Time to ride

[Ray]

After working pretty hard for 23 years or so without a break of more than a couple of weeks off, I quit my job recently, with the Friday just past my last day. I'm real easy to get along with but finally, after all those years, I ran into a supervisor that I just couldn't get along with. I'm an experienced professional who's run my own projects with nearly total autonomy for the last 15 years or so and this guy was a micro manager who was less concerned with results that having every detail done his way. A very very very bad fit that made it more and more difficult to get up every day and go to work. So finally, after four years, I admitted I couldn't fix this situation and gave up and bailed

In any case, I'm lucky enough to be able to, and firmly determined to not even THINK about my next career move until next fall sometime, if then. My wife teaches and my kids are in the last couple of years at home, so I'm looking forward to spending a lot of time with them this summer.

But I'm also gonna have a LOT of time to ride, for the first time ever. I hope to ride myself just short of the point of burnout. See how much riding I can do and still enjoy it. I've always enjoyed long moderate paced days in the saddle more than shorter, balls out, speed rides (yeah, I know this soulds like a rando type bike more than a race bike, but I'm having FUN on the race bikes these days), and I'm gonna have a lot of time for long rides. Anyone else been in this situation recently? How'd it go? I'm sort of wondering if cycling will be as much fun as a primary activity as it has been as a release from the stresses of life's other activities.

At worst, it'll be a learning experience. And, at best, this could be a LOT of fun! I'll let you know how it goes.

Later,

-Ray

[yeehawfactor]

enjoy! :beer:

[Tom]

Way too many people hang in on a poor situation because they haven't got the courage to change things and it winds up killing them. You did the right thing, but you know that already. Tell us all where your roads lead.

[dirtdigger88]

Ray- best of luck!!!! One word of advise- listen to your body- Having all the time in the world to ride and physically being able to do it are totally different- Also, if you are not use to the fast paced short rides you will have a learning curve as well- Those are my favorite kind of rides!!!!! I ride 5-6 days a week depending on my schedule- most are only 60- 75 minutes. I do alternate my hard and light days- if I dont I am smoked at the end of the week. You will get the feel-

Now for your ex- boss!! I know the type- I too worked for one in the beginning of my career- I vowed to never be like that- I try not to be. I even asked my people to evaluate me when I do their reviews- I want to know how I affect them both good and bad- Sometimes it is hard to hear but I would rather listen then have a valued employee leave-

Keep us posted

Jason

[Jeff N.]

Did you have it out with your boss? Sometimes if you tell them how you feel, they'll back off. Sometimes they won't. But I guess thats a moot point now. Anyway, ride the heck outa your bike! And by all means...enjoy the summer! :beer: Jeff N.

[Ray]

Did you have it out with your boss? Sometimes if you tell them how you feel, they'll back off. Sometimes they won't. But I guess thats a moot point now. Anyway, ride the heck outa your bike! And by all means...enjoy the summer! :beer: Jeff N.
Oh yeah, I WAAAAAAY had it out with him. A few times. And hauled him in front of HR, along with a couple of other employees because his controlling nature leads into abusive behavior when he gets really stressed. He's in counseling, but doesn't believe he has a problem. He's in trouble, but I don't think he's anywhere near getting canned, and I decided not to wait around because it was really taking a toll on me.

I really really feel for the younger employees who don't have the perspective to know it doesn't have to be this way.

Thanks for all of the support everyone. I will definitely listen to my body and will either take it easy or not ride when I'm not up to it. But I expect to do a LOT of 65-85 mile rides this year, with several centuries thrown in for good measure.

-Ray

[gt6267a]

ray

i was running my own biz for a few years and had time to ride. loved it. you probably already know all the group rides for afterwork and the weekends in philly, but, if you are riding mid-morning during the week, especially on the bike path from manyunk down to valley forge, you will most likely bump into two guys, chris(rides a carbon giant) and hamid(rides a colnago c40). make friends with these two and you'll have some good day-time riding buddies. tell them keith says hi and that i enjoyed riding with them. i left philly for montgomery al last summer and did not get a chance to say goodbye.

regards,
keith

[rePhil]

After feeling like I had the greatest job in the world for over twenty years and working with people who were more friends than co workers my corporate giant decided it was time for a change. At first I wasn't to receptive but I gradually warmed up to it. They did treat me well and I had plenty of time to ride as well as catch up on my chores. What a great time in life.
I hope you enjoy your time off half a much as I did mine!

