Dam, horses, fun

Goooood morning!  Been ramping up my training for the Shawnee 50 miler.  It is actually 54 miles and more than 11,000 feet of vertical gain of climbing. Not many hills in Central Ohio, so I have been doing dam repeats at Griggs to help get my legs ready for all the pounding of the downs and climbing all the ups.

I was invited to the All Horse Parade in Delaware this year.  The family and I rode in a carriage. 

So much fun! Gorgeous rig and horses!

Weather has been dry for the past week with warm temps.  Evan and I have been spending time outside while Summer is in school.

Then we went to the splash pad to cool off when she got home from school  

Good Thursday morning! We are waking up with temps dipping into the 50s across a lot of the area with some light patchy fog. So, a refreshing start to the morning and we will see a lot of sunshine today with a few clouds and highs topping out in the lower 80s. There is a very slim chance for a stray shower, mainly south, this afternoon. Friday and the weekend we will continue warming up into the mid 80s. Humidity will be going back up, which will result in some milder morning temps, mid 60s. Friday and Saturday we will see about a 20% chance for a spotty afternoon shower or two and partly cloudy skies. More sun Sunday as we warm to around 87 with higher humidity. Next week we are anticipating a cold front and that sped up its arrival a little with the newest data. So right now it looks like Monday will be hot again with highs near 87. Then we start to see some scattered rain moving into Western Ohio later Monday, ahead of the front. More scattered showers and storms on Tuesday with highs in the lower 80s. The cold front is expected Wednesday morning and we will see more scattered showers and storms on Wednesday. So the chance of rain goes up a little each day early next week. Our temps will dip later next week with highs back in the 70s. Have a good one!

Best,
Andrew Buck Michael

Been a while!

Good morning!  Life at the Michael House has been super busy lately and work has as well... I tried doing as much as I could with Summer before she started Kindergarten a couple weeks ago.  We went to the zoo, gardened, Cedar Point, and so much more.  She has had a fantastic first couple weeks and loving school so much.

Speaking of the garden... we have made a couple rounds of salsa.  Hard to keep that around and not eat it all up! 

The warm end of August meant enjoying time in the backyard with the kiddie pool. I think we will get a pool pass next year. 

I did head up to Cleveland with the family this weekend and we were able to watch the Thunderbirds and other acts. Lots of fun.

I also got in a couple runs this weekend.  A 20 miler solo on the trails...

Then a 12 miler with some friends. The miles FLY by when you have good company and conversation. I have a 54 mile race coming up in a month and I need to fine-tune my training and hill climbing in preps for the big race because it will have more than 12,000 feet of climbing! The weather is looking GREAT for running this week: 

We will have a warm day ahead, but a cold front tonight will bring back highs in the 70s. We have partly cloudy skies already, early this morning, and we will remain partly cloudy today with highs in the mid 80s. We will remain dry today, but a cold front will swing through tonight. Expect a brisk wind out of the southwest today at 10-20+ mph. Tonight will have scattered showers and overnight low temps in the mid 60s. The winds will switch to the west tomorrow with rain moving out early. Central Ohio will see the early clouds breaking up with highs in the upper 70s. Mostly sunny for Thursday and Friday with highs in the 70s and morning low temps in the mid 50s. Really refreshing air to end the workweek. By Saturday we will start warming into the lower 80s. We will be mostly sunny as well. So be prepared for a warm, dry, and bright Ohio State Buckeyes football game, midday Saturday. Sunday and Monday will be in the low-mid 80s with partly cloudy skies and a slight chance of isolated rain. So generally, a pretty dry 7-day forecast, with the best chance of rain being tonight and early tomorrow. Have a good one!

Best,
Andrew Buck Michael

Celebrating a decade of marriage

Dawn and I spent the weekend in Indianapolis celebrating our 10th wedding anniversary. 

Before leaving, I did take the kids to explore the Powell water park. Summer said it was one of her favorites, despite it being a little smaller in size. The kids had a blast and that is all that mattered. It was also a very hot day so it was pretty crowded. 

I worked Sunday for Phil so I was off Friday morning.  I did a 20 miles run at Prairie Oaks Metro Park.  I ran every trail there and just barely caught the sun popping between the clouds. I only saw a handful of people out there.  Then it was time for a shower and off to Indy.  Our kids stayed at home with grammy.

We just lived it up and tried being a couple young kids in love. We had a blast, but also relaxed and got as much sleep as we could. We stayed at Bottleworks Hotel and totally recommend it! 

I may have mentioned it a while ago, but a meteorologist in Wisconsin, Mark Holley, sent me a bunch of seeds from his giant watermelon last year. I split the seeds with Ross Caruso and we are trying to see who can grow the biggest watermelon, here in Columbus. So I will do some updates on mine, but here it is on the rack to keep it elevated from the bug and wet ground. I need more rain, but looking pretty dry again for most of the upcoming week. 

