Well, we're getting to it. The weather has cooled off and for some, the running season is coming to an end. I've still got one more half marathon to run this year, and may try to throw in some other races between now and the marathon I'm scheduled to run on March 1st in Phoenix.
My goals for 2013 were to run 1000 miles this year and to read 12 books. I've surpassed the 1000 mile mark. That came about five miles in to the Columbus Marathon last Sunday. I figure I'll end up with about 1200 miles, give or take, by the end of this year.
I'm in the process of reading book #9, The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. Yes, you read right, I'm reading The Wizard of Oz. I enjoyed the book as a child and sometimes going back to something you enjoyed as a child can bring enjoyment, even to us adults. And since no one wants to play kickball in the street with me, I'm reading The Wizard of Oz.
As for my Columbus Marathon goals, I achieved one of the three I had set. I did run a personal best time, finishing in 4:43:51. I think, had I listened to my inner runner, and the running partner who was running with me for the first 15-16 miles, I would have been able to beat goal #2. But, I started moving a little too fast during the first half of the marathon, and that caught up to me later on. Sometimes we need those reminders though. Again, I've been reminded that, in order to finish faster we sometimes have to slow down. I'll take that lesson with me to the Space Coast Half Marathon in December, and more importantly, to the Phoenix Marathon in March. As of right now, my goals for Phoenix remain the same as they were for Columbus.
Changes are coming for me at work too. We've taken on dispatching another fire department, and that has increased our work load. It's been a little stressful, as any change can be, but I think we've dealt with it well, and the relationship with have with our newest customers is looking to be a good one. They seem happy with the way we do business and we're enjoying some of the changes we have made. Change can be stressful, but it doesn't have to be a bad stress. Changing things up can be a good thing.
In January we will add a new customer to the mix when we start dispatching for the Hilliard Police Dept. That brings with it some new challenges, one of which involves our staffing requirements. As our activity here increases, so does our need for more people. We won't be able to provide the kind of service we're used to providing with our current staff, so in addition to the three people we currently have training, the process to bring on at least four more people has started.
The scheduling will be tight for a while, until we can get some new people on board and trained. A new person, even one who's done this job before, takes about five months to get trained. So we're looking at the middle part of next year before we're fully staffed again.
All of that also means that next year's schedule will be a little different, and I've decided to go back to third shift, at least for 2014. Looking at all the changes I knew that I would have to make some sacrifices next year. The question was, do I sacrifice some of the races I want to run, or do I sacrifice the day time work schedule. In the end I decided that going to third shift would mean being able to run more races next year, and for me, it's worth it. Even with the change, there are still some races I want to do that may have to be scrapped until another year. But I'm hoping, as the year goes on and people get trained and on board, that I'll be able to throw some of those races back in the mix. We'll see what 2014 brings.
But let's not look ahead too fast. 2013 still has some time left.
My goals for 2013 were to run 1000 miles this year and to read 12 books. I've surpassed the 1000 mile mark. That came about five miles in to the Columbus Marathon last Sunday. I figure I'll end up with about 1200 miles, give or take, by the end of this year.
I'm in the process of reading book #9, The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. Yes, you read right, I'm reading The Wizard of Oz. I enjoyed the book as a child and sometimes going back to something you enjoyed as a child can bring enjoyment, even to us adults. And since no one wants to play kickball in the street with me, I'm reading The Wizard of Oz.
As for my Columbus Marathon goals, I achieved one of the three I had set. I did run a personal best time, finishing in 4:43:51. I think, had I listened to my inner runner, and the running partner who was running with me for the first 15-16 miles, I would have been able to beat goal #2. But, I started moving a little too fast during the first half of the marathon, and that caught up to me later on. Sometimes we need those reminders though. Again, I've been reminded that, in order to finish faster we sometimes have to slow down. I'll take that lesson with me to the Space Coast Half Marathon in December, and more importantly, to the Phoenix Marathon in March. As of right now, my goals for Phoenix remain the same as they were for Columbus.
Changes are coming for me at work too. We've taken on dispatching another fire department, and that has increased our work load. It's been a little stressful, as any change can be, but I think we've dealt with it well, and the relationship with have with our newest customers is looking to be a good one. They seem happy with the way we do business and we're enjoying some of the changes we have made. Change can be stressful, but it doesn't have to be a bad stress. Changing things up can be a good thing.
In January we will add a new customer to the mix when we start dispatching for the Hilliard Police Dept. That brings with it some new challenges, one of which involves our staffing requirements. As our activity here increases, so does our need for more people. We won't be able to provide the kind of service we're used to providing with our current staff, so in addition to the three people we currently have training, the process to bring on at least four more people has started.
The scheduling will be tight for a while, until we can get some new people on board and trained. A new person, even one who's done this job before, takes about five months to get trained. So we're looking at the middle part of next year before we're fully staffed again.
All of that also means that next year's schedule will be a little different, and I've decided to go back to third shift, at least for 2014. Looking at all the changes I knew that I would have to make some sacrifices next year. The question was, do I sacrifice some of the races I want to run, or do I sacrifice the day time work schedule. In the end I decided that going to third shift would mean being able to run more races next year, and for me, it's worth it. Even with the change, there are still some races I want to do that may have to be scrapped until another year. But I'm hoping, as the year goes on and people get trained and on board, that I'll be able to throw some of those races back in the mix. We'll see what 2014 brings.
But let's not look ahead too fast. 2013 still has some time left.
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