Last week was pretty nuts. I had a show going up at work and a race timing gig Saturday morning and the kids overnight Thursday, you’d think I would plan these things, and I do. Every year our fall show happens the same weekend as Rockledge Rumble and every year I can’t do/work Rockledge for that reason. Given my current single state, I figured it would be no big deal to do both.

At work, I usually run rehearsals until 5:30 until the week of the show and then we go to 6:00 for the week, this year was no different but I really just wanted to go until 5:30. We worked this show for 8 weeks, and it paid off but that is a long time to be working the same show with the same kids dealing with the same issues (volume) and doing it while life is happening all around. We got up through Wednesday and I was still feeling run down from the cold I got hit with a couple of weeks ago, I’m still fighting some residuals, and a weather system blew in. Cold, wet and dark. Of course dark isn’t a weather indicator, I know that, but I swear I deal with SAD since I spend so much time outdoors when I’m not at work and those factors all together set me up for a long day. I went out to the social run but didn’t run because of the weather. I didn’t run all week, as a matter of fact, and it wouldn’t be until Sunday that I finally did.

The show was fine. We had four performances and made enough to support our shows for the rest of the year. My ex dropped the kids off on Thursday and they got to see opening night before we came home and tried to wind down enough to sleep. Sam wasn’t feeling great, tried to convince me to stay home on Friday and I was very tempted, if it hadn’t been for the show. We packed up their stuff and I dropped them at school and headed back into the breach.

Friday was fine, Saturday was long. I got up at 4 to workout before heading to Rockledge and that was fine, it’s old hat now setting up and timing. I talked to their medic who had just spend time up in Montana working the Naked and Afraid filming and it was nice to talk to another adult for a bit. I left and headed up to do two more shows and by the time the second show rolled around, I was done. I came home and pretty much just shut down.

Sunday was a nice change. After the storms Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday were pretty nice and going into a longish run with the guys was exactly what I needed. Ben, David and Brant were the first people who really supported and jumped into trail running with me five or so years ago and we’ve run many miles together since then. Life has kind of gotten in the way of us running together in the past year or so and Ben decided we should try to run together once a month just to keep in touch.

I was getting ready to go, done my workout and was getting my bag together, when I got a text from Sophie. She wanted to talk because their mother was out for a run. I called them and we chatted for a bit and then I drove down to Old Alton to meet up with the guys and on the side of the road, running down towards their apartment, was my ex. I’m happy she’s running, it’s a healthy thing to do, but I couldn’t help but think about how hard I worked to carve out that for myself and the resistance I felt as I tried make healthy lifestyle choices when she wasn’t ready for that. I kept driving and when I got down to run with the guys, I put in a couple of hard miles to burn off the feelings.

We went and ate, life as always is moving forward and new challenges pop up for each of us. Ben and I went climbing and then to a meeting about the Turkey Trot coming up. I had a couple of beers, more than I normally would during the day, and headed home for a nap and didn’t go back out at all. I needed a rest. Monday I took off and I did a short run as the cold front blew in and then sat on the couch and ate shit all day while watching Bob Appetite videos on YouTube.

I have the kids this weekend and I’m taking Friday off. I’ve got some business to take care of and I’m going to pick my kids up from school. I want to try and find a way to make this space more cozy on my own and I haven’t had the time or inclination to do it but I think I’m ready. No big plans this weekend other than to spend it with my kids. I need that. They need that.