I Need a Holiday!

That is just how I am feeling these days!
It has been too long since I have had more than a scattered day off and I am beginning to feel it. It's not like I am worn out from training, I just feel like it has been too busy as of late. Lots of changes at work, plus we are entering labour negotiations which are never fun. This whole week was spent dealing with labour issues which are always a precursor to the actual negotiations. Everyone is looking for a rallying point so even the smallest of issues seems to end up with the Union President in my office. Tiring work to say the least. Things are only going to get worse as we will exchange agendas with the Union on Monday and commence bargaining. The bargaining process is not that bad, it is all the stuff that will happen back at the plant while the negotiations happen.
And then there is the matter of putting together our 2009 Operating Plan and Strategy. That also has to be ready for the middle of the month. Thank goodness I work with some great people who really pitch in when you need them to. I am pretty much going to have to let them run with this one and try and find some time to review things as they progress.
And finally there is the whole house sale process which is probably going to get to the offer stage next week. While we are happy to be finally selling the acreage, there is the small matter of finding another place to live. We have kind of discussed what we would like, but so far it has amounted to, it has to be smaller and it has to be in town. Now I think we actually need to start looking but Angela is afraid to because she thinks it will jinx the whole process. Jinx or not I think we need to consider looking as living in a tent in Northern Alberta during the winter is not a great option!
My haphazard training continues to go well and I am staying in fine shape. This week I actually rode the bike twice which has not been normal. The running has also been good with only minor heel and Achilles complaints. Nothing that has really slowed me but it's always there. I will probably end the week with about 40 miles which, for no real plan, is respectable. Lots of high tempo running which I guess you could say is my "m.o.". I run a lot of my miles at fairly high pace, always have, always will. Not sure if that is a good or a bad thing, but I just like doing that.
Finally I managed three swims this week, with Friday's having to be cut short due to timing. Good thing is that I still went even though I knew I was only going to be able to squeeze in 1,000 metres. Under normal circumstances I would have blown it off, but it actually turned out to be very refreshing.
This weekend my brother, Jim will be running the ScotiaBank Marathon in Toronto. He has had a great training season and if conditions are right I believe he will surprise himself. I have got him (and his wife and daughter) converted to triathletes so he has done a lot of cross training and has seen a marked improvement in his over all fitness and an equal improvement in injury prevention. Other than his propensity to fall off his bike at the start, he has stayed quite healthy over the season. So good luck this weekend! Also good luck to cousin Mike in the half marathon he is doing this weekend.
Have a great weekend!