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Epic Day

Apr19

Tonight I should be sore from running my Birthday Half Marathon AKA the Rutgers NJ Half.    Like millions of people across the world,  plans change.   Honestly with all that has been happening my birthday actually snuck up on me and I was ho hum about it.    I know that had the world not stopped, I would have been ready for this half.   I  am allowed to be disappointed, but with that can realize…

It just doesn’t matter.

To be honest this half marathon was not so much about finishing the race, but knowing I was going to spend it with friends.   I had encouraged a few people to sign up and before we knew it, there was a group of planning to go.   Some I haven’t even run with yet, but was looking forward to running with.   It would have been an epic day as a day spent with friends always is.

It was still an epic day.

I woke up.    I have my health.   My family has their health.   We have food in the fridge.   A roof over our heads and hubby continues to work from home.   Life is good.   We are blessed.   We are lucky.   We are grateful.

So while origionally I toyed with actually running a half marathon today, I thought better of it.   I took a day off from any and all exercise.   I showered.   More shocking is that I even blew dried my hair, put on makeup, and found that I can still squeeze into my jeans.   I was being fancy today.   It almost felt like formal attire.

I took an iced coffee and was waiting in my side garden for a friend who said she was coming to pick something up.   I was soaking up the sun.   I was enjoying the silence.   Then the horns started beeping.    The shouts of Happy Birthday from cars.   I looked up to see my own birthday caravan with balloons, posters, Happy Birthday banners, even a real live unicorn, and most of all wonderful friends.

No it was not the birthday I imagined or planned for.   Yes, I wish that the world was in a good place for it to return to normal.    But most of all, I realized how lucky I am.   After they drove away, I realized that if it weren’t for running this caravan would not have happened.    These women for the most part came into my life when I started lacing up my running shoes.   We’ve ran many miles in training together.  We’ve ran many miles just to be together.   We’ve chased 9 plus 1 together.   We’ve ran trails together.   Some of us even have run away from Klingon Opera singing together (I kid you not).   We’ve grown together.   We’ve been there to cheer each other on and pick each other up not just with running but in life too.

Running has brought me so much in life but by far the best thing it has given to me is the people in has brought into my life.

So while running is a “solitary” sport and everyone who runs must run their own race and pace, that does not mean that you have to do it alone.

While we all tuck ourselves away at home, it sometimes feels like you might be in it alone, that your own your own, but it’s not true.   Just like each of us runs our own race and meet at the finish line, we will shelter in place alone with our families but we will meet together at the finish line of this horror.

Apart but Together.

We must not loose that.   We must remember all that is good.   All that makes everything worth fighting (staying home) so hard for because we want to get back to less apart and more togetherness.

Then we will be

Together until we must part.

 

Settling In

Apr10

We are all settling into our new normal.   School at home.    Work at home.   Eat at home.   Stay home.   Don’t go anywhere.   Home.  Home. Home.

Even with that, I will be the first to say that I am in a very lucky situation.   My husband has a job where he was able to immediately work from home.   While he took over my computer/office area, I’ll take it.   My kids are old enough and self sufficient enough that the only help I give them on “school days” is waking up to get online.   While I temporarily lost my job as a Preschool Gymnastics teacher, this was extra family income to pay for activities we no longer are able to do while staying at home.   So I know that I am lucky beyond belief.

On top of that, my kids are all home even my college age son.   While I’m not sure he is as happy to be on Stay at Home time as me, I readily admit that it eases anxiety having them all under the same roof with me.

All that being said, I know that not everyone is in the same boat as I am.   I have friends who have lost their jobs.   I have friends worried about their jobs.     I have friends doing their jobs while also now having to help their children with their school work.   I have friends who are working in the hospitals treating the sick.   These are some scary times and if your not scared or worried about something, you must be more zen than most of the world.

On top of all of that just about everyone is scrambling to find everyday staples of life.   I feel like the hunter/gatherer of the family.   While my husband works, I look for online shopping slots, alternative ways (farm boxes), and when need be go to the store to get supplies.

This is the new normal.

This is a temporary normal.

But for now this is normal.

We are in this together which is why when the CDC recommended wearing masks, I accepted it.    There are many who don’t.

I went out for 8 miles last week.   My timing was off, so  I was out mid day.   It was warm when I ran, but I still wore my buff to cover my mouth.   I was not only in the minority, I was one of only 4 people that day wearing one.   One person was driving in a car, so they might not even count.   Now, not everyone I saw was running.   Many were families out walking/biking but everyone was out trying to enjoy the day.  I avoided all crossing streets when needed, changing route, and going out of my way to social distance from everyone.

As I said, it is not just the running community questioning the use of face masks but the population as a whole.   In the running community there are many opinions.   Many reasons why to wear.   Many reasons why not to.   It is up for debate.  Some feel that since they are solo running it isn’t necessary.  In my state all parks are now closed because they were jammed pack like the beach of fourth of July.   Even if you were trying to socially distance, you just couldn’t.   So it made sense to close them while many also don’t agree with that either.

Here is my take……. There is a lot we don’t know about Coronavirus.   A lot.   What we do know is that it is contagious.   We also know that you could feel fine, but have it and spread it without even knowing it.    By the time you know your sick (if you ever do), you have already been contagious and able to spread it.    So the wearing of the masks seems like a good idea.   I wear my mask to protect you.   You wear yours to protect me.   It’s part of being in a community.

So if you see me out there running (which I admit I need to do more of), I will be wearing a buff, a bandanna, something.   I hope you are too.