It's true, the long hours, frequent nights on call and inevitable emotional attachment to our patients mean that it is virtually impossible to walk in and out of work on a nine to five basis.
Of course, there are many other jobs that are similar
ly demanding, but just ask the other half of most vets and they will tell you of frustrating evenings waiting for their partner to return home, usually delayed by some emergency that couldn't have been dealt with by anyone else.
Though our vetting takes up a significant proportion of our lives, five of us have taken up a challenge that will no doubt put extra pressure on our daily routines.
Adam, Frances, Stephen, Steve and I have entered the Alnwick Triathlon and though the event is still several months off, our competitive natures are already showing through.
The event comprises a 600-metre swim (thankfully in the Willowburn pool) followed by a 20-kilometre cycle ride and if that isn't enough for you, having clambered breathless from your bike you have to complete a five-kilometre run.
Steve's passion for water sports make him favourite for the swimming, though he is already calling the rest of us soft for being grateful for the pool. He would be far happier in the sea!
Stephen, the "quiet man," is an accomplished cyclist and for him 20 kilometres is barely enough to get the heart pumping. Thankfully, for the rest of us trying to keep up, he swims like a brick, so with a bit of luck we'll have a small head start there.
Adam is a bit of an all-rounder, probably the most naturally fit of all of us. He's a bit like a hyper-thyroid cat, unable to sit still for more than five minutes, an appetite of someone twice his size but skinny as a rake.
Frances provides the team with a little sophistication. Keeping the boys in check, she's our dark horse, competent at all three disciplines and not handicapped by the high pie consumption suffered by the rest of us. By the way, it's only a rumour that we're going to be sponsored by Greggs!
As the final member of the quintet, I am the old man of the team, actually able to compete as a veteran this year, though this will afford me no excuses with my comrades.
My only real chance of completing the challenge quicker than the others is to let Stephen's tyres down, tie Adam's shoe laces together, tell Frances there's a spider in the changing rooms and keep Steve in the pub late the night before, though this last ruse may be a little counter productive.
Flushed with New Year's resolutions, our training has started in earnest, though we are all being fairly guarded with each other about how much we are doing.
Adam and I have been doing a little running together in the evenings, though this has done little for my confidence.
