Summertime by Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald (from opera “Porgy & Bess” by Gershwin
Summertime….and the livin’ is easy! My favorite season! Vacation! Sun! Swimming! Beaches! I should know better than to start a post with a song BUT you have to understand, my mother sang this song in Porgy and Bess and got me hooked on jazz, Gershwin, and this song in particular. I may have to call Mom just to ask her to sing it to me on the phone.
Well, it’s been a crazy week, the Summer Run streak is still on (day 31 since I started), an almost-pulled hamstring, the death of a very dear friend. The rain this week seemed appropriate after losing my friend, a “soul sister” who was in church choir with me. We sang together as soloists, choir members, and I accompanied her playing the piano and organ while she sang anything. I miss her so much and she left behind a husband, 5 beautiful children (one of our godchildren) so it is heartbreaking to lose her.
One day this week, I saw a gorgeous rainbow just as I was starting my run. (I didn’t have my phone with me so sorry no photo of it.)
Irish rainbow
It had just rained. The beautiful rainbow reminded me of my friend who had passed away. It was a half rainbow at first, kind of faint, then it seemed like a full one. It was very distracting, I kept staring at the rainbow in the sky and my running splits became meaningless. No double rainbow, but just seeing it after my friend had just died gave me a sense of hope that was much-needed at the time. It’s so hard to let go of those you love. Later in the week, bright, beautiful pink flowers jumped out at me like this: POW!!! and smacked me in the eyes while I was running and I felt the distinct presence of my friend, Jane, who passed away. Those flowers popped me in the eyes again today for the same reason. Just reminded me of what a beautiful person she was. I miss you and love you, Jane! Apparently heaven needed a new soprano section leader because they have a bubbly one now in Jane!
Anyway, the “rainbow run” was a foreshadowing of the LUCK O’ the IRISH: I won a free roll of KT tape this week in a Father’s Day giveaway on Facebook! Some Irish have all the luck! I just ran out of my KT tape too 🙂 The KT folks are going to send me a free roll of GOBIGRED (Nebraska Cornhusker reference), I mean, RED tape. They want me to KT tape myself up and send them photos and they are going to write about my experience with running and how KT tape helps (like in the marathon). All because I sent them a photo of me running in my Lincoln Marathon finish photo with KT tape prominently under both knees (and told them I was a father and it was close to Father’s Day and I could really use some KT tape since I was running low.) I got a real kick out of this in what was otherwise a rough week.
Later in the week, I almost pulled a hamstring during a run and mistakenly tried to sprint at the end of the run (in ridiculous humidity) even though I knew the “hammie” was hurtin’. Boy was that stupid! (Note to self: DON”T DO THAT!) It finally feels better 3 days later but had to KT tape and foam roll the hamstring to help it heal. I realize that if it is pulled, the streak is over. Hope it’s just strain or a very minor tweak. Doesn’t hurt much now.
The run streak is still going strong. I can’t believe I’ve gone 31 days in a row. My goal is to complete the Runner’s World Run Streak (#RWRunStreak) on July 4. If I’m feeling good, I will extend it at least to mid-August (trying to win a summer run mileage contest) or Labor Day at the latest. I’m not sure my wife will let me run on our 20th anniversary Sept. 4.
Why do I run? To crush stress with a rock and to R-E-L-A-X. What do I mean by that?
RELAXATION
Get the picture? This is one of those weeks that without it, I would have gone absolutely bonkers and stir-crazy. What will I do when the running streak ends? SWIM!!!
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