Vertical Mile run, Girls on The Run Sneaker Soiree, fixing the car... snow returning...

 

Lot to unpack here from the past few days.  Had a GREAT weekend full of challenges.  This photo is from just before the start of the Vertical Mile "race" on Saturday at Camp Nuhop in the Mohican wilderness.  More on that shortly.  

Before that... I was asked to take part in the Sneaker Soiree on Friday for the Girls on The Run.  They raise money to get shoes for young girls so that way they are running in proper footwear for running.  The event was great, but I had to borrow my niece's car because when I tried leaving the house mine would not start.  I fixed that on Sunday...  The Sneaker Soiree was great and it was awesome to catch up with friends there and help raise money for a great cause. 

Saturday was the Vertical Mile.  So you had to run enough to get at least a mile, 5280 feet, of vertical gain.  So the race was about 18 miles flat, but this course was anything but flat.  It was 18 miles and one mile straight up.  These photos were taken by my buddy Tony who also ran hills with us.  Pretty small event with only about 120 people.  But SO fun and so challenging. 

This is a shot of the hoodie logo and the elevation map on top of the hoodie.  It was a five loop course so you can see how we ran the hills multiple times.  Those tight three hills were brutal.  It was a 25% incline.  It was ok when you were on switchbacks, but the first time up the hill was straight up and it felt more like stairs, but with rocks, sticks, mud, and muck.  The last loop was a mental challenge because I already passed the 5280 foot mark, but I still had to finish it to get the full five loops.  Buckled down and got it done.  I like going into those dark mental areas with distance/trail running and working through it because it is only temporary.  Just have to buckle down and have relentless forward progress. 

Alright... Sunday was family day and fixing the car day...

I took off the throttle assembly on my wife's 2009 Pontiac G6.  You can clearly see how dirty it was on the left photo and then what it looked like when I cleaned it up on the right. Just had to go through the idle relearn procedure and all set! Glad I did it on Sunday...

Because it's been cold!  Thankfully rain most of the day today and yesterday.  That changes tomorrow...

We are going to transition from rain to snow tomorrow. 

Keep the rain gear handy!  Today we will have on and off light rain showers with temps starting out around 40 and warming into the upper 40s.  The rain will be intermittent through the day and tonight as well with overnight low temps around 40.  A cold front will swing through early tomorrow and cause our temps to fall.  So we will have scattered rain showers in the morning for Central Ohio and Northwest Ohio will be colder for scattered snow showers for the morning.  The transition from scattered rain to scattered snow will occur slowly through the day and then by tomorrow night the snow will wrap up and be moving out of here.  So there may be some light snow accumulations for the Northwestern part of our viewing area during the day tomorrow with some additional light snow Wednesday night. 

Snowfall totals on Thursday morning will be 2"-4"+ for far Northwestern Ohio.  1"-3" for northwestern parts of the Central Ohio viewing area.  Around 1" possible for the I-71 corridor and then up to 1" for Southern and Eastern Ohio by Thursday morning. By Thursday and Friday we will be much colder with some flurries and high temps around 30. The models have backed off on the flurries and snow, so I did drop the chance of precip just a tad.  The weekend is looking dry and cold with partly cloudy skies and highs in the 30s.  We see a surge of warm air for the first part of next week with more rain returning.  Have a good one!

Best,
Andrew Buck Michael

Enjoying some sun... More on the way along with some flurries...

The sun we had on Monday was really nice.  More on the way today  Love the sun! Got home Monday from work and I went for a quick run around the neighborhood while Evan was sleeping.  I am taking this week easier since I have the vertical mile race at Mohican on Saturday.  I have a feeling my legs are going to be VERY sore on Sunday and next week. 

Summer is taking a dance class on Mondays now.  Evan loves watching and dancing in place.  We occasionally have to pull him back to the parents' area, but he still dances.  It is such a fun class. The price is very affordable and not overly-structured like some dance classes.  More of a semi-structured fun hour for the kids to learn some moves and and just enjoy being a kid. Summer loves it!

