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Criminal
Posted Date: February 22, 2022
March began the countdown for Baby #3, expected by the end of the month. The due date has been changed multiple times so we will not be surprised if she comes a week earlier or waits until April. And yes, we know it is a girl. We have a few name options, but won't decide until she arrives and we meet her.
I'm sure you've read countless times about work being a thorn in my side. I work in a profession that is very rewarding with the relationships you build with patients and the satisfaction you get from helping them improve their life or recover from an injury. But the last few years have not been that fun for me. All the other things within the profession have overshadowed the good things. Between bad bosses, money-hungry owners and the hierarchy between different types of degrees within the field, physical therapy has given me more than a bad taste. I feel sick when I think about how far down the wrong path my company has gone since I started here almost 15 years ago. We used to care about patients and respect each other no matter our degrees. Now it is all about money and trying to form some kind of ranking within the clinic. I hate it. I have done everything I can to change things back to the way they used to be, but it is a constant move toward this regression and nobody willing to admit the plane is spiraling out of control toward the ground. I am simply tired of dealing with it.
Everything finally came to a head with my annual performance review. I have been screwed out of a raise the past two years even when I met the criteria for one. They set the bar so high for this year that it was unrealistic that I could make it without committing fraud. I've been treated as a burden to the company for years now and I still don't understand why. My job is to help when clinics have trouble. I come in, fix the problem and make them money in the process. I bring in no other expense than my hourly wage, which is easily covered every hour I treat a patient. One boss years ago said I made them a profit if I see just five patients in an eight-hour day. I have been seeing 15-17 patients per day regularly for a couple of years now.
When it came time for me to fill out my portion of the review form, I didn't hold anything back. I wasn't rude about it, but I made sure they knew that I knew what I was bringing to the company. I listed out all the things I did, plus figures on how much money I was making them even if I didn't meet their crazy goal set for me. I used their numbers to build my figures so it's not like I was just making up things. I asked to either stay at one place permanently, preferably where I am working now, or go back to truly helping clinics. I think the clinics need someone who can come in and help out regularly and be an advocate for them with upper-level management. We used to have a system in place like this, but it has fallen by the wayside as new management has come on board. I expected this to fall on deaf ears, but I wanted it known that I would be willing to do that and elevate our company back to the standards we once had. When I started here this was the best therapy company in Tennessee, and maybe even the nation. I wanted to get us back to that. I also asked that I be up for a full-time position instead of PRN like I have been for 11 years. I feel like I have done my time in PRN and I would like benefits so Shannon can spend more time at home with three kids.
The response was not good. My main boss guy didn't even show up. I'm not surprised as he always has everyone else do his dirty work for him rather than talk with anyone in person, especially those who have sense and might question some random thing he relays as "fact." They didn't feel there was any issue with the clinics needing help. Of course they don't. They don't pay attention to anything except numbers. That's how we have gotten in this shape in the first place. My listing of the things I bring to the company was treated as an emotional response to them saying I had "no value" last year. Well yeah. You said I had no value, so I pointed out my value. Seems like the right response for someone that believes they have value. As for that astronomical numbers goal they gave me, I somehow met it. I have no idea how. I think their math is wrong, but they denied me a raise again anyway. As PRN I should make a decent chunk more per hour than a full-time employee to account for the lack of benefits I get, but they said no raises for PRN. I asked to be moved to part-time with benefits or full-time and they said, "We'll see after Shannon's maternity leave." Sure you will, just like you gave me raises when I met your goals for the last three years. They made me feel like a criminal, like I was somehow bringing the company down, when in fact I know that I make them lots of money. They just want to take advantage of employees now. My only response to all of this was, "Unacceptable." It was the only word that came to mind.
Basically, the meeting ended with "take it or leave it." I knew when I stood up that "leave it" was my only real choice here. This place was done with me and I was done with them. I went home that night and contemplated my future. I was quitting here no matter if I got something else lined up or not. At this point I was burned out on corporate BS so much that I was ready for a change of profession. This isn't the best time for this with a baby about to arrive, but change needs to happen now. The next day I started tweaking my resume and looking for job openings. We even talked about moving if we had to. I have very few friends, especially in the PT industry and the bike side of my life. I went after the few people I thought might be willing to throw a guy a bone and one came through, getting me into contact with a company I was a student with some 15 years ago. In a couple of days I had a response and we had an interview set up. Boom.
In the meantime, it was time for Race #2 of the Montgomery Bell Winter Time Trial Series on March 2. I was excited to get back down there as I have worked on my weaknesses and am more prepared than I was in January. I knew I wasn't ready to go for a top time, but I did expect to improve by a big chunk and be on track to actually contend for a podium come the final race in four weeks' time.
I had a big week of training leading into the race, but at a lower intensity now that Tour de Zwift is over. It was a colder start to the day as compared to Race #1 with the temperature about 35 degrees when I started my warm-up. I got there a little later and then found out I had been moved way up the start order so I didn't get in quite as much warm-up time as I had hoped.
