Keepin' the Streak Afloat

Thanks for your condolences regarding my grandfather's passing.  I appreciate your sympathies.

My trip to Wyoming over the weekend to attend his memorial went well: All flights ran in a timely manner, the service on his behalf was nice, and it was great to visit with some family who I hadn't seen in a very long time.  It's a shame that it's events such as a death that reunites people, but in its own way, it's a good thing to have a significant reason to bring everyone together.  My family is kinda scattered, and I haven't seen some of them in well over a decade, so this was an opportunity to see and catch up with some cousins and aunts and uncles who I hadn't seen in a very long time.

We drank, we ate, we even managed to fit in a St. Patty's Parade.  So, the occasion was sad, but ultimately, joyful.  Thus, I'm thankful I had the opportunity and the means to make the trip and to attend the funeral.

Traveling, however, made the past 72 hours feel like a blur -- planes and time gained then lost -- and I feel a bit disoriented from it all.  But, guess what?  I kept running.  Granted, I had to pull out the "1 mile" card for two runs, but they saved the streak, so I'm grateful for that safety net.

I did manage a "real" run early on Saturday morning, though, in Cody, and it was lovely.  It was cold and windy, but running in the west is unique.  Cody is not as scenic as some other parts of Wyoming, like Jackson Hole, but it's pretty in its own way, and being from the west, I always feel nostaligic in such wide-open, sweeping locations.  I ran a road that wound slightly outside of town and up the side of a butte, and at the top, I had a wonderful view of the valley that leads into Yellowstone to the west, and the scattered mountainsides and buttes to the east.  In Wyoming, it feels like you can see forever.  It's grand.

On my return, I had snow spitting in my face, but I was feeling warmer and was lucky to not have significant wind (Wyoming is a WINDY place!).  I love the chance to run somewhere unfamiliar, and this was a great run to squeeze in to my trip.