We will be chilly today, so grab the warm jacket or coat.  Thankfully we will get into some sunshine as well!  We are starting out in the 20s with frost and temps warm into the mid-upper 30s with a mix of sun & clouds.  Increasing clouds tonight with low temps in the low-mid 20s.  Mostly cloudy and flurries Thursday with highs in the upper 20s.  Then we start warming up. Friday we will be mostly sunny with highs in the mid 30s.  We then warm back up into the mid 40s on Saturday with mostly sunny skies.  Sunday will be a little cloudier with highs in the mid-upper 40s. Rain moves in Sunday night and rain showers on Monday.  We may be cold enough for a little snow mixing in with the rain on Monday, but generally just wet conditions for the return to the workweek.  We will then be in the 40s for highs for the start of next week.  Have a good one!

Best,
Andrew Buck Michael

Exploring Athens. Rain on the way...

I got a little muddy on the trails in Athens this weekend. Stayed upright most of the run, but I did slip in the mud twice and caught myself with my hands. Lots of fun on the run... overall.  I have to admit something: I have never been to Athens, Ohio. The closest I have been was The Plains when the tornado hit back in September of 2010.  So Dawn and I went down to explore Athens. 

I went on a trail run around The Ridges and this small waterfall was along part of the route.  

I also ran up to the top of Radar Hill a few times.  This is the highest point in Athens County and a good 300 foot climb from the Hocking River.  I did a couple hill repeats on this trail.  I love/hate hills when you climb to the crest of the hill you see only to see another climb ahead.  Good fun!

So anyway... Dawn and I went down to see the college town and try out all the good eats that Katie McKee recommended.  We tried food at a handful of spots.   

Dawn's mom wanted the kids to herself, so we took advantage of the offer.  We spent some time outside with the kids when we got back and soaked in the Sunday sun. 

 

A cold start to your Monday morning, but we bounce back into the mid 40s today.  We are starting off the morning with mostly sunny skies then more clouds through the day.  Rain returns this evening and tonight with temps staying in the 40s and a brisk breeze.  Early rain on Tuesday then falling temps and mostly cloudy skies.  So starting the morning in the upper 40s and falling into the 30s by the evening. Colder air will settle in for the second half of the week. Partly cloudy Wednesday with highs in the mid 30s.  More sun on Thursday with highs around 30.  Mostly sunny again on Friday with highs in the mid 30s. We warm up more for the weekend with lower 40s on Saturday and partly cloudy skies.  Mostly cloudy and upper 40s on Sunday with some rain moving in later in the day.  Have a good one!

Best,
Andrew Buck Michael

Fun in the snow, frozen run, warmer temps on the horizon...

Maybe I should start rhyming the title to each blog.  Just a though...
Summer and I went to COSI yesterday to so some exploring.  We didn't stay outside too long, but it was nice to run around in the slushy snow.  Dawn took a break from work and brought Evan to join us for lunch.  The new superheros exhibit was really fun for the kids. 

I was on the fence about doing a morning run today.  I LOVE running in adverse conditions.  I like to see where the cold "gets you" first.  But it was either wake up early and run before work and then nap when the kids nap... or sleep in a little and then run while the kids napped.  I opted for the early run.  I forgot to let my gloves dry out from my past run so they were clammy for the run, but once I got moving I warmed up pretty quick.  Fleece-lined leggings and fleece shirt under the wind shell made the run very manageable  I did use a buff on my face since the wind chill was in the single digits and the run was about 35 minutes.  Overall a decent morning run! And now I get to take a nap while the kids nap this afternoon!

We are in for a VERY cold Valentine's Day!  Wind chills this morning are in the single digits and near zero at times.  We have mostly cloudy skies this morning with flurries and we will see more sunshine as we go through the day with partly cloudy skies.  Morning temps are in the mid teens and we will warm into the lower 20s for the coldest day of the season so far. It will be the coldest high temp we have had since March 5th, 2019.  We will be cold again tonight with mostly clear skies and low temps in the mid-low teens. The weekend is looking great for running errands, but a little on the chilly side.  We will be partly cloudy on Saturday with highs in the mid-upper 30s.  Mostly cloudy on Sunday with highs in the lower 40s.  There may be a sprinkle or flurry on Sunday as well. Monday will be even warmer with high temps in the upper 40s with cloudy skies.  Rain moves in Monday night.  Tuesday will be wet, but warm with high temps in the lower 50s then quickly falling temps.  Colder and drier air returns by the middle and end of next week with some sunshine returning. Have a good one!

