Checking in, from home in my weather cave.

Hello from the basement!  I have to be honest, I have not been on here lately because the new work routine.  I am getting used to it, but there is a little more on my plate.  But it a good thing and I am working from home to stop the spread of germs.  I hope you all are staying healthy and safe.  Let's catch up!

We have been doing lots of activities lately.  Lots of chalk artwork, playing in the yard, and for me... lots of running.  It has been a GREAT way to clear my head with all that is going on.

With the zoo closed, I took the kids out to Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park to see the bison on a run.

The only run that I have done with anyone besides the kids was one run a could weeks ago.  There were seven of us that split up to run a route that I came up with to spell out #InThisTogetherOhio.

A couple people did the pink, and a couple others did the green, then the final group, including myself, ran the state perimeter and the script for Ohio.  That was about 10 miles total for my run. 

I have also been doing a lot of running around the backyard.  I ran a 5k by doing 59 loops around the backyard.  Grass held up better than expected.  Evan liked running along with me. Summer thought swinging sounded like more fun.

I also ran a marathon by doing loops around my small neighborhood.  We live in a cut-off neighborhood, so no through traffic.  Each loop is about 2.8 miles so it took about 10 loops to reach the 26.2 miles.

All of this was part to help out the local running companies.  They are losing revenue because their scheduled races are cancelled.  So they have been offering these virtual runs at a very reasonable price to help keep their business afloat.  The local Fleet Feet store started a race and I decided to tackle each of the distances.  Most of the runs were while the kids were sleeping.

My latest run is signing up for the Aravaipa Strong virtual race.  They have a 100 mile version and you have to finish that in less than 10 days.  So I tried banking some miles this weekend.  I am at 59 miles after 3 days and Saturday was my big day with 32 miles of running. I broke it up into two 16 mile runs so that way I had time to rest and eat before tackling the next chunk.  Lots of road miles, but overall my body is feeling really well.  I debated doing some early morning runs before working, but I think sleep and rest are worth more for healing.  When I wake up I am a little stiff and trying to start running like that would likely end up with a pulled muscle, so I'll be running while the kids nap the next few days.  This will be the highest mileage week I have ever done.

Alright, enough running... Have you seen the planets in the early morning? I don't get to see Venus in the evening because I am in bed, but you can see here the planets in the southeast sky.

Kicking off your Monday with more sun on the way! We will see light winds today and lots of sunshine with just a few clouds early and late. We will warm into the upper 50s today. Clouds roll in this evening and a few rain showers tonight into Tuesday morning. There could even be a few rumbles of thunder, but severe weather is not likely. Overnight low temps dip into the mid 40s. Tomorrow the rain will kick out early and winds kick up and we struggle to warm to 51. So wet early for some of us then a cool and breezy Tuesday with decreasing clouds. Mainly clear skies Tuesday night will mean overnight low temps near or below freezing for Wednesday morning. Wednesday we warm back to 60 with a mix of sun & clouds. Right now Wednesday looks to remain dry, but more rain will be moving in for Thursday. Thursday looks like a prolonged, widespread rain with highs around 60. A break in the rain for most of Friday with mostly cloudy skies and highs in the mid 60s. Another soaking, widespread rain looking likely for Saturday and that will push in some cooler temps as highs dip back into the 50s. Have a good one!

Best,
Andrew Buck Michael

Cancelled run, kiddo fun, kiddo projects, storms on the way

This photo doesn't do the sunrise justice, but this is from Saturday morning.  I had plans to run a 50k in Cleveland, but man... so much has changed in the past week.  We didn't have a single coronavirus in Ohio, but that changed FAST last week and large gathers were cancelled and the parks service pulled the permits for the race.  So I stayed in Cleveland and a friend joined me for a 25k for fun.

We made sure to keep our distance for the run.  

We got the run done before the snow/rain hit and we had some HUGE flakes.  Some of the snowflakes were 2 inches in diameter!

So Summer had a virus a week and a half ago... She had a low fever and a weird rash.  She recovered by Wednesday, but her immune system was weaker so we kept her home.  I had fun with the kids going to the park and getting outside.  By Friday the coronavirus was ramped up and we decided to keep Summer at home again.  So she has had an extended break from school by an extra week. But we are doing lots of learning at home and she has been a HUGE help with some special projects... more on those in a second.  

Speaking of special projects... I tested out some microphones last week.  I started this new segment on the WSYX YouTube page called "Buck On the Run." I learned a lot from the first episode to get audio just from the person running so you don't hear the wind and you get better sound from just that person... not me breathing. HAHA.  So I tested out some microphones because some work better than others to record the audio separate then mix it in with the video later.

Back to the backyard for more run.  Evan is WAY more of a climber than Summer. He loves our slide and would keep going down that all day long if we let him.  

So on to the projects.  The first project was some trail work.  Summer helped clear the smaller limbs from nearby trails and I tackled the larger ones.  I had to cut a few trees that fall to clear the existing trails. Then we went running around on the trails. If Evan lost direct line of sight then he would just freeze even if he was looking at us through a couple of branches.  I found that interesting.  But at least he stops and doesn't wander off.

Yesterday Summer helped build our final garden bed.  The existing boards were falling apart and rotting so I replaced them.  The new building format does not require nails or screws and should last much longer.   Summer was a BIG help on this. She liked stacking the boards on the patio to do a "dry run" and get the drilling all done.  Then helped carry the boards out to the hard.  Then I used rebar and pounded them into the holes to pull it all together. 

