Long time no write, y’all. 2020 has been quite the challenging year. I had high hopes of smashing goals and doing amazing things, but we have been lying pretty low since March thanks to COVID. My husband is confirmed high risk, so even when Atlanta Track Club has put on some socially distant in person events, he is still too worried about the risks. I’ve also been lucky to be 100% work from home since March and the kiddo is doing digital learning through at least December.
I’ve been getting out and doing a decent amount running and I’ve recently added hiking to the list of fun things to do. I bought a state parks pass and am enjoying getting out of the house to see new things and get back to experiences again. I’ve also been reading a lot more books as I have already read 26 books this year. My goal was only set at 20 after I read only 14 books last year, which was an all time low since tracking my books since 2006. The kiddo has also wanted to learn some cooking and baking skills, so at least every couple of weeks, we are working together to bake something, where I’m having her do much of the reading of the recipe and measuring.
I’m bummed that my twenty year streak of seeing my favorite band, Sister Hazel, is coming to an end because of COVID. I also had attended at least one NASCAR race in a year since 2002. The Atlanta race ran in June without fans and while Talladega is having limited numbers of fans, having to sign a COVID waiver and depend on others wearing masks appropriately makes me a wee bit too worried to try to go.
I haven’t felt much like writing blogs, because virtual races just are not the same. Aside from last weekend, all the runs have been from my house and well, that doesn’t mean new and exciting things to photograph. Despite the fact that I say virtual races aren’t as fun, does not mean I’m not doing them. Counting the one I did last weekend, I have eight races/challenges before the end of the year. Some are causes I support, some are races that turned virtual (looking at you Peachtree) and some are to keep one of my 2020 goals intact (looking at you, Grand Prix David Jordan award). Needless to say more blogging will be coming, but it’s time to catch up on the virtual summer.
The first to start, but not the first to finish was the Key Largo to Key West 100 mile virtual challenge that started on May 4 and went to June 28. This started when the weather was pretty cool throughout the day and my plan was to accomplish this though running and walking despite this being only 12.5 miles per week. Back on these cooler days, I would take a break in my day to get my 10.5 year old golden retriever out for what was dubbed the “Maggie Mile.” As the weather got warmer, getting in the Maggie Mile provided challenges and it was a post sunset mile near the end of the time.
Right around Memorial Day weekend, I got a virus/infection that was not COVID, but kept my energy levels low for a good week or so which kept mileage to a minimum for that week. I had been determined to not count the two virtual races I ran in this time (4 miler and 10k), but the week off did me in. It was a push the final week of June, but I finished things off like I did on the first day with another Maggie Mile.
This was a fun challenge and much needed to keep motivation as the weather got warmer. Before my illness, I was keeping up with Google Maps and posting virtual pics, but like everything else, once you get behind, it gets overwhelming. There was a Facebook group attached to this and while there were so many different goals (50 miles, round trip, running, walking, biking, kayaking, etc), it was fun to have people to share progress with. I got a cool bottle opener medal for these efforts.
The second to start and first to finish was Golden Ratio Angel Dog Virtual Runs Schmieg’s 10k. This was supposed to have taken place on the Saturday before Memorial Day, but that’s when my illness decided to come out. I finally ended up getting out for my miles on Global Running Day. When I signed up for this, I wanted the challenge of a 10k and the dog this was honoring was Maggie, which is the name of my dog, and the medal was pink. Global Running Day is the first Wednesday in June and I had committed to doing a 10k + .1 for the Atlanta Track Club celebration, so I rolled it up into one.
Did I mention that the first Wednesday in June was the date of this race? I ended up choosing sleep thinking a post sunset run wouldn’t be too bad. Oh, no, June was starting to rear it’s ugly little hot head and the feel like temp was above 80 degrees. Running in the 70s doesn’t always agree with my body and this run was an absolute struggle. In fact, it wasn’t much of a run as I walked way more of this and was exclusively running after mile two was completed. I probably would have bailed on this, except for the fact that a friend turned Global Running Day miles into a fundraiser for racial justice causes and every mile was $5 towards this cause. I kept on walking and finished in a time that rivaled my longest party down Peachtree, without the fun of food, drink and high fives.
Next up was the GRREAT Golden Summer 5k, taking place on July 4. Now normally, I would be doing the Peachtree on the 4th and after my horrible 10k experience, I decided to only go the 5k on the 4th, since the Peachtree was moved to Thanksgiving. The GRREAT Golden Summer 5k benefited the Golden Retriever Rescue Eduaction and Training group in the DC area that that many of the Golden Ratio rescues have come from. I wasn’t going to do another virtual race, but once I heard their normal fundraising was not going to happen due to COVID, I decided this was important to join in. I may have been influenced by the medal that featured recent rescues Chief Brody, Guacamole and Swizzle (RIP, she became a part of the angel dogs since then.)
Without the craziness of a 4am wakeup and all that it entails to get to the start of the Peachtree, starting around my normal wave time (7:45) was much easier to pull off. I went all decked out in full Peachtree gear and my biggest celebration were folks shooting off fireworks around 8:15. It had been a late night the night before and someone was fighting back. Somehow despite everything, I was fired up and ran one of the best 5k times I had in a long time. It felt good to get out and run well for once. My virtual run ended up being part of the 10k of Kindness initiative that Atlanta Track Club was promoting since we wouldn’t be together on the 4th.
The final virtual race of the summer ended up being for Atlanta Track Club’s Grand Prix series and was a virtual Decatur-Dekalb 4 Miler that I completed on August 29. In reality mine was the Cherokee-Woodstock 4 Miler as I did the Noonday Creek trail that starts in Downtown Woodstock, goes to 92 and also has a secondary trail at Woofstock Park known as the Towne Lake Pass trail. I got a later start than planned, but it was looking to be above 75 degrees so I was hoping the flat trail and shade would help make it bearable. What also helped make this bearable was cloud cover and a breeze from the impending rain.
I have absolutely no issues running in the rain when it’s hot out, so I hoped for rain, that never came. There were quite a few people out enjoying the trail, but I was still able to distance myself, which was my biggest concern. I hadn’t run the trail since before the pandemic started because of those concerns. I did add in the giant hill up into Downtown Woodstock rather than shying away from it, so the flat areas felt extra nice after that.
While I feel like everything is going crazy out there, at least running is there for some good therapy.
Gator Girl Runs 