Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Drats! Foiled!

Since I knew that I was going to be missing my regularly scheduled and supported run with KW on Saturday morning, I had in my head a plan of action.

Unfortunately Mother Nature (and Mother) had other plans.

I had set my phone alarm for 6am, knowing that there was no way I was going to be running down FM1485 before it was light enough (even though I was fully armed with blinky light and head light as always in my backpack), but before the alarm even had a chance to go off, around 5:30am I was awakened by the sound of heavy rain, thunder and then I could see bright flashes of light.

Dadgumit!!!

The rain just kept coming as did the thunder and I knew that my plan was foiled. 

Typically we don't start to attempt waking Mom up until around 8:30 or 9:00am so thankfully around 7:30 or so the rain had let up enough to where I just got dressed and headed out into what was now only a light mist.  My plan had been reduced to run to the 2nd bridge and back (4 miles), come back by the house, check to see if Mom had woken up on her own, and get some water and head out again. 

But by the time I was just getting back to the house, the wind started picking up as I ran inside to check on things, and then I just decided that I was going to just do loops there which I had driven it before and I knew it was just at a mile (I could check in on Mother every other mile or so).  I set the water on the back of my SUV and headed out.  Before I had even made it a half mile not only was it windy as hell, but it was getting colder by the second.  The cold front was moving in, which is what I had hoped to avoid.  By the start of the 6th mile it was unbearably cold for me and I just packed it in.  I did have a long sleeve I could put on but...

When I went inside and peeked in on Mother she was indeed starting to stir so there was that...

A tough 6 miles for me.  Running on that road (traffic scaring the beJesus out of me too often) and the mini-hills and the drizzle in my eyes, fighting the wind, I just sucked at it.  But at least I felt like I did something.  The loop there around the homestead isn't so bad (other than the scattered neighbors peeking out from their windows I know wondering 'who that crazy girl is running the gosh darn rain Vern?')  I saw several people looking as the dogs would start barking...bringing their owners to the windows and screen covered front doors..

What bit was the fact that in Houston, KW was running in a rain free environment as the rain didnt bother Houston till much later than we would have started.  Yes that is more of me being selfish (at first) thinking how upset I was ... so dumb and so childish ... Its just a freaking Saturday run June... so I did.  I got over it and planned my attack to get the mileage in on Monday (that post cometh)...

1 comment:

TX Runner Mom said...

Glad you were able to get in some miles (and safely). My alarm was set for 5 am and it was raining in my neck of the woods too. Not to mention the thunder and lightening.