Had To Take a Break; Back Now

For my regular readers you’ll notice that I haven’t posted in about a week and have been scarce on Twitter (@farsided). I had a really rough week last week dealing with the family separation and the job search, and felt really tired of being on the bike so much. I did ride a few times but they were slower endurance pace rides instead of hard intervals.

Most of you know that I’m working in Dallas while my family still lives in Jacksonville, FL. I’ve been trying to get back to Jacksonville but the job market there has been a tough nut to crack. I put a lot of effort into the job search over the last couple of weeks and reached out to some old acquaintances of mine that were able to stir up some leads for me. Up until a couple of weeks ago I had had a good lead in my back pocket and was just waiting for the job to be posted. Turns out the the job was canceled and I was back to square one. I found out yesterday that the job was back on and I applied for it today. I won’t elaborate now but I’m very excited about this opportunity and have high hopes that it will be what gets me back to Jacksonville with my family. I’ll update as I know more.

It had been four months since I’d seen my family so this past weekend I flew home to be with them. It was a planned trip so I could attend my wife’s parent’s 50th Wedding Anniversary Party, see my youngest daughter get baptized, and be there for her 9th birthday. The trip was a whirlwind of activity but it felt so good to be home and around family again. I was away from them for long periods of time while in the Navy but I find it much harder to be away now since I’d gotten to spend the last two years with them after leaving the military.

Needless to say, I didn’t ride much more than about 40 miles last week and didn’t get a long ride in on Saturday. I’m OK with that though because I really think I needed the rest. One thing I did do was weigh myself this weekend and since getting weighed on my doctor’s office visit back in April I’ve lost right at 20 pounds. That’s right at one pound a week which is what’s recommended. I could tell my clothes fit better but after not seeing much change lately I was getting discouraged on this front as well. Now that I know my hard work is paying off it’s just fuel to keep going.

To those that reached out to me this past week I appreciate it.

http://springfieldcyclist.com/ Tracy

Man, I feel for you. I can’t imagine having to live apart from my wife (and kids when they were little), and (crossing my fingers here) I’ve never had to deal with a job loss, so you’ve certainly got my sympathy. Hang in there…I’m a believer that all things like that will eventually turn around if you can hang on long enough.

As for as the weight loss, great job! Having several folks in my family with weight problems, there is nothing that impresses me more than somebody who will actually go out and do something about it in a positive way. It’s not easy, but the rewards are amazing!

Good luck!

TW
http://gtinla.wordpress.com Gerhard

Good news on all fronts – and nice to have you back, I missed you ramblings!
http://mildstallion.wordpress.com Al

Props to Tracy’s comment: There’s a lot of people out there who will complain every day about their situation, but do nothing to change it.

You are not one of those people. Ghandi said to “Be the change you want to see in the world” – it sounds like you took the advice!

20 pounds gone is awesome – keep at it, you are doing great.

As for the job thing, I really hope your lead pans out. I had to deal with a lean job situation a few years back and it’s no picnic. I can’t imagine having to be so far away for so long.

I really hope you get that job. As for moving back to Jacksonville from Dallas – wow. I couldn’t do it. It’s too freaking hot!
retrogal

Yes congrats on the weight loss. It is a great incentive to keep going. I know what it feels like to kill yourself and not see any results. I heard it is recommended to take a week off after training so hard. It’s actually good for you. I have my fingers crossed for you getting the job you want.
http://www.weiland.net/ Weiland

Glad to have you back. I lived in Austin for 3 1/2 months while my family was in Salt Lake City.
http://bikingtolive.com Bryan

Thanks all. I’m in the waiting stage for the job back in Jacksonville but it does look promising. Only time will tell.
daveydave

I can’t imagine being away from family like you have been. That’s tough. It’s really incredible to drop in every once and a while and see what you have accomplished in a year despite having so many obstacles to work through. Great job on the weight loss! Times and distances are really strong as well. Keep up the hard work & I’m definitely pulling for you on the job.

best regards,

daveydave – Massachusetts
http://bikingtolive.com Bryan

Thanks Dave. I’ve had some obstacles over the past year but, truthfully, who hasn’t? Times are hard for everybody and I know there are people who are facing tougher times than I am. I’ve got my health (although I’m overweight), I’ve got my family (although we’re apart right now), I’m not living on the streets, and I have a job. That’s more than a lot of people have and I’m thankful for all of it. Being able to have a job and get to move back with my family will just be icing on the cake. The job isn’t in the bag but I still have high hopes for it.