Over the last couple of weeks I’ve been running at odd times since my daily schedules have been taken off line. I’ve tried to go first thing in the morning after my weight/core workout, I’ve tried to go later in the morning after my first round of posts go up and before students start asking questions and I’ve tried going later in the afternoon when things have sort of wrapped up for the day. Without the kids around and everyone practicing social distancing there isn’t really much of a “wrapped up” to my day. All that aside, I looked at the forecast when I was getting ready to sack out last night and saw that there was rain coming. My plan was to get up early, as per usual, and work out and get things set up online and then head out for a run. I’m not necessarily running injured right now but I’m having a hard time trusting my left foot right now, like the issue with my right arm it’s something I’m working through but having a lot of extra time to run isn’t necessarily helping my recovery with my foot.

I had a really solid couple of hours before I managed to make my way outside. Weights and core work felt really strong, upped my reps in all of my exercises and helped another teacher with some technical issues they were having with connecting their classes online. I got changed and had maybe 4 miles in mind since I went longer Saturday and had a bit more of a challenging run Sunday for some reason my foot was acting up again. It’s the same issue as before, the extensor tendinitis, and I just haven’t been as on top of it as I had been. So today, I headed out trying to beat the rain. It was 60 degrees and humid, comfortable but I could smell the rain in the air. About 3 ish miles in I felt the change in the weather. I’ve written about this before but there is a tangible shift when cold fronts or weather systems move in and it is always a little terrifying to be out and away from shelter when it does. Today I knew I wasn’t going much further so it didn’t freak me out too badly.

The first time it happened I was out on the yellow loop of the Ragnar Trail Relay at Flatrock Ranch just outside of Comfort, Texas. Ragnar Trail Relays, for those who may not be as weird as I am, is a 120 mile relay that takes place around a central hub where, after each loop, the baton is passed to another runner. I’d been out the year before and was back to try and have a better race (it wasn’t) but we’d had an unseasonably wet fall and a major weather system/hurricane blowing through the Gulf of Mexico/Houston area. I was honestly surprised that they allowed the race to go as planned, the hill country was flooded and people were dying as their homes were overcome but the race directors didn’t see a reason to stop the race, especially because the weather was clearing up for a couple of days right around the race. We drove down and were able to set up camp while the sky was clear, we could see where the wet spots were going to be and just tried to avoid them the best we could.

I hadn’t yet discovered that the water at Flatrock Ranch makes me sick so I was going in ready to run but worried about the stomach issues I’d had the year before. First few legs were fine, we were running with an ultra team so there were 4 runners plus a couple of support people along for the ride. I got in some sleep and then started my night leg right around midnight. Things were still dry, the sky was mostly clear and there wasn’t that much water on the trail so I was grinding along until I came up over the ridge on the far out section of the yellow loop. Howling over the lip of the canyon came the wind, temperature dropped maybe 10 degrees in a matter of heartbeats and I knew something major was coming. I tried to turn on the afterburners and make it back to the start before the real weather blew in, see I hadn’t brought my rain jacket with me and I didn’t want to get caught unprepared. I came screaming into the transition tent as the skies cracked open and the heavy clouds that blew in from the southeast poured out onto the dusty central area outside the transition zone. It wasn’t enough that it was wet, the rain was cold and the wind blew dust and rain sideways into the transition tent. That race didn’t get much better after that. Parking became a quagmire, the tents were flooded and that was what it was.

A few weeks ago when I got caught in the storm I felt the weather change and again today that shift. I’m trying to stay focused, I’m trying to stay disciplined and on track as much as I can but…well, life’s hard all over.

I’m picking the kids up on Wednesday morning so my ex can work and so I can see the kids. If anything, I am getting to see more of them than I was when things were busy. When I’m not working, I’m running or watching climbing videos or playing music or whatever…writing. This is week three and we’ve got at least a month left in this stay at home order.

Oh, and the ants are gone.