The temp was up to 39 by the time I started my 18-mile journey through the hills and hollows of the Bell. My goal was to go faster than last time, so sub-1:50. The trail was better with no mud. The pine needles were still super deep and had that feel of riding in sand again. When you are bigger and already struggling with the steeper climbs the last thing you want is something to suck down your speed and momentum even more. The trail still didn't have a great path on it. We have had several storms lately and the trail was littered with limbs, sticks and fallen trees. I was timid on the descent as there seemed to be a surprise in the trail every couple of minutes.
I held back a bit on the steeper climbs compared to last round, focusing on setting a pace I could sustain for the entire race. I dropped a few pounds since last race, but couldn't tell it much early on. I didn't have anyone directly ahead of me as there were a few riders in front of me that did not come to the start. I had nobody to chase, but could see a few riders behind. The rider that started two minutes after me was out-climbing me. I held him back for a while, but the bigger climbs in the middle of the loop were again more than I could handle. I dropped big time through that section with him passing me on the last climb like I was sitting still. I was about a minute slower through the first half than the previous race.
I kept the rider that passed me in sight and then started to feel very strong on the smaller hills. Here I could feel the weight difference. I had a lot of power in the legs today too. I caught back up to him, finishing off the gap when we reached a downed tree where my cyclocross skills came in handy. I was able to hop off, hurdle over it and remount much quicker than him. I then made the pass and went to work on dropping him in my favorite section on the Haynie Branch trail. I got the gap and then pulled away. I kept feeling better and better. I went deep in the final sections as I was really pulling away now. I had a great flow and knew I was riding really fast. This was the best riding I have done in a long time. I went deep the last few minutes and was almost able to recover my entire two minutes back from this rider, but he nipped me by just a few seconds.
My official time of 1:46:39 put me in fourth place on the day. I was showing 30 seconds faster on my Wahoo. I think they might have recorded the wrong start time for me. There was a lot of confusion at the start with the riders ahead of me not coming to the start. They almost sent me off at the wrong time so it is likely that they recorded my start time incorrectly. That would have put me up one spot to third on the day. It doesn't matter as I know the final round will probably be the fastest for all of us and I will have to improve again if I want on that podium. I was only 1:10 off the top time today so I know I can contend if I keep working hard.
My legs were not that tired afterward so I went back in for another lap like I used to do after all my races here. My upper body was pretty tired once I got back into the rougher sections. I skipped a few of the climbs and ended up just shy of four hours for the day. I noticed on this slower lap the pine needles are indeed deeper than I have ever seen. Logs and rocks along the trail are completely covered. It must have been a big year of needle production for the pine trees. Some parts of the woods are completely blanketed by needles everywhere you look.
I kept working hard on training the rest of the month. I also finished a jump at the house that I have been working on for a while. I built a wooden kicker ramp years ago when we lived on the Clark Farm. When we moved, I decided I would put it in the woods along our trail. A kicker requires a huge landing which takes some time and effort to build with a shovel and a bucket. I finally got it done only to find that I don't like the ramp anymore. I used to jump this ramp on my 26"-wheeled dirt jump bike. These 29" XC bikes are much longer and the ramp is too short. You can get some air, but your front tire leaves the ramp long before your rear ever reaches the curve so you don't get that "pop" you want from a kicker. I'm still having fun on it though. It's good practice for short, steep bumps on the trail, the kind that want to compress and rebound your rear suspension and send you flying over the bars.
I had my work interview and it turned out to not be an interview at all. I visited a clinic and found out that I already knew about half of the staff and they had all vouched for me. Right away I was told they would love to have me there even though they didn't have an official opening. They were happy to try to work something out with me. They pledged, if things worked out, to get me benefits and make sure they started before Shannon's maternity leave ends and we lose our current coverage. They also were excited about my racing and offered to let me take off any days I already had planned for travel even though I couldn't officially have time off for 90 days. It was a relief to say the least. I was leery of interviewing anywhere as I expected them to try to weasel me somehow since that's what I am used to dealing with, but so far I have not had one instance where anything was even remotely negative. I just have to go through the rest of the hiring process with the corporate office now. Say a prayer for me!
Setting the Foundation
Posted Date: February 21, 2026
We kicked off 2025 in Indiana, finishing up a trip to see Shannon's family for the week of New Year's. Like I mentioned in the last post of 2024, I spent the holiday up in the attic installing a vent and exhaust fan for Grampy. While I was happy to help, I was a bit irritated that we had to do it on the final day when it was the coldest of the entire trip and College Football Playoff games were on, but it was less frustrating than trying to unstick Salem's finger from a wooden toy. There is a wooden train set the kids play with when at Grammy's and Salem thought it would be a good idea to stick her finger in one of the small holes where the track pieces lock together. She couldn't get it out and panicked. I was amazed at how fast her finger swelled, making it impossible to slide it out even with soap. After we calmed her down we had to come up with a plan to cut the piece off her finger. I started with a small drill at a low speed and put a few holes in the thicker parts of the wood hoping to weaken the tabs around the hole so we could snap them off. Grampy then found a small hand saw that was perfect to slowly work through the wood between my drill holes. It worked with the tabs eventually snapping off just as I had hoped and Salem getting her finger back unharmed.