Good Tuesday morning and Happy St. Patrick's Day for anyone celebrating.  We are starting off damp with some early morning showers.  They are mainly to the south and already moving out, so let's go with a 20% chance of rain for early today then we can drop that out by the end of the morning commute.  Clouds will break up some in the afternoon for hopefully a little sunshine and high temps in the lower 50s.  We will be mostly clear tonight with a few passing clouds and low temps in the mid 30s. Wednesday we start out with a little sun then increasing clouds and highs around 60.  We will see showers move in during the afternoon and the rain will stick around through the evening and overnight.  A few rumbles of thunder are possible, but severe risk is low. Storm Prediction Center has Central Ohio in the General Thunderstorm criteria. Most of that rain will be gone by daybreak on Thursday and the majority of the daytime hours will be drying out.  Surge of warm air later in the day will warm us into the upper 60s.  Another wave of rain will move in late Thursday and that will stick around into Friday as a strong cold front kicks through midday.  Temps start falling for Friday PM once the rain moves out.  We will spend most of Thursday PM and Friday in the 60s.  Strong winds Friday PM out of the north will push in colder air. Saturday morning we wake up with temps around 30 and only warming into the lower 40s with partly cloudy skies.  Mostly sunny Sunday with morning temps in the upper 20s and highs in the mid 40s. Thankfully a dry weekend, but it will be chilly so dress warm.  A little rain looks to return later on Monday.  Have a good one!

Best,
Andrew Buck Michael

Zoo trip, warming temps, pollen is back!

The kids and I went to the Columbus Zoo last week.  It was a sunny day and "mild" temps, so we wanted to go before it started getting too busy.  We went to 90% of the exhibits that were open.  Lots of animals were out and we had a blast.  This is back from the gorilla exhibit.  We were interacting with this one for a while.

Evan liked the bears as well.  He was a little unsure about the water and how he could see above the water and below the water at the same time.  One bear was in the water playing with a floating device.

Summer loved the lion exhibit.  Look through the back window carefully.  You can see the lions laying on the ground behind the plane. 

I got a little creative Friday and lost the pocket square because the bottle of hand sanitizer fit perfectly.  

Saturday's long run was a lot of fun.  I did the first 7 miles solo then the last 8 miles was with this fun group of guys.  LOTS of new runners out for the group run as well.  

We tried to get outside and enjoy some of the sunshine and warm temps yesterday.  We walked around the neighborhood and then played in the backyard a while at home. 

My eyes are a little itchy today... Sure enough, tree pollen is already coming out and causing issues.  We will see that drop a little tomorrow with rain, but more tree pollen will be coming out later this week.  

Since Daylight Saving Time kicked in yesterday, we get a sunset after 7:30PM, but the sun does not come up until just before 8AM now.  So morning drives will be darker for a while. 

Quite an active week on the way with four waves of moisture, but thankfully temps stay mild most of the time.  We stay dry for your Monday with temps staying warm and we will start out in the mid 40s and warm into the mid 60s with a mix of sun & clouds.  Clouds thicken up this evening with rain moving in tonight.  Mild and wet overnight with rain & showers.  A few rumbles of thunder possible as well. Rain will stick around for the first half of Tuesday with highs around 60.  Rain moves out midday and then mostly cloudy.  Winds will be brisk today, tonight, and early Tuesday out of the southwest then switch to the northwest tomorrow once the rain moves out.  A little lingering spotty rain possible Wednesday, but most of the day will be dry for most of us.  Going with a 20% chance of rain Wednesday since most of us will stay dry with mostly cloudy skies and highs in the mid 50s. Our next wave of moisture comes later Thursday into Friday.  We will see another surge of warm air ahead of the rain, similar to today.  So we warm into the lower-mid 60s on Thursday with rain moving in during the evening and overnight.  The rain moves out early Friday and then cooler air moves in for the weekend.  Highs on Friday in the lower 50s.  Overnight lows for Friday night and the weekend will be in the mid 30s.  The fourth wave of moisture moves in during the second half of Saturday.  With highs in the 40s it will be a colder rain for Saturday PM and even some snow possibly mixing in to the north for Saturday night and early Sunday.  The whole system kicks out early Sunday then a high of 50 with decreasing clouds through the day Sunday.  Have a good one!

Best,
Andrew Buck Michael

Leap Day long run, Crew SC game, and more rain on the way...

Sunday's run was on Leap Day so Megan in the run club talked us into leaping.  

I met up with Carl beforehand to get a few miles and got a little over 11 miles for the early morning run.  I then stopped and had breakfast with the family.  Evan still does his morning naps so if I did all my miles then he would be sleeping before I was done.  So I grabbed breakfast with the family then went right back out for another 9+ miles to get me up to 20.5 miles for the day.  Then the rest of the day was family time.

More family time on Sunday.  We went to the Columbus Crew SC on Sunday with the family.  We won!  The sun helped make it feel warm.  Then we met Dawn's family near Mansfield for dinner.  LOVE the burgers at Buckeye Express Diner. 

Mild temps returning today along with a few rain showers.  We will start the morning with temps in the mid 30s and sunshine then clouds roll back in quick for the middle of the day. We have a quick clipper system swinging through and that will bring a few quick rain showers for midday and the afternoon. Northern Ohio could see a little snow mixing in with the rain because they will be colder.  Clouds then clear quickly following the rain. We will warm into the low-mid 50s today with a brisk breeze. Mostly clear tonight and we fall into the upper 20s with patchy frost.  Sunshine to start Thursday with increasing clouds later in the day. Highs back in the low-mid 50s. A couple of scattered showers possible Thursday evening as a cold front swings through the region.  Some lingering light rain/snow showers on Friday with highs around 40. The weekend is looking really nice! We will be cold in the mornings with temps in the upper 20s, but sunshine warms us into the mid 40s on Saturday and then partly cloudy Sunday and mid-upper 50s.  Rain returns later Monday into Tuesday with temps still in the 50s.  Have a good one!

Best,
Andrew Buck Michael

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