Summer on TV, Cap City Half, big warm-up coming!

Thursday was Take Your Child to Work Day.  I didn't know it until I was at work so I texted Dawn to see if she wanted to bring Summer in for a forecast.  Summer helped me with one of the forecasts and was very shy, but we had a lot of fun.

Saturday was the Cap City Half Marathon and I was pumped for this race. What a race! Didn’t get as much sleep as I would have liked, but woke up and did my thing: coffee and granola bar.

Got down to the race area with 90 minutes to swap into different shoes and tried to stay warm with the Columbus Westside Running Club. My peeps. ❤️

 I did a quick interview with our TV station before the race (like 9 minutes before, 😬)

This actually turned out to be a good thing because I saw one of the faster runners from our run club and found him in the corral with just a couple minutes to spare. Mac and I used to run together every weekend, but he is the leader for the local chapter of Black Men Run and when the Westside changed their weekend runs to Saturday Mac already had a group then. So I ran with him today. We came out hot and kept it going. I had a TON of energy and probably talked so much he wanted to slap me. He told me a couple times to pull away and he would be fine, but I stuck with him and it was a comfortable pushed pace.  There were times I wanted to tell him to ease up for myself, but I kept with it and we pushed each other.  I got a second wind about 10 miles into the race. Toward the end I asked if he had any gas left for a sprint and he said the final hill was all he had left then he insisted that I take off for the final stretch so I did. I kicked it up a notch to sprint to the end. The only other Half race I completed, without weather black-flagging the course, was 2:01:32. I have had some training runs better since, but no race. I finished with 1:39:32. 22 MINUTE PR!

Also picked up my new favorite hat.  I spent the rest of the day napping followed by a celebratory dinner with my run club.

Sunday I did a quick run to loosen up my legs then mowed the lawn.  I am selling my motorcycle so I changed the oil in that and took it for a short spin around the block.

And then tried to enjoy the beautiful, tad chilly, afternoon.  What a beautiful day, and today will be even better!

A cold start to your Monday with frost, but that will clear out quickly with lots of sun today and warmer temps. Sunny with highs near 70 today. The winds will slowly pick up later today and stay brisk tonight through the middle of the week. More sun Tuesday with highs near 80 and high temps stay near 80 for Wednesday and Thursday. Scattered showers & storms possible late Wednesday followed by more showers & storms Thursday and Friday. Dry for next weekend with highs in the lower 70s. Have a good one!

Best,
Andrew Buck Michael

Running Earth Day, Planting Forecast, fun with Summer

 

Yesterday Summer and I got our run in just before the rain rolled in.  It's been a damp night and morning so far and it is going to stay that way... More on that in a little bit.

 

Had a fantastic final run with the Columbus Westside Running Club on Saturday. Going to miss these peeps. This was the final group run before the Cap City Half next week. Then the group is officially taking a little bit of a break besides the few of us doing more races coming up, but this does give me the opportunity for more time in the woods on trails before the Mohican trail marathon.

We did our monthly bike/running trail cleanup today as well after the group run. Pretty solid Saturday morning.

Rain steady most of the day today, especially early. The rain breaks up some later in the day and becomes scattered. Scattered rain will stick around tonight and the first part of Wednesday. Rain will generally be light and temps remaining cool today, tonight, and Wednesday. More sun on Thursday as high pressure builds. Clouds return Friday with some scattered rain possible as a cold front swings through later in the day. Decreasing clouds for the weekend with warming temps thanks to all the sunshine

Feel free to click the image above, but this is the GFS forecast for surface temperatures the next 16 days.

This is what I am going with for our next 10 days.  Still staying below normal through the end of the month, but we warm up more next week.  

I have had a LOT of questions about planting the garden or plants outside... We will warm up next week, but frost is still possible this spring. As far as a hard freeze... none on the horizon, but can't rule it out.

So I give planting outside a yellow light for hardy plants, but you may want to hold off on tender plants. Planting in pots is a great way to get a jump start on a juicy tomato, that way they are mobile. Keep sheets ready to cover plants or be ready bring them inside, if needed. Have a good one!

Best,
Andrew Buck Michael

Fishing with Summer, up & down temps and up for a while now...

Last Thursday and Friday were great, weren't they?!?! We hit 78 on Thursday and 82 on Friday.  I took Summer hiking and fishing.

The only fish we caught was the rubber one that was tied to the end of her line so she could practice reeling in the big ones.  Nothing was biting, but we did have a fun time enjoying the warmest days of the year so far.

I also mowed the grass for the first time this year. Some spots I barely cut anything and other spots were super thick and lush.  This next mow should be more consistent. 

Then winter weather returned.  We had a few days this week with some light snow and flurries. 

But yesterday we waved goodbye to winter.  I think there is a 95% chance we are done with the snow for the rest of the season.  SO LONG!!!

We warmed up quickly yesterday and cleared out and we went from snow in the morning to sun in the afternoon.  It was a great day for a run. 

