I’m a numbers guy. I make notes throughout the year and sometimes overanalyze the numbers. I have way too many spreadsheets monitoring everything—one for my car miles (in case I need to deduct travel expenses for tennis), another for meals I eat out (in case I need a deduction for that activity), and so on.
I often need to fill in some fields, but the number of hours I work is known. For my “real” job, I calculate 2080 hours minus vacation time, minus holidays, and add overtime/comp time to get a number. For my tennis, I report hours, so getting a total is easy. What needs to be added is the hours I work off the clock, which I do often.
In 2008, I was troubled by numerous changes, which resulted in lower performance in races, reduced physical fitness, and a body that often felt tired. So, I looked at 2006, 2007, and 2008 to see why things were so different. Well, I found a significant difference: 71.6 hours each work week. This is the average number of hours per week I officiated tennis or worked at my “real” job in 2008. That’s 14.3 hours higher than 2006 and 10.6 hours more than 2007. I knew my stress levels were high and I was working more, but this was a shocking development. I had over 14 more hours each week in 2006 to rest, train, and repair. That makes a massive difference as I look at it today.
In the initial three months of 2009, I anticipate working approximately 70 work hours per week, at least through February. Subsequently, I plan a trip to Germany to visit my son in March, which may temporarily reduce my average weekly hours. However, upon my return, I may experience a period of two weeks with work hours exceeding 80 hours.
Looking ahead, I have projected an average of 70 work hours per week, including vacation time. Therefore, I must find effective training methods during this period. While I am uncertain about the best approach, working approximately 71.6 hours per week will ensure that I participate in fewer tennis matches.
Consequently, my primary objective is to assess my performance from April onwards and limit my acceptance of tennis assignments. I may utilize some of the accumulated vacation time. I will approach this situation gradually and systematically.
Following my blood test results indicating a primary Vitamin D deficiency, I was prescribed doses of 50,000 IU. Since then, I have experienced significant improvements in my sleep quality. This is particularly surprising, as sleep is one of the known issues associated with Vitamin D deficiency. The positive impact on my sleep has been remarkable. Additionally, I have noticed a reduction in stiffness and bone pain, suggesting that my Vitamin D supplementation may be facilitating calcium absorption.
If these improvements persist and I can reduce my tennis hours to a reasonable level, there is a glimmer of hope for my tennis career.
71.6 hours a week at work can not happen in 2009!
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