Shot in the Arm

 My week wasn't super interesting. I have so much reading and homework to do that that's how I spend most of my time. I don't know how people work full time and go to school! I have even had to take time off from my editing side gig to finish my assignments.

Probably the most interesting thing was that I got my first COVID vaccine on Thursday! I got the first dose of Moderna. I had been looking for an opening for a week or so before I was able to get one. It's so frustrating that they're easing the restrictions when it's still a little tough to get an appointment, and then you still have to wait weeks for the second dose after that. My second dose will be on May 6, so I should be fully immune on May 20, more than a week before Memorial Day weekend. I was supposed to start back at This Is the Place on May 6, but I pushed my day back until May 7 so I can be sure to get my shot. (Oh, and an important update is that we won't have to work on Sundays there. Phew!)

Since I was busy and it was stormy in the early part of the week, I didn't do much running early in the week. On Friday, I wanted to explore the Hell Canyon trail. I drove to Tunnel Springs Park, then ran down to the desired trail, which is exactly two and a half miles from the park. 

In the actual "canyon," there are lots of switchbacks, and it's pretty steep on the side, which made me a tad uneasy, though I don't think it was dangerous. It looks like you used to be able to go into the canyon, but now there's a gate, probably because it's too close to the gravel pit work. Then the trail winds down a hill to the trailhead on Victory Road. It was just going back and forth on switchbacks on the open face of a hill. That meant it was relatively easy, since it wasn't steep at all, but it also wasn't very interesting, though there was a cool outcropping of red rock.

When I got down to the trailhead, I had gone 4.5 miles, which surprised me. That meant I would be at nine miles when I got back to my car! I was glad I had driven to the park, since that saved me about three total miles.

It's been many months since I've run nine miles, especially on trails, so I was surprised that it wasn't harder. My feet were a little sore (my shoes are getting worn out), but I wasn't exhausted. But then when I got home, I was sore. It was a very satisfying soreness: nine miles combined with a shot in the arm.

That evening, I heard some strange booming noises outside. At 9:45, I was sitting calmly on the couch with Jimmy when the doorbell rang. Who comes to the door that late? The police! A woman officer asked, "Is everything OK?" She said someone had called because they heard lots of yelling and banging. I told her about the booming I had heard, but I told her it wasn't us and thanked them for checking. I really do appreciate police. The idea of quiet old me and my sexagenarian parents creating a disturbance is laughable.