Mostly sunny & mild today, but we do have a chilly start, so you will need the jacket early then you may not need that this afternoon with plenty of sun. Tonight we will be mostly clear and chilly with patchy frost. A few high clouds will move in for Saturday and Sunday, so partly cloudy with temps near 60 both days. These clouds will be part of a Low Pressure system tracking across the Southern United States over the weekend and then graze us with rain early next week. We warm up more Monday and some rain may sneak in here by the evening. More rain likely Tuesday and Wednesday with mild temps and highs in the 60s. Rain holds off though until late Monday or Tuesday, so a great weekend on the way! Have a good one!

Best,
Andrew Buck Michael

Took a mini-cation to see my sister, warm then more snow?!?!

Had a great few days in Florida visiting my sister who is working at Animal Kingdom with Disney's College Program. 

My parents have an annual pass since they knew Amanda would be working down there, so Dawn and I only went into the parks one day, but we made the most of it. We made sure to see the talking Mickey because he will be going away soon.

So yea... Summer went into the parks each day with my parents and you KNOW she was acting like an angel for them.  I think she talked them into getting her ice cream every single night.

Cheesing for the camera...

Dawn and I spent time together for some fun dates around the resorts and spent a lot of time by the pool.  I ran a little more than 20 miles down there and it was a shock to running in the heat and humidity again... in due time for us here in Ohio. 

I took an extra day off to get laundry done and Summer and I started planting our cold weather crops in the garden.  Peas and lettuce seeds are planted, but we have to wait a little more before the rest.  Carrots and onions will be next followed by the tomatoes and peppers in a month. 

I was told to leave and not come back until it warms up... well... I'm BACK! The next few days will be the warmest of 2018 so far! There is a catch... our winds will be very brisk in the afternoon and a Wind Advisory issued with our southwest winds 15-30 mph with gusts 45+. A little early morning rain today is passing by through Northern Ohio; otherwise partly cloudy, warm, & windy today with highs in the lower 70s. Tonight a mix of clear skies and clouds with overnight lows in the mid 50s and breezy. Winds pick back up tomorrow with partly cloudy skies and temps warming into the mid 70s. Rain returns Saturday with scattered showers and a few storms, while remaining warm. It looks dry, warm & windy for tonight's Columbus Clippers Home Opener tonight, but be sure to pack rain gear for the Ohio State Spring Game on Saturday. More showers and storms Sunday as a cold front sweeps through the area. This will usher in colder air for next week. The overnight forecast models are trending our temperatures colder, so a few tweaks to our extended forecast to adjust our temperatures colder for early next week and changing the icon to rain/snow on Monday with some early morning wintry mix showers then warming to some rain showers during the daylight hours then back to wintry mix and light snow/flurries Monday evening. We slowly start warming back up by the middle of next week. Have a good one!

Best,
Andrew Buck Michael

MORNING! More snow on the way?!?!?!

I've been powering through the week and hopefully you have as well!  What would we do without caffeine?!?!

Easter was a lot of fun. Summer was lucky because the Easter Bunny made two stops.  LOTS of candy, but finding the eggs was almost more fun than eating the candy.

Since I was out of town, I met up with some random trail runners at Hinckley Reservation.  We crossed a bunch of streams, ran through the mud, but the views were fantastic.

This photo is a little blurry because I took it while we were running, but some awesome rock formations along the trail.

But, yes, a little muddy.  That was my first distance on a trail at least a half marathon.  It felt great and the thing I like about trails is that it isn't all about finishing under a certain time.  It is about safely navigating the what the trail gives you and enjoying the sights and sounds.  Good training for my trail marathon in June.

BTW, what the heck is up with all of our snow in April?!?!  I am done. Done! Let's jump into at least slightly warmer temps! 

Flooding still an issue for many spots around the area from the 2-4" of rain we picked up on Tuesday. 

Grab the coat! Temps are below freezing this morning and wind chills have been dipping into the teens at times. Early sun today, but more clouds by the afternoon with temps climbing into the upper 40s. A few light rain/snow showers this evening will mainly stay north. Chilly tonight and mostly cloudy and the clouds stick around most of the day Friday with a few peeks of sun and temps warming near 50. Rain showers return later Friday and as temps fall Friday night we transition over to snow showers. Snow showers continue overnight and move south. Central Ohio could have a light accumulation and Southern Ohio could see a couple inches or more by daybreak. Snow should be moving out early Saturday then clouds clearing. Changing the icon from a wintry mix to snow showers.

As of writing this, Thursday morning at 8AM, the National Weather Service has a Winter Storm Watch for far Southern Ohio for Saturday morning. Increasing sun during the day on Saturday and more sun Sunday with highs in the 40s. Clouds return later Sunday with some snow showers possible Sunday night into early Monday morning. Temps warm up Monday with a wintry mix possible as we warm up. More wintry mix possible Tuesday, but that is looking lighter. Much warmer temps on the way in a week and a half!  Have a good one!

Best,
Andrew Buck Michael