in a damp and overcast run on Monday and then attended one of my daughters choral concerts. LONG DAY! Now 11 p.m - 7 a.m. this week.
Hopefully I can get in some good miles this week. I have been doing 50+ per week and feeling pretty good. The runs I do with my better half really seem to help. Since she is a new runner the pace is more relaxed. It's like active recovery for me. I am hoping to keep the miles up this week yet and then maybe do a race on December 1. If I race next weekend I will ease up on the mileage. If Tammy runs it will be an easy run and still be fun. If she decides not to run then I may push and try to race. If Tammy runs it will be a 5 mile race, otherwise I will do 10 miles.
Well, I better get moving and accomplish something during the day before I try to get in a nap before work.

My day off

Finally got to enjoy a complete day off. Kind of cool and damp. Maybe mid 40's and overcast. Didn't do the half marathon today. Just didn't feel like the two plus hour drive one way, wasn't feeling that great and my better half deserved my complete attention for a day. Spent part of the day at an auction and of course we came home with some "treasures". We did get in a run together later in the afternoon and spent the night relaxing. Needed a day like this. 3-11 shift seems to really tire me out since I can't come home and head right to bed. I need to relax and unwind and by that time it is usually the wee hours of the morning. Then I feel guilty if I sleep too late and by the end of the week I just feel exhausted. So in a way this was my down day. Still need to get some things done around the house but that will have to wait a couple more days. Now off to bed at a decent hour for a change.

Finally, a day off!

Finally, after 16 days straight, a day off. Lots of hours in that span too. Last week, from 10/29 to 11/4, I worked 69 hours. This was 11 p.m to 7 a.m. shift. It included 3 twelve hours shifts from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. Things have slowed a little this week but still busy at work. During that last week I still managed to get in runs on six of those days and totaled over 54 miles. I'm not sure if that seems obsessive or ??? but this last year I have come to the conclusion that I work and train best under very adverse conditions. My best race of the year came after working all night and sleeping for two hours.
I had planned a half marathon for today but decided I needed the rest worse. Spending the day with Dzangel is more important and she deserves some time that isn't planned around some sort of race or competition. As much as I love the thrill of competition, it's not all about me! I am sure that somewhere during the day I will get in a run. After all, it's what keeps me sane and helps me de-stress.
Now, off to bed. Somehow, I am sure this will end up being a very full and busy day.

Welcome!

Hi. Not exactly sure what I am getting into here but I have wanted to try this for a while, so here goes. I'm not sure how often I will (or can) post on here but I will attempt to take the time to do this at least once per week. I don't think anyone will want to listen to my rants more often than that!
Okay, an introduction is in order I believe. I am a 46 year young male from cental Wisconsin. Married to the love of my life and my best friend. The title of this blog came about due to a nickname given to me by my sister and the fact that I work shift work at a central Wisconsin paper mill. One shift per week and I change shifts every Monday-usually. So 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. one week and then 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. the next. Then 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. the next week. Then start all over again. One day off per week, hopefully! While working this crazy schedule ( at least to me and people close to me ) I try to run, bicycle, xc ski, ... almost every day. I also love to compete at all of these sports or a combination of them. I guess this blog will follow my crazy schedule and how I fit in time to get in my workouts. I am also looking for help, advice, hints, anything from anybody who also have the same schedule or who try to cram too much into too little time.
My job generally drives me insane. It's in the shipping department of the paper mill so it is usually busy. Not necessarily physical but it is not an office/desk job. At times it can be 8 hours steady on my feet. Possibly because of my personality type I let little things at work drive me nuts. Maybe the hours, maybe the people but the stress gets to me. I am not claiming to be the perfect worker so please don't take it that way. I know I probably cause as much stress as I feel.
So...... as of this time I am not really training for anything. Hopefully, if the weather cooperates I am getting ready for xc ski season by putting in long, easy runs. I am planning on doing the American Birkebeiner in Hayward/Cable, WI in February-again, weather permitting. Maybe a half-marathon this Saturday-11/10/2007-depending on how I feel and work. I would be working 3p.m. to 11 p.m. and getting up to drive 2+ hours to race.
I need to aknowledge some people in this first post also. My better half, Dzangel, for putting up with me and supporting me in my endeavors. She makes everything that much easier by letting me be who I am with no expectations. Also our 5 great kids (3 girls, 2 boys, and 5 grandkids) who always brighten my day and never fail to amaze, inspire and make me proud.
Okay, enough for now. Questions? Hints? Anything to make this more informative, helpful and interesting would be appreciated. Later-Svenofthenorth