Best,
Andrew Buck Michael

Trail time, #BroomChallenge, and snow returning... for some of us.

Ran some trails near my neighborhood yesterday.  I don't take advantage of the nearby trails enough.  There isn't much distance, but it is a real treasure.  I could just keep doing loops because each loop is only about a quarter of a mile.  

I did debunk the broom challenge that was happening yesterday.  The center of gravity is low enough to balance the broom.  Lots of posts talking about the earth's tilt, but the earth's tilt is always 23.5°.  Social media getting the best of us.  You can also do this with 12oz. aluminum cans.  No one would buy me a beer at work to show this.

I did have some fun and balanced a yacht on-air this morning using our augmented reality though. HAHA!

More clouds today and temps staying chilly. We have a low pressure system passing by to our south. With morning temps in the low-mid 30s, a light wintry mix possible this morning to the south then mostly cloudy for the rest of the day with highs around 40.  Mostly cloudy and dry tonight with lows in the upper 20s. 

We start Wednesday dry then snow/mix moving in from the south in the afternoon and it will continue lifting north and temps will continue warming.  We will transition from snow to the wintry mix to rain for Central and Southern Ohio.  Northern Ohio is expected to stay cold enough for up to a few inches of snow and even more for far Northern Ohio.  Little to no snow accumulation Wednesday night for Central and Southern Ohio because we should stay just warm enough that it stays rain.  If temps cool down then it would shift the snow accumulation into Central Ohio, so be sure to check back in with the forecast.  Most of precip will fall overnight Wednesday into early Thursday morning.

Colder air moves in on Thursday with some lingering lighter scattered rain/snow showers.  Snow mainly stays north again. Even colder air arrives Thursday night into Friday with flurries for the entire area and a dusting possible.  High temps only in the mid 20s on Friday with partly cloudy skies and the flurries. The weekend is looking drier for Central Ohio with warming temps.  We will be partly cloudy on Saturday with high temps in the upper 30s.  Mid 40s return on Sunday with a very slight chance of showers.  Better chance of rain returns later on Monday as temps approach 50.  Have a good one!

Best,
Andrew Buck Michael

Indoor and outdoor fun. Big changes for Valentine's Day.

The past week has been wet and chilly, so I have been keeping the kids busy inside.  Earlier in the week we went to the library to read some books and explore.

We also went to the trampoline park.  Evan watches and is too timid to jump on the trampolines, but he will get there eventually. Summer had a blast and we had the entire place to ourselves while the older kids were still in school.  I cherish my time with the kids because once they get older and in school then days like these will be few and far between.  I am very lucky to work the early morning shift and spend the rest of the day with them.  

I do enjoy the short time I DO get without the kids during the week.  Evan naps in the morning while Dawn is working and Summer is at preschool.  So I hit up the Metro Park near Summer's school and try to get as much running as I can in, until it is time for pick-up. People ask why I like running so much. Each run is unique, but you can push yourself to try to do better than the last run.  Or some runs you just get to take it easy and enjoy the sights and sounds of the outdoors. 

Saturday was a GREAT day to enjoy the outdoors.  A friend of mine was planning on running Great Seal State Park and he invited me.  He picked me up at 6AM for the run. 

We climbed the first mountain, Sugarloaf Moutain, and it was a cloudy morning.  There was a thin sliver of a break in the clouds on the eastern horizon.  It was very serendipitous to reach the top of Sugarloaf to see the sunrise. It was only out a couple minutes then it went away for the rest of the day and we picked up a couple inches of new snow. 

The trails were slippery from the snow, but under the snow it was not frozen.  The 3 days in the 60s last weekend turned the frozen ground into mud.  So if you stayed all snow then you had decent grip, but once the snow gave way then it was slippery due to mud.  We ended up with 18 miles with almost 4,000 ft of vertical gain.  It was less miles and slower than we anticipated, but we were moving the entire 5+ hours.  Good training for sketchy conditions.  Glad to be there with someone else and thankfully we stayed upright for the most of the time.  

