So it goes . . .
I quite literally experienced a shitty, humid run 🏃🏼 Monday afternoon. Hence, the Goose Guano 💩 Gauntlet.
Running along the Ohio River through three different parks in Cincinnati, Ohio didn’t help with the humidity or goose droppings either.
And yes, I know that guano is technically the excrement from seabirds or bats, but I couldn’t pass up the alliteration.
• Tuesday’s weather. At the start of my run this evening it was sunny, 77º with only 29% humidity.
• Post-run cheers and beers with my fellow runners.
• A very productive work day.
• Sticking to my daily budget – at least for today.
• That $25 Skyline Chili gift card I forgot I had and then found. It allowed me have a 3-Way for dinner AND stick to my budget.
• Facebook for reminding a former co-worker’s birthday is tomorrow. The reminder brought back a lot of great memories.
I feel better when I write.
And I don’t mean the type of writing I do for work (though lately, I’ve found that to be highly rewarding as well).
I mean sitting down and just sharing whatever comes out.
Maybe it’s a photo or gratitude list or an issue that I’m wrestling with.
But it is summertime.
The start of the season is always busy.
There are a ton of summer events to cover for work, alongside graduation parties, birthdays and group outings with friends and family.
And yardwork. Oh, how I hate cutting grass.
Also, running in heat and humidity.
Dear God, give me the willingness to start running outdoors. I’ve been lax in my devotion to covering miles of asphalt recently. I am growing cranky and fat(ter).
Amen.
Which leads me to this – I’m complaining but not really complaining.
If given the choice, I’d always choose to be busy rather than bored.
Boring is dangerous.
It means I have time to think, like really think.
And when I think too much, my mind will manufacture drama to combat the boredom.
That kind of drama is never good.
So, this is me, sitting here and writing this post for no apparent rhyme or reason.
I’m just trying to remind myself to not stop what I tried to start again a few months ago – resurrect this blog.
Because, I need this space to ramble.
I also need to find the time to go swimming soon.
Summertime.
Is living ever really that easy?
I used Tableau Public to create a visual breakdown of the GPS running data I saved to my Garmin Connects in 2018.
Gratitude in Review 2018
Looking back, here are eight things I’m grateful for in 2018.
I’ve been pretty shameless sharing with everyone how lucky I am to have started dating Tirza in 2018.
We briefly met once before she agreed to go on a date with me. I sent her a Facebook friend request after bumping into her at a running event in late November 2017.
I didn’t even know if she was single and it took me two months (and a couple of drinks) to muster up the nerve to ask her out.
She agreed to go on grab a slice with me on Friday, Feb. 9, National Pizza Day. She promptly text me the day after that first date asking if I wanted to grab a beer at a local brewery the following Monday. I’ve been pinching myself ever since.
I also met a great new group of running friends because of my relationship with Tirza. I experienced “Donna loops,” was invited into homes for post-run eats and drinks, and endured some gentle ribbing for training with a different marathon running group.
The new friends only added to the rather large cast of characters already in my life. I’ve known many of the people pictured above for years through running. We tell jokes and occasionally discuss the rough patches we each experience in our lives.
Outside of running, I also got to spend a weekend with an old college roommate in November. We visited a comic book convention, played D&D with his 8-year-old son and just fell back into the comfortable rhythm built on two decades of friendship.
Even though I felt burned out at times, I ended the year on an up note when it comes to running. I currently feel re-energized and ready to race in 2019.
Here are some stats from 2018:
I made some great memories with my mom, dad, sister, niece and nephew this year. Tirza even impressed my tight-knit group of weirdos with her eating habits and that one time she forgot to meet me at my house for my birthday dinner with them . We all wrapped up the year with great Christmas together.
I was given the opportunity to chair two panels at the Cincinnati Comic Expo in September. I met “Doctor Strange” actor Benedict Wong and Clark Gregg, the man who plays “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D” Director Phil Colson in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
While saddened to learn of the passing of comic book creator and legend Stan Lee, I was also reminded how lucky I was to have met him in 2016. His passing also was the first of many that reminded me how important it is to appreciate the interactions I get to have with others. In more than a few instances, 2018 proved to be a sad year for those we lost.
And finally, as uncomfortable a process as it has been, I am glad life still presents opportunities that push me out of my comfort zone. I don’t think that I’m the best in front of a camera but work this year has made me get over myself and become more confident in who I am.