Fifty Plus (50+) - Work's cutting into my riding... rant

Not sure what I'm going to do, but the calculations I did this morning are disturbing. I'm almost 800 miles below my mileage of last year. This only includes road miles, not trainer miles, because..... well, they're not the same. My actual time on a trainer has gone up. During the last 90 days I've spend an additional 160 hours over my normal work hours driving to a customer's site. While this is my second largest customer and one I value a great deal, this is not good. I mean a man's got to make choices in life. I've checked out the possibility of flying, and by the time you park, get through security, make the flight, wait for luggage, get a rental car, etc. it's actually 20 minutes longer to fly than to drive! I know I should be thankful that I have a job I like, and that I'm working at all. But, really, this has got to change! My overall quality of life is suffering in ways I can't tolerate. I'm thinking of asking my family to consider moving!

I solved this problem by working for an SOB who sleeps with my wife

I'm self-employed :D

Yeah, I'm self-employed too, and I work more hours how than ever before.

I know I should be thankful that I have a job I like, and that I'm working at all.

For a while I was a 'road warrior' commuting to work 3.5 hours away for the week then returning home on the weekends. Hated it, just hated it and was very grateful when the state decreed I was a suitable candidate for benefits and long-term employment in one location.

I think when one is a dedicated cyclist and lives & loves to experience the world on 2 wheels, having to spend many hours regularly in a vehicle becomes more onerous as time goes by. Certainly there are BF members who drive professionally for a living and their ability to do that earns nothing but admiration from me.

But as for your cycling time being reduced by driving to your client, your pain is our pain...:cry:

Until the Heart problem- I was a sales rep, but working my local area , and that stretched from the Coast to London- About 60 miles north to south- but about 120 miles east to west. Large enough area but I could plan a week- or even a day, to get local to home for those important things like riding or Club meetings. Since then however- I have been based at the office that is 30 miles from home. Early starts to get into the office to get the work started- but worse getting home at nights due to Rush hour traffic and major road works. Just a bit too far to cycle, so it is sit in the traffic and fume.

Only another 5 years to go before I retire, but Got approached by another company this week to take over their warehouse. Basically the same job I am doing now without the travelling and the hassle of covering for a team of 8 (Supposedly) that always seems to down to 5 or 6 due to holidays and Illness. Then the bonus of its only 10 miles from home so I can commute by Bike. So 100 miles extra per week should get my milage up- All I have to do is find out how much I can cut my wages by to take advantage of the offer and lose the "Moany Old Git attitude" that I am getting into, by being stressed out by working with 30 year old Know-it-alls.

lose the "Moany Old Git attitude" that I am getting into, by being stressed out by working with 30 year old Know-it-alls.

good luck with that one...:rolleyes:

not much to do about the 30-year-olds, only the attitude bit is under your control...

For us poor slobs who work for a living, and live today's typical fast paced lifestyle, it's a familiar story; it's just so difficult to find time for anything. It's far and away the biggest excuse I hear among so many I've known who try to add an exercise plan to their life, and fail. It comes down to priorities, but it's hard to argue with job and family being biggest priorities, and when those don't leave time for anything else, it's tough.

In my own case, I had to turn in my resignation at work two years ago, to negotiate staying without having my work hours increased. It's great to have all the material things a good career brings, but when there isn't time to enjoy them, there's a problem.

I solved this problem by working for an SOB who sleeps with my wife

I'm self-employed :D
I used to be self employed.... worst boss I ever had!:D
I sold my business and went to work for a nice guy that lets me ride. :D

As for me, I'm a classroom teacher...it's work I mostly enjoy and will surely miss when I retire. I've never done full-time private sector work so I don't know the pressures. What I do know is: I leave for work at 7:30. I return at 4:30 if I'm lucky. Monday to Friday there is simply little serious riding that gets done during the winter Daylight Savings downtime. I can't afford to hate my garage trainer even though I get bored out of my skull at times...and that's with a DVD player, iPod knock-off, etc. I find that structured routines on the trainer eat time faster than simply spinning.

Balancing a diverse lifestyle of obligations and multiple interests is a toughie...especially when cycling can have a far-reaching, time gobbling appetite and, mermaid-like, can sing to you of ever more demanding personal achievements.

But, who wants to really give it up? None of us of course.

I recall that some hard-core roadie type, who used to train for hours at night with his wife driving behind with the highbeams on, advising: LIVE LIKE A MONK, TRAIN LIKE A MADMAN.

Sorta. 8-)

Gosh-I feel kind of guilty. I'm semi-retired, working only 3 days weekly which pays the bills and as I walk the 4 blocks to work on those mornings I'm comforted by the knowledge that I can bolt if I really get annoyed. This, of course, makes it a heck of a lot easier to put up with the b.s. associated with any type of employment.

Gosh-I feel kind of guilty. I'm semi-retired, working only 3 days weekly which pays the bills and as I walk the 4 blocks to work on those mornings I'm comforted by the knowledge that I can bolt if I really get annoyed. This, of course, makes it a heck of a lot easier to put up with the b.s. associated with any type of employment.


You should feel guilty! ;)

I am pretty lucky in that regards. I went from being a product line marketing mgr and doing global travel at 50% to running a software professional services group. Now I travel about a week a month at the most and I get to send all of the young guys out to do the work. In addition moving to S FL allows me to ride all year round. So no rants from me.