Good Monday morning! We are starting the week with mild temps a little below normal, but we will warm up later this week and get more humid as well. So enjoy today with highs in the upper 70s and mostly sunny skies. The chance of rain is very low to start the week and then we get a few spotty pop-up showers or storms later this week with the warmer temps and higher humidity. A lot of the area will be dry most of the week ahead, but be prepared for the isolated rain developing, mainly for the afternoons and early evening. Mostly sunny again Tuesday with a few spotty showers trying to work their way into Southern Ohio. More spotty pop-ups later this week possible for Central Ohio. By the end of the week we will be humid and then muggy for the weekend as temps climb back to around 90. Great week to get in some pool time! Have a good one!

Best,
Andrew Buck Michael

R&R, Crew match, Celebrating Grandpa Giles

Good morning! Summer has been riding her bike a lot with me lately and she is up to 5 miles for her longest distance. She loves getting outside with me. We call it R&R, Run & Ride.  Evan gets jealous and wants to do the same, but not nearly as fast on his tricycle. So we have to do loops when he joins or mom goes with him. I suspect he will be riding a bike very soon. 

Dawn was out of town recently and I took the kids to a Columbus Crew game. They loved it, but were ready to go by the time it was over. Thankfully we got to witness the first win in the new stadium.

Last weekend my mom's side of the family to get together to remember my Grandpa Giles. He passed away in December, but we held off for a big get-together with COVID. Summer spotted a photo of herself as a baby, in the collages, with her great grandparents Giles and Judy holding her. Our memories of Giles and Judy will always be held dear.

I did get some time on the trail before the get-together.  Davou Park has some amazing trails.  Mainly for mountain bikes, but I ran so early that I only saw one biker. 

Nice view of Downtown Cincinnati from the park as well. 

I have been growing a couple watermelon plants and trying to see how heavy I can make it. A little fun competition between myself and another meteorologist in Columbus. 

The watermelon has been loving the heat, but we could use some rain. The dry mornings have been great to get out and go for a run with Evan while Summer has been going to vacation bible school.

Good Thursday morning! Grab the rain gear for today! We will see scattered showers and storms on and off through the day today with an approaching cold front. A few storms may get gusty as well today. Highs in the upper 80s and high humidity. We will see the storms moving south by this evening with a few spotty showers tonight and Friday morning in from the north. Cooler tomorrow with highs in the upper 70s and a mix of sun & clouds. Saturday looks beautiful with highs around 80, partly cloudy skies, and low humidity. Sunday another cold front will bring a few isolated showers or maybe a storm. Most of the day is looking dry. We see cool and dry air move back in for early next week with highs in the upper 70s on Monday and then warming into the lower 80s by midweek. Have a good one!

Best,
Andrew Buck Michael, Meteorologist. 

Tar Hollow, Buffalo wedding, Outer Banks

Good Monday morning!  Been a while, so wanted to check in with all the goings-ons from the past couple weeks.  This weekend I went running with my buddy Mike at Tar Hollow State Park.  They must have had some gusty storms this week because there were quite a few large trees with green leaves blown down across the trails.  So that made it fun going over/under/around them.  

It was a beautiful morning at the lake! I had no idea they have a putt putt area on the north side of the lake.  We did the north loop and south loop of the Logan Trail then added a shorter road version of the north loop to tack on another 6 miles. 

Sunday was a nice afternoon after the soaking morning rain.  We went to the park.  Can you find Summer in this photo?
              
Then let's work backwards.  Last week was a busy week and the kids were visiting grammy for a few extra days.  Friday finished off the workweek with weather on the go from Huntington Park and I was able to do the forecast from the field.  So fun and weather cooperated well for Friday and Saturday, but morning rain Sunday left the field too wet for play. 

The previous weekend we were in Buffalo for my good friend's wedding.  So much fun.  

I ran the Hilltop USA 5k (virtually) in Buffalo with a view of Canada during the run. 

Totally different view a couple days before.  We went to Outer Banks for a family vacation before heading to Buffalo.  So lots of driving.  We stayed in Salvo.

This was the kids' first time seeing the ocean.

And their first time in the water.  They quickly ran back up to the sand because the waves were pretty big for them and they were breaking only about 20 feet from the shore.  We had a pool at the house and it was perfect for Evan and Summer.  We did go back out to the ocean a few more days and build sandcastles, but I think they preferred the pool because the waves were as tall as them.

I did get out for a few runs, but it was so hot and humid that I limited my runs to less than 10 miles.

We also were able to watch the sun come up the first morning.  Lots of fun!  Great for a family!

For our weather in Central Ohio this week: We have scattered showers and storms for the next few days then some drier air moves in before more scattered showers and storms heading into the weekend. We stay warm and humid the entire week as well. Today we have a front parked across the Ohio Valley and we are seeing scattered showers and storms passing through the area and we will continue to see more this afternoon and evening as we warm into the mid 80s. A humid afternoon between the scattered storms. We have a marginal risk for gusty storms along with some isolated high water due to downpours. A few showers or storms overnight, but less numerous. Staying warm and humid overnight with lows around 70s. Tuesday will be similar to Monday with highs warming into the mid 80s with scattered showers and storms. Looking ahead: The front will slowly fall apart and some weakening high pressure will move in for Wednesday and Thursday. So the chance of rain is still possible, but lower for later Wednesday and Thursday. The break in the clouds will also allow for temps to warm into the upper 80s by Thursday. Upper 80s on Friday again before more scattered showers and storms for Friday PM and Saturday. Most models are kicking the rain to the south during the morning on Sunday and then drier air by the afternoon. Have a good one!

