Time to Read: ~5 minAs I write this midway into training week 11 training the marathon is still on. I'm worried they will have to cancel and my training will need titles!! I've gotten to run several marathons so if it is cancelled I'll be mostly sad for my son. We worked so hard to find a marathon that would accept a 16 year old and he's doing SO great with his training. However if it happens, I have talked with friends and I think we'll try to hold our own and get some people out cheering for us on their porches, stash some water and maybe even have a water stop or two. For now, I'm going to think positively! Note that this post is as much about regular live with the Covid-19 situation as it is about running.
Last week's training was excellent actually. Here's my summary:
- Monday: Rim trail hike with Scott (3 mile hike)
- Tuesday: MITHACAL Milers (5 miles)
- Wednesday: BodyPump and Les Mills on Demand RPM
- Thursday: 4 mile run
- Friday: 8 mile Black Diamond Trail run and Les Mills on Demand BodyPump
- Saturday: 16 mile run
- Sunday: Les Mills on Demand The Trip and Hot Yoga
A week of lasts
As MITHACAL Milers kicked off we learned that it would be our last indoor week and basically the last week. That was ok because I had planned on it ending anyway. Later in the week as things unfolded about COVID-19 though, things became sadder.
On Thursday we had a special training meeting at school to prepare for possible school closure. We were thinking a week out and planning a training day for the 23rd. As the session got going, the school officials changed it to the 19th. A day before an already planned faculty conference day. That felt soon but doable. On Friday after school we held another small planning meeting where we all realized we'd be delivering online training on Tuesday the 17th. As I left school on Friday I got most of the things I'd need from my classroom in case school didn't happen Monday. I knew the superintendent was planning to make a call about school around 4 pm as they were awaiting info from the health department. As I walked in the door at 4 ready to go for an 8 mile run Scott asked me if I wanted to run the Black Diamond Trail. It was a nice warmish day but CRAZY windy. The trail offered some wind blocking so I was game. We headed out. I had a blissful 8 mile run. Toward the end of the run I saw my neighbor. She was out for a walk and she had received the phone call that we were remaining open, they were offering a relatives only showing of the musical that Xander is in the pit for and sports were still on. I relaxed and thought, "we can do this" as I drove home with Scott.
A couple of hours later I was decorating a cheesecake for Emoticakes and my friend Gail texted, "All county schools closed from Monday through April 13th!" Oh my goodness. I didn't see that length of time coming. I wondered if we'd be allowed back in. Of course I threw myself into the car and went to school to get the rest of what I needed. This included math materials for all my Math 8 students. I grabbed the spiral bound BOCES printed books we keep in the classroom as well as worksheets I had printed ahead of time and a small warm-up book. After 6 trips and an hour or so I was ready. We went to pick up Xander from rehearsal. It was a sad sad night of lasts. No show. No opportunity for Xander to really enjoy performing on his sax. He got his things and we headed home. Thankfully Elizabeth was due home from her spring break trip to see my sister in Oregon tomorrow morning. She got out (and back) just in time. Unknowingly we had just had our last day of school for awhile. Thankfully we ended with Pi Day and we'd all celebrated - not just the Math 8 students for whom the topic made sense, but I had thrown in review time for Algebra kids so they could partake. We'd enjoyed ice-cream on cones and conical, spherical and cylindrical foods.
The 16 miler
Saturday morning I headed into Ithaca to deliver the cheesecake and to buy a case of wine. We are out of wine and Scott had called the liquor store to have them put together a case. I grabbed that and then headed to the base of the Black Diamond Trail for my 16 mile run. It was cold - 30 degrees. This felt shocking after the prior day's 50 degree weather.
I put in a Tim Ferriss podcast - an interview with Jack Kornfield about COVID-19. It was good. It was full of helpful information but it definitely made me sad. My 8 miles up the trail were somber and slow feeling. At mile 8 as I neared the top of the trail I turned around and headed downhill. I switched the music to Les Mills BodyPump and later to Les Mills Barre and things felt really upbeat. I enjoyed my downhill run for most of the trail and then as I neared the bottom I started to tire. 16 miles is a long way. I was cold and tired and ready to be done. However, I felt proud of myself!! It is nice to be training, even if I know there's a realistic shot that the race won't happen.
The last dinner out
Saturday night Scott and I were both tired from our run! I had taught a cake class that afternoon and was really just not up for making dinner. Something in the back of my head told me we were running out of opportunities to eat out as well. We headed to Atlas as a family to enjoy a nice family dinner. We ran into friends and neighbors and chatted awhile and then enjoyed their famous totchos, some beer and an entree. It was a fun way to end a 16 mile run day. That is one thing about marathon training that is great fun. Food tastes SO amazing on long run days.
The last coffee, yoga and pizza and beer
When Sunday rolled around the state had reduced restaurants to half capacity for seating. We learned this when we went to the coffee shop. We enjoyed a coffee while chatting with some regulars. Later in the day we decided we'd stick with our normal Sunday routine and go to hot yoga at Pure Sweat in Ithaca. We had an AMAZING yoga class and left planning to go to Denise's morning class during the week. Hey why not now that we have some more time, right? I no longer have to be to work at 7:30. Then we headed over to Liquid State after a brief stop at Franco's pizza to pick up pizza. Scott and I enjoyed a lovely date evening. As we were sitting there a staff member posted signs on the doors saying, "Closing at 7 pm tonight. Sorry for any inconvenience." When we returned our glasses I asked him if it was just for tonight or if they thought they'd be closing forever (dramatic .. I don't actually mean forever but for the near future). He and the fellow bartender both said they were deciding that night. They shared that it had been crazy the night before. People were so crammed in and all over each other. They said it was just outrageous. The very next day restaurants were ordered to close by 8 pm. I'm SO glad we had 2 last dates!!