Sometimes the light's all shinin' on me
Other times, I can barely see
Lately, it occurs to me
What a long, strange trip it's been... from Truckin' by The Grateful Dead
And now that song's running through your head! Month #6 of Pandemic 2020 is complete and all we can do is to keep on truckin', am I right? What a long strange journey it's been this year. As always, I'm grateful for Marcia's Runfessions because you know I always have something to runfess. A sense of humor is a good thing to have!
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| Seen on the road on the way home from the lake. As my son said when I sent him the picture: "follow that guy". |
I runfess that every weekend, (ok, pretty much all the time these days) I want to run away. I really miss traveling. We are lucky we have my father-in-law's cabin on Lake Wisconsin, which is a 2 hour drive from my house. Getting out on the water has been like therapy for me. A few weeks ago, the boat motor broke and I felt panic bubbling up. Thankfully, my husband was able to fix the motor but this begs the question: what am I going to do when the weather gets cold?
I am so thankful to my husband for pulling me around the lake to ski. He bought a rear view mirror so he can keep an eye on me while I'm behind the boat. One thing he won't do is take photos of me skiing. Two hands on the wheel and all that. I'm embarrassed to waterskifess that I've been wracking my brain trying to figure out a way to take a selfie while I'm skiing. I even unsuccessfully attempted duct taping my phone to one of the boat chairs. Yeah, not trying that again.
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| Worked out well, don't you think? The things we do for social media. |
After a trail run a few weeks ago, I stopped to ask a Forest Preserve police officer a question about traffic safety on the very busy road that splits the preserve in half. It took him a hot minute to process my question. Then he mumbled something about putting on his mask, after which he proceeded to tell me a story about a runner who collapsed on the trails the previous weekend. "His insides were completely melted', he told me. "Just so you know." I runfess that I seriously regretted my decision to talk to him. I never did get the answer to my question.
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| source |
I runfess that although my motivation to run is sagging right now, I've been enjoying just taking my time and playing I spy as I meander along. On a trail run this month, I spotted these sunglasses up high on a tree. Is it another trail angel? A tree angel? I runfess I spent more time pondering the source of these glasses more than you might expect. What do you think about when you see something odd on a run?
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| Oh, hello down there! I've got my eyes on you. |
Have you see that MarathonFoto has opened the vault and released all those race photos from the past? You can kill some major time searching the archives for photos of races gone by. If I ever needed a reminder of my worst race ever, this photo taken on the Chicago Marathon 2011 course along the Dan Ryan expressway pretty much sums it up. I runfess... I'm pretty sure I'm crying in this photo. I was so miserable at this point. It took me 3 years and a lot of encouragement to get up the courage to tackle this one again (thank you Marcia!)
When we used to waterski, it was required to have a spotter. For safety or photo ops lol.
ReplyDeleteI get it on running away. I want to travel somewhere. So far the lake will have to do.
I have lost the run mojo and replaced it with the walk. You see a lot more.
You can have a rear view mirror now.
DeleteWell, Because You Threw The Dead Out There, As A Veteran Drinker, I Miss Traveling Towards A Weekend Of Live Music Festivals - I Find Myself Drinking Even More When Speaking TO Government Employees - And The More That I Drink, Your Water Ski Selfie Totally Makes Sense - What Would You Do To Retackle That Chi-Town Marathon, Right - Redemption For Sure - You Run With Confidence These Days And All Those Hours At The Crossfit Gym Would Pay Dividends - And Forest Dress Up, Gary Larson Would Be Pleased, The Animals Added Those Props For Sure - Enjoy The Weekend And May We All Find Fun - Big Hugs Little W
ReplyDeleteCheers
I love your comments so much! Cheers!
DeleteThat gif is the perfect response to that Park Ranger. What the what? It sounds like you need a GoPro set up on the boat! I haven’t bothered opening those Marathon Photo emails, but think it’s a good marketing ploy in these days of cancelled races.
ReplyDeleteI remembered that guy from 4 years ago when my youngest broke his leg (at a different forest preserve). We were loading my son into the ambulance to take him to the hospital and the guy comes up to me with a pad of paper, saying, I think I need to make a report. Um, we're going to the hospital? Gotta love patronage jobs...
DeleteIt's great that you have been able to get away to lake on weekends. You always look so happy there.I really miss travel as well. I think we have figured out how to a trip soon fingers crossed it works out. Re the selfies on the water ski-I believe you are going to need a gopro. Perhaps you can find a used one on amaszon that would do the trick. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteI think I will look into the Gopro. But curious how I get the selfies?
DeleteWe couldn't figure out where to go for vacation so our pandemic indulgence has been hanging out in the hammock in the back yard. Hey, its' something. Right now is the golden time, because you hit the nail on the head: being stuck inside all winter is going to be very tough.
ReplyDeleteThat's why i want to get outside as much as possible now. Hoping this warm weather lingers into September so i can get some more lake time!
DeleteI miss traveling so very much :( We are (hopefully) going to Nashville over Labor Day weekend (direct, non-stop flight) to see our son, DIL and granddaughter. We got to see her in February right before everything locked down so I'm eager to see how much she's grown as she's now 7 months old.