Sunday was a fun day at home. Summer and I played in the snow when it warmed up and the snow was pack-able. 

Starting the workweek with rain & chilly temps, but at least we are warm enough for wet roads instead of icy or snowy roads.  Temps will hold steady in the lower 40s all day long today with rain showers on and off for the morning.  By the afternoon the rain will shift into Southern Ohio and be scattered with roads starting to dry out.  Tonight we will fall into the lower 40s so there is a chance of a wintry mix and even some light snow for Southern Ohio, since the precip will still be to the south.  The wintry mix to the south kicks out quick tomorrow then mostly cloudy with highs in the lower 40s.  So Tuesday will be a dry day for a lot of us with chilly temps. Wednesday we start dry then we have another system moving in from the southwest.  Right now it looks like it will arrive in the late afternoon and evening with highs around 40.  We will be very close to temps cold enough for this to be snow, but the current projections have us just a shade on the warmer side for the majority of the event.  So a little wintry mix to start then we warm to mostly rain for Central and Southern Ohio for Wednesday night.  Northern Ohio could see some accumulating snow overnight. Colder air will transition us back to light wintry mix and light snow on Thursday.  Light accumulations are possible, but we will need to get a solid lock on temps before we know how much snow we may see. MUCH colder air moves in for Thursday night, Friday, and Friday night.  A few models are going with single digit low temps.  We would need a light snow pack and clear skies for that, but right now it looks partly cloudy.  So I am going to go mid-low teens for lows right now and a high in the mid 20s on Friday for Valentine's Day.  We start warming into the 30s on Saturday and we could see more rain by next Sunday with temps in the 40s.  Have a good one!

Best,
Andrew Buck Michael

Hills, hills, hills... Winter weather returning this week!

As mentioned in my last blog, my next race is a vertical mile race, on trails.  So I have been doing lots of trails and hills.  The photo above is from the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.  A few stream crossings to wake up your legs! Love running up there!

This past week involved me smashing hills around Columbus.  I ran hill repeats at Griggs Dam on Tuesday then Friday I went out to Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park.  I was able to run for about an hour on Tuesday while the kids napped and then an hour on Friday while Summer was in preschool.  I was able to get about 4000 feet of vertical gain the past week.  So getting my legs prepared for the hills as best as possible considering it is so flat around here.  The race will involve me running a 3.5 mile loop with 1000 feet of vertical each loop with the ups and downs of the Mohican wilderness.  5 loops total for the fun.

Then my weekend long run was with the Columbus Westside Running Club.  Almost no vertical gain on this run... 2 hours with only 200 feet of gain.  So flat!  Great group for our Saturday morning run.

My parents had the kids this weekend so Dawn could have a date night.  We had a lot of fun with just the two of us, but we really missed the kids.

What a beautiful Sunday!  Sunshine made a triumphant return and we topped out at 61°F for the day, on Sunday.  Today we will start out with sunshine and temps in the mid 30s and we will warm to near 60 again, but clouds will be on the increase later today.  We will stay dry today with the mild temps.  Enjoy it!  Today is the nicest day on the extended forecast. 

Tonight we will stay mild with cloudy skies and overnight low temps in the lower 50s.  Rain showers will arrive after midnight.  Rain showers will stick around for Tuesday for Central Ohio with high temps in the mid 50s.  So a mild, but wet Tuesday for Central Ohio.  A cold front will move through in the afternoon and temps will start falling.  By Tuesday evening we could see the rain transition over to some sleet and even snow mixing in overnight Tuesday night.  Wednesday will be colder with high temps in the mid 30s and potentially some slick spots in the morning as the wintry mix starts to leave.  Mostly cloudy during the day on Wednesday, with more sun to the north.  Another round of wintry mix will move in late Wednesday into Thursday.  More rain/ice/snow possible on Thursday.  The type of precip on Thursday will be determined by our temperatures.  A couple models are showing a push of warm air so we get into more rain, but other projections are colder, so more ice and snow.   All models showing colder temps by Friday with some snow showers and then scattered snow showers Saturday as well.  Highs will likely be in the 30s for Friday and the weekend.  Have  a good one!

Best,
Andrew Buck Michael