Have I been here before? Is it the time of year for a time loop?
Time loops make interesting theatre. Quantum Leap, Groundhog Day, and Happy Death Day featured a theme with the same intrigue as time travel plots.
Groundhog Day was a few days ago, or are we still on Groundhog Day?
Did you know that Groundhogs, Badgers, and Hedgehogs are tasty? As part of the Candlemas celebration in early February, the folks of Punxsutawney dug up the hibernating critters for a feast. Then, they added an annual shadow celebration.
As usual, Phil saw his shadow. Winter will be around until the Ides of March. With the lack of snow, this has been a typical Fredericksburg winter. I haven’t used tights much.
While running on Caroline Street on February 2nd, I spotted a few people wearing top hats in front of Irish Eyes. They were reporting Fredericksburg Philomena’s findings, a hand-carved wooded groundhog. Philomena saw her shadow, which was strange considering the all-day cloud cover and snow showers during my run.
The groundhogs under my shed have yet to awaken. Should I dig them up while they sleep for six more weeks?
It’s the time between the busy fall and spring racing seasons. Except for the Frostbite 15km in Richmond, there were no local racing options.
My early-year runs have felt as smooth and fast as in past years. I’m not bonking toward the end of my long runs. But, there are no races to use these good feelings.
My long-run Facebook posts from week to week have been reporting monotonously repeated times. You may even see posts on this site that are repeated from articles published elsewhere.
At least football is still in season. This time of year used to be a dead period in sports. Football season was complete, and there were a couple of weeks before pitchers and catchers reported. The original Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issues filled this dead period.
In my youth, NFL playoffs started in December, and the Super Bowl was in early January. With the NFL expanding its season, by 2028, the Super Bowl will be played in March, the World Series in December, and the NBA and NHL finals in August.
Then out of nowhere, FARC hosts a free race with no planned distance structure, asking, “Whose Race is this Anyway?” Over the years, excess race supplies of bibs, shirts, medals, and awards piled up in the FARC storage shed.
As I ran through Pratt Park, a good crowd had formed. The distance I picked was longer than most, and I didn’t finish before the awards ceremony ended. I hope all the participants got what they wanted. I have a bunch of inaccessible stuff in my shed. Maybe next year, I’ll have some things to contribute.
Except for a heart issue, lung issue, and a thing growing in my right IAC, I’m doing well. I’m looking forward to the Dahlgren Trail Half-Marathon in a couple of weeks. I’ll have a race report to post.
Maybe my training feels good this time of year because I’m not tired from racing. Will the rest of the year be a repeat of the past?