ReplyDeleteI'm being good re running and not doing it. I may have a delayed or non-union fracture so you'd better believe I'm following my doctor's orders.
What I love seeing isn't just you on the water, it's your strength work. While I don't go to a gym, that's been my focus the last 7 months and I like seeing other women who are strong :)
I screenshotted you comment and sent it to my strength coach. She is the one who keeps making me stronger. You made my day!
DeleteWe're traveling this weekend - a 48 hour trip to Hawaii to clear our personal belongings out of our condo. I'm not looking forward to it, but I'm ready to get it behind me. SO many people have asked us how we can only go for 2 days when there is a mandatory 14 day quarantine. The quarantine is 14 days or the length of your stay, whichever is shorter. The state won't actually make you stay 14 days! One traveler trip is to take extra masks and put a clean one on about halfway through the flight - I've got 2 dozen disposable masks to take along.
ReplyDeleteI hope you'll get at least a little beach time while you're there!
DeleteNope! Beaches are all closed again, even to those not subject to quarantine.
DeleteIn the Marathon Foto vault I found a pic of me at mile 10 of Chi 2010 (another hot one) where I was walking and on the phone calling Greg to tell him I was dropping out and where to meet me. Except I was calling his office number. He found some humorous messages waiting for him at the office that Monday! Haha!
ReplyDeleteThat duct tape phone setup could've gone very wrong. :P
Yes it could have!!!
DeleteThat park ranger encounter made me chuckle :)
ReplyDeleteI envy your being able to get away to the lake. Life in my backyard is starting to feel just a little tedious...sigh.
I have to work tomorrow and I'm already sad about not going to the lake.
DeleteSO kind of that humanitarian forest preserve ranger to warn you...i mean, people keep warning us runners about our knees failing, but who knew about the danger of melting insides??
ReplyDeleteSeriously though, as a nurse, your side-eye of that guy must've been epic!!
LOVE the alcoholic quarantine name meme! :-)
You totally get me. Yep, side eye and huge regrets for stopping to ask him my seemingly simple question!
DeleteYou are definitely very lucky to have somewhere to escape to! Wish I did. But I'll just settle for my day trips (or half day trips). Best I can do right now. I'm healthy, so it's all good, right?
ReplyDeleteThe last odd thing I saw was a toilet on the side of the road. I mean, I know it was just there for trash pickup, but you don't see that real often. I meant to take a photo and then forgot on the way back -- can't tell you how many things I mean to take a photo of on the way back & it almost never happens!
Over the years, I've come upon a toilet or 2 on the side of the road. It always reminds me of that episode of Jackass, when the guy goes into the hardware store, sits on the display toilet, and does his job...terrible and funny all at the same time!
DeleteI bet its so nice to have the lake house! I wish we had figured out somewhere to go away to this summer. It just seemed so complicated. But once it gets cooler we're really not gonna want to go anywhere. I was looking through my Marathon photos a few weeks ago. There are some interesting race memories from before the days of blogging!
ReplyDeleteFunny thing, tho, I don't have a lot of photos from the days before blogging!
DeleteI also really miss traveling. I hope that I'm able to travel next year. I missed my annual trip to Chicago which made me sad :( You know how much I love that city!
ReplyDeleteUmm...that Forest Preserve police officer sounds a little bit odd. What a strange encounter/conversation!
I hope you get to come back to Chicago in 2021!!!
DeleteYour duct tape effort could have been me!
ReplyDeleteI think that's why my husband recently announced that he wanted to be paid for his photography efforts. 😊
Wishful thinking!
Haha! I need to figure out the whole action selfie thing!
DeleteHaha! YES!!! Follow the fun finder. Your son has the right idea. Thanks for the tip about the Marathon Photo vaults. I am going to check it out. I have very few photos of me in races over the years. I can't remember what year I ran Chicago, but I am pretty sure it was before 2011. Maybe 2006? It was the year the winner wound up slipping on the wet logo painted at the finish line and having to be transported to the hospital. Luckily, his chip crossed the finish line as he went down.
ReplyDeleteI met a woman who slipped on a banana peel at Chicago around then as well. Dislocated her hip but she crossed that finish line! LOL
DeleteOh that marathonfoto photo - wahhh! I miss running with running club but I most miss hopping on a bus or train to see friends. A car-free life can be good but can also be crap.
ReplyDeleteIt would be impossible to get anywhere here without a car!
DeleteWe chose somewhere to live based on good bus routes but I can't get further than 13 miles from home and I'd be stuck once I got there!
DeleteI think I get a weekly email from Marathonfoto, and I have exercised great restraint. I've seen all those pics before and there's a reason none of them were ever bought LOL
ReplyDeleteIt's a fun trip back, tho!
DeleteWe sang that at the end of the run yesterday since it was a trip around the park. I feel you - and am contemplating going *somewhere* next weekend if I can find a rental car. That has been my biggest issue lately. I can't even Zipcar to mom's.
ReplyDeleteScary interaction re: the trail.
I hope you get to travel! Right now, anywhere is good.
Delete