Thoughts on the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

Last Thursday, March 5th, a friend in Ohio shared a video on Facebook about the pandemonium of shelves being completely depleted and, interestingly enough, toilet paper. It was a bit later in the evening, around 7:30pm, so I told my wife I would head to Sam's Club just to grab a few supplies; and, ironically, we actually needed toilet paper. So, I headed off to the store.

I was quite surprised when I got to Sam's Club. There was no craziness inside and, as I walked the aisles, I felt that maybe this mass hysteria had somehow skipped over our area. I grabbed the essentials we needed: bread, milk, some meat, and a few other things. Surprisingly, the chicken was extremely picked over while the other meats; pork chops, steak, hamburger, etc. were widely available. Other than that, nothing seemed amiss until I made it to the paper aisle.

When I made it to the paper aisle, which includes paper towels and toilet paper, nearly all of the toilet paper was gone. At this point, I had not even heard about the toilet paper hysteria. So, needless to say, I was taken aback. Here is this large store, shelves stocked full, and the only thing that is nearly completely sold out is, toilet paper? I managed to buy one bundle of Sam's Club's Maker's Mark brand paper which, honestly, is decent toilet paper. With that, we should be set for at least a month. I did not consider shopping for food until I was sitting here Friday night and reading some of the news.

I went to our local Baker's grocery store, part of the Kroger family, mainly to grab just a few things. My plan was to get some Gatorade, cheese, milk, and a few canned goods to make chili and soup a couple of nights over the next week or two. My plan was still intact until I made it to the canned vegetable and canned meat aisle. The shelves were very picked over, so I changed my mind and decided to make this trip one to stock up necessities and food to last us about a month; and, that is just what I did!

So, here we sit, pantry and freezer stocked full, and wait for this COVID-19 concern to resolve itself. Being in the military, I have been directed to stay in the local area and my family, although under the same direction and highly advised not to, could travel to visit family if they wanted to. We were supposed to make a trip together to Kansas next weekend but, well, I cannot go. We are taking this day by day and, with some hope, prayer, and determined healthcare workers, perhaps this will not be as bad as they say. I guess we will see.

I get the concern over this virus. From what I have heard, it spreads very, very fast. We have just had the first confirmed case of community spread here in Nebraska. I have seen people disgruntled over the canceling of events, the postponement of sporting events, and other large gatherings of people. Quite frankly, I do not understand that angst. This, and over viruses, spread through close contact and, well, putting large amounts of people into somewhat confined spaces is not an ideal way to curb the spread.

Am I scared? Not really. I know that there is the possibility of getting sick, just as there is any other day of the week. However, I am happy that community and military leaders are taking steps to prevent the further spread of COVID-19. We will make it through this, it will just take some time. And, if you have to venture out, take appropriate steps to protect yourself from catching this nasty virus. That is how my family and I are approaching it and, hopefully, we will weather this storm without any hiccups.

To close, I would say that, if you are hysterical about this and buying up everything in the stores, step back, take a deep breath, and then relax. As leaders across the country have said, there is no need to buy mass quantities of goods. Should you have enough to last a few weeks? Absolutely. Having a few weeks of food means you do not need to get out and about every couple of days. That will help lessen potential exposure. Then, if you run out, go restock what you need and leave some for the rest of us! Just my thoughts.

Please, try to stay healthy and, if you feel sick, just stay home for a few days. If it doesn't get better, reach out to your doctor and let them know. Let's #FlattenTheCurve!

From Google to Outlook

I had long been a proponent of Android, scoffing at those who gravitated towards the iPhone and iOS. To me, Android was the better of the two worlds. I thoroughly enjoyed Android until they made some of the simplest settings hard to change, such as silencing your phone. The iPhone has the simplest way: a switch. I was sold!

The transition from Android to iOS was a bit rocky. Having been ingrained in the Google architecture for so long, I had vast amounts of information to transition over; things like files, contacts, and, of course, my daily agenda, the calendar. I wanted all of this to be relatively seamless and, well, it hasn't been.

I use Microsoft Outlook at work. The calendar functionality of it is excellent, so I have no desire to search for anything else. And, yet, Google makes it so hard to incorporate the ability to sync everything with Microsoft. Apple, on the other hand, has made it quite easy; just a simple add-in. That said, I decided it was time to switch to Outlook and utilize my live.com calendar for all of my needs. And, honestly, it works great! The ability to add and remove events from one calendar on one device is excellent. I no longer have to get to a web browser in order to make changes. I am very happy with the move!

2019 Beat the Heat 10K

Doneplete!

This was an awesome race! Another awesome event put on by Freedom Running company! We started behind the Culver's in Bellevue, NE and did an out and back to the east. I will have to say, it was a bit challenging for me, as it is a little flatter and faster to the west (the direction I usually run), so it was a good workout. The great thing about it was the opportunity to work on some mechanics to prepare for my upcoming marathon in September.

