Weekly Run Down and Runfessions: Stepping Outside My Comfort Zone

Hello, friend! This week I am combining my weekly wrap up and Runfessions. I have lots of homework for my MBA and this is the only chance I will have to do do this.

I runfess that, while a few posts ago I wrote about going for a run, I think I have been running twice in the past month. But this past week, I finally said enough and pushed past my fear of this virus and hit the trails (plus I signed up for the Un-canceled challenge). To be clear, my fear is of selfish people not taking precautions to protect others. I wear my mask when in public, carry hand wipes and and a sanitizer pump. So it upsets me when others don’t seem to care. Grocery shopping has been the only reason I have stepped out. I do everything else from home. But the weather has been so beautiful that I just could not stay home.

I runfess that people are annoying. Refer to my comment above about protection and put that in a trail setting. A couple of days ago, we had 57F weather and while I knew there would be people out, I was surprised when there was nobody in the parking area. Boy did that change once I hit 2 miles and turned around. A ton of people on the trails without masks, wanting to talk and not practicing social distancing. I was being super anti-social (sorry, peeps) and I was glad I brought a mask. Of course, as soon as I got home I took a shower and proceeded with my immune support routine: had some elderberry syrup followed by the echinacea tea. I also drink tulsi tea. If you are not familiar with tulsi, commonly known as holy basil, is actually a member of the mint family. And it is said to help with respiratory problems, digestive issues, relieves inflammation and joint pains, in addition to other benefits. My mom swears by it.

I runfess that , for the first time since my husband and I retired from the Army 4 years ago, we decided to do a ruck march. What was I thinking? I am the runner but he is the ruck marching king as the Infantry officer that he is. Ruck marching in my combat boots always killed my feet and this was no exception (I blame my socks). Here is the thing— ruck marching has the ability to zap me of my energy. We only ruck marched 4 miles, each carrying a 30 lbs ruck sack, but i was dead the rest of the day. That being said, I think we are going to incorporated into our fitness routine. I need to get my hubby active and he loves doing this, so I am going to sacrifice myself…lol.

I runfess that life is pretty surreal right now. If you ask me, the quote below (which I saw on Instagram) pretty much sums up my life right. Yes, I dress office casual when I have conference meetings via Zoom, but once those are done, leggings and shirts are my uniform. #SorryImNotSorry. Plus after the day I had two Fridays ago, nobody can blame me. That day not only was it the 7th anniversary of my dad’s death, but on top of that I found out that I am going to be temporarily furloughed from work due to COVID for the next 3 months. I hate this because I love my job, but we are blessed that we are doing great in the farming side, so that we don’t have to worry about finances. My heart is heavy, though, for the thousands who depend on that paycheck to survive.

 
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As we go into this summer I can sulk or make the most of that time away. So, I am choosing to look at the silver lining and making the most of it. First, I am taking this next three months to do something I have wanted to do for years— dedicate myself to nothing but training. I have always wondered what it would be like to focus on running training only and I am going to do just that. This three months will also allow me to also focus on my online MBA classes and an online training workshop I am doing on starting my vegetable garden— because one thing this crisis has taught me is that we need more food security. And as someone on a plant-based diet, it just makes sense. And last but not least, I get to catch up on reading books I have been wanting to read (have you checked my books website?) and spend time with my doggie, Riley. He is a lover and a snuggle bug, and now that I am at home, he is taking full advantage of that. Probably more than my family. :)

One runfession I need to make is that I have finally joined Strava. lol. I must be the only runner not on that platform. We will see how I like it!

And last but not least— I runfess we had snow last week and I AM SO OVER WINTER. GO AWAY!

Ok, I am all runfessed and caught up on my past week! What are you up to?

Joining these awesome link-ups: Friday Five 2.0 / Tuesday Topics/ Weekly Run Down / Runfessions

Victory Gardens In The Pandemic Age

Two Thanksgivings ago, while visiting my family in North Carolina, my husband and I visited the Airborne Museum in Fayetteville. We love going there— we are Army nerds like that. :) While browsing the gift shop, we came across a poster that I had never seen before (the one to the left). It was a WWII poster urging families to raise a “victory gardern.” Now imagine my husband’s surprise when this garden lover asked him ‘What is a victory garden?”. My husband is a military history buff and he was more than happy to explain to me what the concept behind the victory garden was.

During WWI, as part of the war effort, food was rationed by the Furthermore, the was a shortage in labor and transportation which made it hard to harvest fruits and vegetable and then transport them across the nation. With this conundrum, the government decided ‘Why not ask people to grow their own food?” and the idea of the “Victory Gardens” was created. Millions joined in this new initiative and across America, gardens sprouted everywhere. Patriotism inspired people to not only grow, but to share the fruits of their labor with their neighbors. According to USDA, 20 million victory gardens were planted across the US. After WWII ended, so did the rationing and with it, the concept of victory gardens for the most part.

Fast forward to today, as we find ourselves in a different kind of war— one where the enemy is invisible and we do not know we have been attacked until it is too late. While the COVID-19 is creating economic havoc, we are not experiencing food shortages. We are truly blessed that grocery stores have been able to stock for the most part. I do my shopping at a local co-op and they have access to various farmers in the area to keep food availability going. That being said, because of how easy it is to get infected with COVID-19 and the shelter-in-home orders across most of the states in the Nation, many are considering the idea of going back to the concept of the “victory gardens".”

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I am a farmer’s wife, but I am a city girl, so my idea of gardening has always been growing flowers and having a pretty garden. But this year, I am considering expanding what I grow and going into vegetable growing. Next year, we are building a new house in the country (right now we live in a subdivision of our small town), and the new garden plans include a vegetable garden. I am not going to lie, this pandemic scares the bejezuz out of me, and I just want to stay home. And apparently many other people, as it appears that victory gardens are in everyone’s mind once again. And it makes so much sense especially when you consider how social distancing is the best way to avoid getting the virus. If you grow your food, you will not have to go into areas where you will come in contact with people. Unlike WWII, today we can order virtually anything we need for a garden online. Granted going to the garden store is part of the fun, but for safety reasons, ordering online makes the most sense. You can grow whatever you or your family likes, and then share the bounty. Education-wise, think of what a great project this will be. I would actually start a journal to record the progress of the victory garden. Imagine decades from now and them reading about this experience.

Sadly, the growing season has not started in Minnesota and the ground is still frozen. So I started growing in containers. This time of sheltering-in-place has made me look at food security and even more— be in awe of my mother-in-law. She is always thinking ahead and canning food whenever possible. She was a baby when WWII ended and I am sure her parents passed on the important of food security and told her stories of the times of food rationing in America. I always thought growing your own food and food canning were unnecessary when you can buy them, but this quarantine has really shown me that it is actually like insurance in your family’s health and welfare.

Before I end this post, I wanted to share this 1942 film from the FDR Presidential Museum I came across a few days ago. Families like these grew half the produce in the nation by the end of WWII. This is mind boggling to me, but a true testament to the spirit of cooperation and patriotism.

 
 

So, this year, you will find me growing some veggies. Do you grow veggies? Did you know about victory gardens?