Running a Muddy Trail

Life! How can you be so crazy?!

{ 07:10, 28 April 2008 } { 0 comments } { Link }

The intensity of this past week hasn't been matched since sometime deep in the throes of my college years. Classes, track practice, exams, lab work, bike accidents, german novels and the ever-present interactions with family and friends kept me on my toes day and night. My life has calmed down noticably since then, with a move out of the city, a marriage, a full-time job that usually doesn't have homework and just in general coming to terms with myself, how i prefer to live, what i prefer to do and how busy I prefer to be.

Throw it all to the wind in April though, the month where all facets of my life reach a climax simultaneously. Into that mix, unceremoniously thrown, we had a grandparent's 60th wedding anniversary, a family relationship emergency that I never saw coming, a couple birthdays and a couple other unforseen emergencies and you get this past week.

Sunday morning dawned clear, cool and full of potential ... as I looked out of my hotel room in Boston. I was there to cover two races, the women's olympic trials marathon and the 112th Boston Marathon, for work. Sunday I woke up early, after a late night (finally got dinner at 9:30pm), to meet up with a woman who was running the marathon on Monday to go for a short run. Finished the run, threw on another couple layers of clothes, grabbed my camera and headed out to meet a group of readers of my magazine to watch the olympic trials marathon. We watched the incredible race together and towards the end I bid adieu to head to the press room for the rest of my day's work. Worked through until 3 when my boss and I realized it was now or never for our first meal of the day.

Monday was the Boston Marathon; an incredible race. Blood pounding, scintillating sprints (that stretched out over 8 miles), lots of adrenaline even in the press room, and then endless editing of over-long and hastily written recap articles until it was time to catch a train to the airport. The trains were packed. Not only had 25,000 runners just finished running a marathon and were trying to get home or back to hotels, but the Red Sox game had just ended. Sheesh. There was even a traffic jam in the subway.

But I made it to the airport, got on my flight, which was full of tired and still sweaty runners. That was neat. I've never sat on a plane and heard such familiar conversations going on all around me. ("by mile 13 i knew my splits were ..." and "i surged after mile 17 to try to ..."). Got to DC and made my connection back to Morgantown. First time flying into our teeny airport. One gate, one employee, who kindly helped me fill out my missing luggage forms as soon as the other 15 passengers had left. But Joel was right there at the gate, to give me a huge hug and what better way to return to West Virginia after being gone for 10 days of big city life?

We made it home and crashed by around 1am. The next day, I learned, was plowing day. A friend was bringing his draft horses over to help us break a new field that doubled our capacity. I worked a couple hours on the computer, then spent the rest of the morning plowing. And marveling at how beautiful this place is. The overwhelming green and flowering crabs and apples and cherries and bulbs were a sight for sore (and tired) eyes.

We found the first morels of the year, I dug a bunch more ramps for us for the week. Things were getting back on the right track. Girls on the Run on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons made getting on track with work a bit scrunched. Then Thursday, after a frustrating morning, I just couldn't take it any longer and swore off the computer for the afternoon and went digging in the yard, in between my mid-morning meeting and my evening beekeepers meeting. Planted a bunch of stuff and ran out to the beekeepers meeting. Throughout the day though, from the moment I got up and said to Joel, while looking at my arms, "hmm... might be we have a case of the bed bugs?", something funny was developing on my arms and hands. Seemed to be a case of poison ivy. But I don't usually get poison ivy. Ahh well, guess maybe I do now.

Friday came and went, with plenty to fill the hours and Saturday morning we got up and headed back to Pittsburgh for one more track meet. The poison ivy stuff was getting a bit worse. Found a couple spots on my legs and thighs, and more came out on my arms. hmm, strange.

By the time we arrived at the track, it was definitely impeding the use of my hands somewhat. I made it through the meet though (and i'm a bit relieved that they didn't need me to fill out the co-ed 4x100m team afterall, I was getting really itchy by that point). Meet, team cookout afterwards and the bumps are starting to appear on my face now. Gah!

We stayed at my old coach's house that night, had a good time chatting with him and his family, as always. The conversation kept my thoughts off the itching, which was getting worse by the hour. The next morning I chose to wear my least invasive clothing: a pair of running shorts and soft long sleeved shirt. We headed out after lunch, before the Pen's game started and paused at Loews to get a sink fixture we'd been needing before we headed home. Once home again (thank goodness!) (for good!) the bumps were even worse. I called a couple doctor friends for their thoughts and no one was home. At which point I collapsed on the futon to wallow in my pain and try try try not to scratch. ahhh!!!!!!!!! Joel came in, made one more phone call and informed me that we'd go see Doctor Tom at 8:15.

We did just that. and Doctor Tom identified my ailment as Poison Sumac! Gave me a shot, and a prescription for a bunch of corticosteroids and we limped our way home by 9:30. One week down. Hopefully many many more to go. ... but i'm really glad that April is over.
{ Post a Comment }

{ Last Page } { Page 12 of 50 } { Next Page }

About Me

Links

Sand Hill Seeds/Poultry
Plants for a Future

Running a Muddy Trail

Life! How can you be so crazy?!

About Me

Links

Recent Entries