Best,
Andrew Buck Michael

Am I resting much? No, not really...

After my 40 mile run at Shawnee State Forest, I had a little issue with my back/glute, so I have backed off on the miles a little. You know... resting some. So that meant camping with the kids then taking a 12 mile run around downtown Columbus in the double stroller.  It was a lot of fun seeing the sites around town.

I also took the kids fishing and Evan caught his first fish!  I was actually helping Summer bait her hook and Evan started yelling "Fishy, Fishy" and pointing to the shore.  Sure enough he hooked his first fish!

Another huge moment... Summer is riding a bike without training wheels and doing it GREAT!  We went for a 1.6 mile "ride and run" then a 3.3 mile "ride and run".  She is loving it and wants to go on "R&Rs" with me all the time now. 

We took a quick trip up to Michigan, to Grand Haven this past weekend.  We went with my brother and his family.  Lots of sun at the beach, on the lake, and on the trails.  Love Grand Haven.

I then came home and did some yardwork.  Something I have been putting off for a while, but I finally decided to rip out my front bushes.  Here is a before and after.  

Good Wednesday morning! We have a couple of mild days before the heat and humidity kick back up for the weekend. Today we are starting cool with most places dipping into the low-mid 50s for the morning then mostly sunny skies will warm us into the upper 70s. Light breeze out of the north. Tomorrow is looking very similar with temps dipping into the 50s in the morning, but our winds will be out of the south tomorrow and that will warm us back into the lower 80s. Still mostly sunny for Thursday. Friday we will warm to 90 with increasing clouds and a stronger wind out of the south. Some scattered showers and storms possible later in the day. The best chance of rain will be overnight into early Saturday. The chance of rain then drops lower for later Saturday and Sunday. Highs will remain in the upper 80s for the weekend. More scattered showers and storms for Monday with higher humidity. Then we see our temps, humidity, and chance of rain drop for Tuesday. Have a good one!

Best,
Andrew Buck Michael

Shawnee 40 miler, Downtown Sightseeing, & early summer vibes

A few of us got together last Saturday to run the Shawnee Backpack Trail.  We started a little after 5AM from the lodge and ran down to the trail.

A lot of the time you are in dense tree-cover, but occasionally pop out for some amazing views from the ridges. Temps were perfect with morning temps in the mid 40s and we warmed to mid 70s in the afternoon.  So it did get a little warm, but manageable. 

This is one of my favorite spots.  It is Campsite #6.  It is one of the most remote places to camp and backpack in the state.  It is nestled in a hemlock grove next to a stream.  

All-in-all it was a great run.  With nearly 9,000 feet of vert, this 40 mile run was the hilliest run I have done so far.  I signed up for the Shawnee 50 (technically 54 miles) in October and that will be about 12,000 feet of vert.

Summer graduated from preschool last week.  She was blessed with amazing teachers the last 3 years at Cypress Christian Preschool.

Dawn, my wife, was battling a cold last week and I got up with the kids both mornings over the weekend to let her catch up on some rest.  Friday night I camped outside, in the backyard, with the kids.  We were all awake by 6AM with the birds and sunrise, so we loaded up and ran around Downtown Columbus to check out the sights. They were wearing their matching elf pajamas.

Yesterday we reached 89°, so we filled up the pool and had lots of fun in the backyard.  Probably doing more of that this week.  Tuesday looks to be the hottest day for it. 

Our hot weather will be sticking around a few more days then a cold front later Wednesday will finally change our pattern. Be sure to check on plants and that they are watered because this early heat is stressing plants that do not have existing root systems. We will be mostly cloudy today with about a 30% chance for any given location to see some pop-up isolated rain. The best chance would be in the afternoon as our highs warm into the upper 80s. Our humidity will make it feel a little hotter. Higher humidity sticks around through midweek. The additional clouds should keep us a little cooler than Sunday, when we reached 89. Partly cloudy tonight with most of the rain winding down once the sun sets. Warm night with low temps in the upper 60s. Tuesday will be hot with high temps trying to reach 90 for the first time of the year. Mix of sun & clouds and only about a 10% chance of a stray shower or storm popping up. Wednesday starts warm and we should warm into the mid 80s before scattered showers and storms arrive, mainly for the second half of the day. This rain is with a cold front and finally getting our weather pattern back into a zonal flow, or west to east flow, of weather patterns. Thursday looks fairly dry with highs in the lower 80s and partly cloudy skies with lower humidity. Then an area of low pressure heads our direction on Friday and it is looking like some on and off showers and storms throughout the day. Highs will be cooler, with the rain, and going with a high around 70. The weekend is looking nice with a very low chance of rain. Once the rain kicks out later this week we should see some clearing for the weekend with partly cloudy skies and low temps in the mid 50s and high temps in the low-mid 70s. We will need to keep an eye on the timing of the Friday rain and hopefully it kicks out in time for a mild Memorial Day weekend. Have a good one!

Best,
Andrew Buck Michael