Conceding Temporary Defeat

After working myself to a near point of exhaustion the past few weeks where it got to the worst point (so far) last night - had dinner at close to 11pm - I've to concede that I need to rest on weekends. The 62-hour weeks are sapping not only my energies but my wife's as well. The magnitude of the project meant that few key personnel are exempted from being involved.

With close to 10 months to go in a project of unprecedented scale and risks, there will not be let up in stress and pressure to deliver.

Naturally, we see less of the kids every weekday and my Mom has had to man the house with less contribution from us. So when I put up my list of priorities, it's obvious what comes first and what I need to catch up on (which are quality time with the kids). Running, however sacred I hold it to be in my life, has simply been crowded out.

With only 5 hours of sleep everyday, I reckon I'll be breaking down if I don't catch up on rest. Weekends are already packed as it is for a self-sustaining family as mine. There's no running away from chores, cooking and cleaning, and kids.

I've always been good at recognizing the signs and pre-empting burn-out be it when training for a marathon or now at work. And I think it's now time to drop my weekend run routine at the Lake Gardens. I've to accept that I can no longer put my runs on a fixed schedule. Whenever the 25 to 30 minutes of spare time comes up, I'll put in a Furious Five (tm) session. I find that it's more manageable that trying to hit a tenner or even an 8K. Just head out there without any expectations of distance and run hard.

Things come in cycles. The economy, good and bad times, and even in my running "career". There's absolutely no doubt that I will be running faster when I return. I'll have to work much harder when that time comes but then I've never shied away from hard work whether it's running or otherwise. So good luck to your training, and look out for my cameo appearances!