A few days after we got back home Tennessee got a little snow. This year was more fun than last as the kids were both excited to go sledding. It was very cold on our snow days last year and Kellen did not like it. This time he had a blast outside. We rode the sled down the dam next to our neighbor's pond and pulled them behind my dad's four-wheeler. The snow lasted only a couple of days before it was completely gone, as is typical for middle Tennessee.
Once the snow melted, I was out on the road logging the miles and setting the foundation for a big season ahead. I was itching to get things going. I want to keep progressing even with this third baby coming at the end of March. I know I'm going to be missing a good amount of ride time in April, and probably May, so this base period is going to be massively important for me this year. I mixed in time on the trainer as well, taking in Tour de Zwift which makes for a great little training camp at the worst time of the year for riding outside.
I also wanted to get to racing quickly this year. I was not at all ready to race in January, but I felt like I needed to start with the Montgomery Bell Winter MTB Time Trial Series this year. They are tough races and have helped me in the past. I have felt so much more prepared for the season on the years I have done this series as compared to the years I did not. It is a three-race series starting on January 26 then continuing with a round in early March and one at the end of March. I'm keeping my fingers crossed the baby doesn't come on that weekend! While it is a great accomplishment to finish all three races, only your fastest time counts toward the overall. The fastest times often come in the last race when the trail and weather are usually the best. You never know what weather you will get in January and February. This round was a bit on the cold side, but not ridiculous with the temp in the mid-40s.
Montgomery Bell is a tough trail. I find that if I don't ride there often it works me over. I have to ride it regularly to prepare my upper body endurance and prime my skills to make this difficult trail flow. I was heavy and haven't spent enough time on my mountain bike this winter, let alone at Montgomery Bell itself. I have not ridden here since 2020 and not raced this event since 2018. I knew I would suffer and I was right. The trail beat me up. It is rougher every time I ride down there. I felt like it took half of the race for me to get used to the beating. It gets smoother in the second half so maybe I didn't improve at all, the trail just got a bit easier. The hills sucked the strength out of my legs. I struggled on the steep climbs and was shot by the time I exited the long climbs on the Downhill Trail that we ride in reverse for these races. My legs weren't great anyway after I did a race on Zwift the day before. Not the smartest for this race, but I am training for later in the season. I rode solid at the end of the race which told me I had some endurance, but I was going to have to work on my skills and climbing before the next race.
There was some mud in places which helped me out on the descents, but those spots were not enough to make up for my slow climbing. There were multiple places where the pine needles and leaves were very deep. Those sections felt like sand. The trail did not feel ridden-in at all. I was chasing one rider the entire race. He started a minute in front of me. I cut down the gap early on, then watched him slowly ride away in the hills. I lost over a minute on each of the longer climbs in the middle of the race. My goal was a time of 1:45. I crossed the line in 1:50:17 for the 5th fastest time in the Open class and 7th overall. Not my best day, but plenty was learned about where I am with my riding right now.
I had an issue with the 4iiii power meter on my Canyon at the end of last year. I was not able to fix it on my own. I contacted 4iiii and they were helpful, giving me some things to try before offering up a replacement. A new crank arrived the day after Montgomery Bell. I was excited to put it on and get back to training with power data. I still look at heart rate data more than anything with my training as I have such a good feel for it, but I am using power more and more these days.
I kept logging the miles as the calendar flipped over into February. I found another toilet on a long road ride. David and Dina are always laughing about how many toilets I come across on my adventures. I have no idea why I find so many, but it continues to happen. I always have fun with them.
February was pretty cold. I had lots of uncomfortable rides outside. We got another shot of snow. It didn't even cover the ground completely. I spent a lot of time in the garage on these cold days working on projects. I have completed winter maintenance on all my bikes and have been building a tote storage rack up in our loft. These racks are easy to make and have become quite popular in the DIY world. Totes work perfect for us right now with all the kids clothes we are rotating through. Can't get rid of anything yet with another kid on the way. It was also time to get pepper seeds started. Yes, February seems super early, but the super hot peppers need a long growing season so you have to start germinating seeds very early if you want a full harvest.
A big rain came after the snow, washing out parts of our trail. I had to do a lot of clean-up and dirt work. One of our shallow creek crossings became a massive ditch from all the run-off. I had to put the shovel to work there and cut out several trees. I want to keep the trail clean so I can get in more mountain bike time to be ready for the final race of the Montgomery Bell series which was now just a month away. Race #2 was in a week. More on that coming in the next post along with an expansion to our family.
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