While it certainly was not my best 10K effort at 1:03:14, it was still fun. The heat really was not horrible, although my watch gave me an average temperature of 82 degrees. Given the heat I experienced during my marathon attempt last year, that I was completely unprepared for, this was a good conditioning/acclimation run. So, I will take it! Looking forward to more races in preparation for my September marathon goal!

Taking on the Amerithon Challenge!

The Virtual Route

I found the Amerithon Challenge on Facebook yesterday while looking at my feed. It popped up as a suggested link and I checked it out. It is quite a challenge. You can complete it on your own or with a team of up to eight. I may have some friends hop in along the way but, for now, I am going solo. I set my start date as July 1st and logged my running and steps (walking) for the past four days. I am already at 17.88 miles and well on my way to earning the first virtual badge along the way at 25 miles. This should be fun and I am definitely looking forward to completing it!

The Get It All Package

I ordered the Get It All package, which gives you the shirt, map, passport, finishing medal frame, and the pieces for completing each step of the challenge. I am thinking about wearing the shirt for all of the races I participate in, just to show that I am running the race as part of a much larger goal. However, I will have to see how it fits. I ordered the XL size and typically do not like baggy shirts for running, as they rub too much. If it fits alright, then I may just have to show off my goal at each race. I guess we will see!

The First Badge!

This challenge is going to take me a while. It is an investment in making myself better. I ran 246 miles last year and am at 105 miles so far for 2019. So, I have quite a ways to go. However, if I run and walk every day, the small chips will build up to the big, overall goal. And, that's what it is really all about!

2019 Firecracker Flight 5K

Waiting for the Start

Well, this was my third race with Bodies Race Company and, for now, the last for this year. I ran the Sweetheart Shuffle 5K in February (the COLDEST race I've ever run) and the Hero Hustle 5K last month. I am not signed up for any of their other races this year, but we'll see if that changes. They are really fun races. I have a 10K slated for next month, half marathon and marathon in September, and half marathons in October and November. I am also going to run in the Market to Market Relay in October as well. So, I do have a busy running schedule!

My Grand Prize!

The weather for the run was, well, muggy. We had some nice cloud cover, but the temperature was in the mid-70s and the dew point was hanging right there with it. There was a slight breeze. Just enough to keep us cool but not enough to really affect us during the run. The course was actually pretty flat, as we ran along the Little Papillion Creek. The only hills were a few dips where the trail goes under bridges. Otherwise, flat and wide open! Other than the humid conditions, this was a fun race and certainly one I want to run again next year!

2019 Cornfield Cornfield 10K

The Route

This was my first Born & Raced in Nebraska (BRIN) series race. I was supposed to run the Leprechaun Chase back in March, but alas Mother Nature was not done with dropping snow on us and it was canceled. I was excited about this 10K series when I found it and was eager to work my way to the BRIN Blackout medal; a medal given to those who complete all three of the BRIN series 10K races in a single year. After the Leprechaun Chase was canceled, I assumed the Blackout was over. However, that is not the case. They consider it a completed event and the Cornfield Cornfield and Harvest Moon Hustle will still count!

Finish Inside Werner Park

The weather for this race was absolutely perfect! The temperature was in the mid-60s to low 70s, we had some cloud cover, and there was just enough breeze to keep you cool while you ran! I was not sure what to expect on this route, but I was in for a surprise for sure!

Elevation Profile

The race started off just outside of Werner Park, home of the Omaha Storm Chasers, and looped out and around the park. The first half of it was generally downhill, but I was surprised with how many hills we actually ran. You can see by the elevation profile that we had several ups and downs. The last uphill climb at the end was a bit brutal. It felt like we were running straight up at times. However, it was a fun race! I am certainly looking forward to improving my time next year!

2019 Hero Hustle 5K

Getting Ready for the Start!

Yesterday was another fun run with Bodies Race Company, the Hero Hustle 5k. The venue was Eugene T. Mahoney State Park, just outside Ashland, Nebraska and on the outskirts of Omaha, Nebraska. I have only been out there one time before, about 10 or 11 years ago, so I was not sure what to expect. It was beautiful, fun, hilly, and HUMID!

It was about 70 degrees for the start with full sun, but the dewpoints were in the low to mid-60s. So, it was a bit sticky for sure! The course, itself, was great and a bit of a challenge to say the least. Having never run out there before, I was not sure what to expect.

The Leonardo Medal!

The first quarter-mile was a gradual downhill with a few ups and downs. After that, we had a climb for the next quarter to half-mile. Several little hills along the way and started to gradually drop from about a mile on until we got to about the two-mile point. From there it was all back uphill to the finish with some more ups and downs. So, yes, it was a little bit of a challenge. However, it had nothing on the Papillion Half Marathon I ran last month!

A Wall of Memories!

So, another fun run in the books and another medal for the board! With this medal, I now have one for each hook and will start doubling up next weekend at the Cornfield Cornfield 10k! I am inching closer to September and really hoping that I can actually complete the marathon this year. I was quite disappointed last year when I made it to the 21-mile water stop and they shuttled us off the course in buses. I just have to keep my eye on the prize and keep moving forward.