[Ray]

you probably already know all the group rides for afterwork and the weekends in philly, but, if you are riding mid-morning during the week, especially on the bike path from manyunk down to valley forge, you will most likely bump into two guys, chris(rides a carbon giant) and hamid(rides a colnago c40). make friends with these two and you'll have some good day-time riding buddies. tell them keith says hi and that i enjoyed riding with them. i left philly for montgomery al last summer and did not get a chance to say goodbye.

Keith,

Thanks for the recommendation, but I live out in West Chester and Amish country is just a few miles out my door. I very rarely ride into Philly and am not real big on flat trails like the one from Philly to Valley Forge (althouh I ride it at least once each year as part of an organized century). So, it's a long shot at best, but if I'm riding into Philly sometime, I'll keep my eyes open for those guys.

To everyone else who's offered advice - this is the ultimate case of the Peter Principle at work. A guy (the one I was working for) is great at his job and keeps getting promoted until he's one step past what he does well. His break point was entering management. He's amazingly good at what he does, with loads of energy and committment to detail (although not much sense for when he has enough information to make a good decision), but has absolutely no ability to delegate or trust his people to get the job done. Very difficult to try to work for.

I had to make a decision about ten years ago whether to get into management or not and chose not. I know some good ones and some bad ones, but not even the good ones seem to like it. It takes them away from what they loved doing and basically puts them in a completely different job. I love managing projects, but that's as high as I've wanted to go, so as not to lose touch with what I got into my field to do in the first place. That approach worked well for me until very very recently.

-Ray

[Climb01742]

ray, it sounds as though you made exactly the right decision. like is too short for what you were going through. talented people always have choices. spending more time with your family and more time riding...maybe thank the guy! :D seriously, living courageously, not fearfully, is always better, i believe. good luck!

[slowgoing]

I'm envious. Have a great time!

[Chief]

Little over 5 years I ago I retired as a professional and it was the best thing that I did. I ride virtually every morning either with a group or by myself and haven't tired of it yet. I have this peace of mind and am just so thankful that I can do it. I remember asking my father a couple years after he retired how he liked it He replied, "It's like being a kid again except you don't have anybody telling you what to do." That pretty well sums it up. When a colleague posed the same question to his younger brother who retired, his brother's response was, "There is good news and bad news. The bad news is that you have to have something to do. The good news is that almost anything counts." I my case it is biking. Enjoy!!

[Kevin]

Enjoy.

Kevin

[weisan]

Ray, going through major changes in life once in a while are good for us. They make us re-evaluate our priorities and quite frankly introduce a brand new perspective to our lives which otherwise might have been monotonous single-tone, one-activity/goal driven, tunnel-vision plain dull etc. :D I am a project manager in a medium-sized company. I am good at what I am doing, so my boss and peers told me. ;) But guess what, I am planning to leave my job at the end of this year, I already told my boss and a few others. I don't know what I am going to do yet but I have the privilege of taking the time to figure this out, well it's seven months and 19 days to be exact. Let's call this a project-based planned self-motivated layoff. Having made up my mind, I felt liberated and very much in high spirit. I am sure as you move on to the next phase in life, it would be something to look forward to. I know I am. :beer:

Enjoy your rides, they are only part of the grand plan.

[Ray]

Ray, going through major changes in life once in a while are good for us. They make us re-evaluate our priorities and quite frankly introduce a brand new perspective to our lives which otherwise might have been monotonous single-tone, one-activity/goal driven, tunnel-vision plain dull etc. :D I am a project manager in a medium-sized company. I am good at what I am doing, so my boss and peers told me. ;) But guess what, I am planning to leave my job at the end of this year, I already told my boss and a few others. I don't know what I am going to do yet but I have the privilege of taking the time to figure this out, well it's seven months and 19 days to be exact. Let's call this a project-based planned self-motivated layoff. Having made up my mind, I felt liberated and very much in high spirit. I am sure as you move on to the next phase in life, it would be something to look forward to. I know I am. :beer:

Enjoy your rides, they are only part of the grand plan.
That's how I'm trying to look at this move, although it came about for less pleasant reasons. Still very necessary and an opportunity for growth/change. And here I am on my first non-working weekday and my daughter needed to be picked up from school because she's sick. So I'm already getting to spend more time with my family!

Good luck with your move when it arrives,

-Ray

[dehoopta]

I agree with others who said you had the courage to do what you did. I feel for those in the same situation but don't have the means to do what you did. Don't burn yourself out, but have a great time. Learn how important this time is to you and promise not to get into a situation where you work for 23 hours without a break!