Shiftysven

Well, another crazy week and time for another post.
Work seems to be either feast or famine. One week the company I work for is down for a week and the next time I go over two weeks without a day off. Sure would be nice to find a happy medium here. I worked 11-7 last week without a day off and a 12 hour shift on Sunday. By the end of the week I was toast. I just can't seem to sleep during the day anymore and a nap at night before work is usually short and fitful. If I wake up and my brain starts working, thinking, wondering..... that's it for sleep. I need to find a way to turn off and sleep.
My training/racing has been going well. I am still trying to figure out how to balance running and biking and get good results in both. The WORS races I have done have been okay but I seem to run out of juice towards the end. The last race I did, the Big Ring at Nine Mile in Wausau was the same thing. I have never really done well here and I don't know why. I like the course. It doesn't have alot of singletrack and it has plenty of wide open ski trail to push the pace. The course was a little muddy this year from rain the day before. It was just enough to make it greasy. Kind of like riding through bacon grease. I did okay but just didn't seem to have alot of zip. Maybe it was from the crazy work schedule or just not enough training. I'd like to think it's my crazy schedule! I had to work after the race, so I hopped off the bike, checked the results, and headed for work.
My week of 11-7 was a mixed bag of workouts. I got in a couple of nice long runs. One day was on my favorite trail, the Ice Age, just outside of town. The other long run was on a new path around town. There is a newer bypass around our city and they thoughtfully added a paved path along side the highway. I had been meaning to try a new route. It adds a little something instead of always running the same tired routes. It's a nice route but could be a real bugger in the summer. No shade at all and if it's windy there isn't much to block the wind. Still, I like the route and am going to try and run it more often.
I haven't been putting lots of miles on the bike. I mean to but something seems to get in the way every time I plan a bike ride. Doing my car/bike commute on 11-7 is kind of a pain too. Somehow the extra time just seems more of a burden on 11-7. That, and the fact that if I am tired the ride seems never ending and then I finally wake up when I reach the car and am energized when I get home and should be ready for sleep. I did get in one commute last week on 11-7 and one so far this week on 3-11. The ride home after 3-11 was really enjoyable. Par of my route follows the Wisconsin River. This makes the ride a little cooler on hot days. It's wooded for half the route and the fireflies are out now. I try to watch the roadside for eyes at night so I can dodge the critters. Riding along and seeing all the fireflies lighting up makes it just a bit more interesting. Seems like there are eyes everywhere.
Tomorrow, Wednesday June 17th is my day off and I am planning a long run or ride. Depends on the weather. Right now, it is raining, which means a nice long trail run is probably on the back burner. I don't mind the mud, but running through the open fields soaks my feet and then the run seems to go downhill. The Ice Age is hilly so I don't want to risk a fall, which I seem to do every once in a while. The wet conditions will just make all the roots and rocks even slipperier. If it dries up a little I'll probably wheel out the road bike and just wander the back roads. Maybe get a little lost. I'll have to throw a couple bucks in the saddlebag and carry my cell, just in case.
It's getting late, dark thirty o'clock here, and I hear my soft bed calling.
Gotta go........