One of my favorite movie scenes is in Predator, an 80's flick starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. The scene takes place after a gun fight. Jessie Ventura got shot in the arm & one of his squads men said "your hit, you're bleeding man". Ventura spits a huge steam of chewing tobacco out of his mouth & replies "I ain't got time to bleed".My situation last night was nowhere as cool or dramatic. But when I'm as tired as I was last night, I need to find motivation where I can. So my mantra for last night was "I ain't got time to be exhausted."
Friday morning I got off of a 12 hr shift, slept 2.5 hrs, and then set out on a 5hr 45 min brick. I rode out from my house on the south side of Santa Fe, rode through Santa Fe via one of the only pedestrian trails in this non-cyclist-friendly city. Then rode south on the I-25 frontage road. Then hopped onto 285 & rode past Eldorado and the girls ranch. Half way to Clines Corners I turned around to head back home. I thoroughly enjoyed that ride. I got to ride through some of the most beautiful sections of this area. It was actually the first time I'd ridden through there. I'd not done that ride yet simply because I'm not that familiar with the area. That is the rout I'll be heading out on Nov 18th when riding to Hobbs NM on my bicycle to visit my family for Thanksgiving. So I thought I'd better do the first part of the first leg so I won't be riding blind so to speak.
Once I got home I finished the ride off w/ a 45 min run. I felt pretty dang good considering I'd done my workout on almost no sleep. As soon as I got home I got ready for another shift @ the Hate Factory. I was scheduled to work a 12 hr shift that night. As soon I got to work I volunteered for another shift tomorrow night (Sat night). About 8 hrs through my shift I am thinking I'm on the tail end of a rough night. I was REALLY tired, but functioning relatively well considering it was 4am, I'd pushed through a 6hr brick & was working on such a small amount of sleep. I got a call from the shift commander about that time letting me know l got 1B control center @ the Super Max facility for 12 hrs Sat night. Shortly after that I got another call from my shift commander advising me I got a mandatory overtime for 4 hrs at the end of this shift. Great. Just flippen great. The supervisors hand out the 12hr shift overtimes before the 4hr overtimes on purpose. The way the policies are written here @ the State Penitentiary is once a person volunteers for a post on their day off they HAVE TO show up. If we don't show we get an AWOL. If we knew we were going to have to work a 16 most officers wouldn't plan on coming in that night for another 12. Without officers coming in for thier day off the Penn would be in a state off emergency due to a staff shortage. The supervisers/administraters here don't care if a person shows up so tired that they are a threat to security. They want a body to fill the post, no exceptions or excuses.
So now I was stuck having to show up for another 12 hr shift 8 hrs after getting off an unexpected 16 hr shift. To add insult to injury I was scheduled for a 2 hr run after this unexpected extended work day. I know what I should of done. I should of gotten off work and gone straight to sleep so I'd be rested for work that night. I could make up my run tomorrow morning when I got off of work. But no, I'm much to stupid for that. I got home, allowed myself 4 hrs sleep woke up and did my scheduled 2hr run. Stupid stupid stupid!!!
Sat night was one of the most difficult nights I'd had in recent memory. I was so tired I had to stay standing the entire night. The minute I sat down I'd start nodding off. To make it even worse I kept thinking the only way I'm going to get gains from my training is if I get enough sleep & rest. The only time a person recovers and gets stronger is when they are sleeping/resting. Sleep is a commodity I have not been privy to recently. I'm scheduled to work again tonight for another 12hr overtime shift. I can rest plenty once I'm dead. For now I ain't got time to be exhausted.
3 comments:
Cody, I know you know this, but just a reminder--when you're that far in deficit, a day of rest will give you far greater gains than a day of training.
I admire your perseverance, but sometimes it is the spaces in between that give us the most substance.
Besides, if you're not getting enough sleep, it will depress your immune system and leave you vulnerable to picking up a bug.
Get yourself some rest!
Signed--a concerned friend :)
Rest!, Rest!, Rest!
Sorry I've got nothing constructive to say other than...
Rest!, Rest!, Rest!
Seriously Cody, what the others have said! Decreased recovery is almost the least of your worries without enough sleep, though that is a big one. Like Naomi said you are making yourself vulerable to illness by depressing your immune system, you are risking injury by failing to recover and you risk your mental health. The body isn't the only thing that recovers in your sleep, so does the mind. People who are sleep deprived enough start to suffer from temporary psychosis.
I don't mean to lecture you, you are a grown man, but as a friend I am concerned. Rest.
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