What an awesome Week36. This week’s target is completing 686 miles. Will I get there? Let’s find out.
Day 1 – Sunday, September 13, 2020 – Quarantine Day 181
Awesome Sunday marked the perfect beginning of the week.
Though I couldn’t run, we made sure we go out for some adventurous activity such as a 40 mile long bike ride. This time we decided to cover the entirety of Hines Drive which is roughly 17.5 miles long stretch. We decided to start at the 0 mile mark and returning from the 17.5 mile mark, or possibly going a little bit ahead to explore UfM Dearborn campus and then get back to our car. The 0 mile mark was in Northville and the 17.5 mile mark was almost in Dearborn. For someone living in Wayne county, they would know it is a long distance and covering it on the bike is a big task, especially when you are biking with kids.
But they are strong kids and I must say they impressed me one more time today. The last time we rode 40 miles or longer, we took more than 6 hours and this time, we could finish it in 5 hours (including all breaks and stops). They are getting better, faster, stronger with each passing day and I couldn’t be more proud of them.
This bike ride was filled with so many highlights and beautiful things to check out on my favorite Hines Drive. I giggled a lot during this bike ride for two reasons – Michigan Weather and Hines Drive. We had a lovely break at the Tim Hortons, Dearborn. I had donuts after many weeks and it was the best meal for kids. We checked out the new construction on the Hines Drive, people celebrating their respective milestones like baby showers, anniversaries, etc.
We took our last break on the banks of the Rouge River and devoured mangoes that we brought with us. When we were about to reach the parking lot where we parked our car (the 0 mile mark), the kids just picked up speed and they bolted through me, leaving me to the dust as they always like to – win everything.
It was a Sunday well spent! Do check out some pictures.
Day 2 – Monday, September 14, 2020 – Quarantine Day 182
The first run of the week came on Monday. The work was quite intense today and I hardly had any time to relax and stretch, so logically, in the evening, I had to go out for a quick 5K at NHS.
I was careful while running no to run into anyone as kids were playing soccer, football, and cheerleading. I wanted to stay at least 6 feet away from them and at the same time complete my run. I could finish it under 30 minutes, which is always a good feeling.
After the run, we went to our neighborhood’s community park to toss some soccer ball around. It was so cold that we could barely play for 15 minutes and then had to go back home to avoid falling sick from the cold. The dinner was Mr. Aryan’s favorite tomato soup with veggie sandwich.
Day 3 – Tuesday, September 15, 2020 – Quarantine Day 183
The first official rest of the week. As usual, work continued non-stop and I got some breather at the end of the day to stretch my legs. I got to play some baseball for a few minutes with the kids and loved it. They are improving and getting better.
After baseball, we headed to play soccer and it was a lovely evening with the glorious and mighty Sun looking after us.
Day 4 – Wednesday, September 16, 2020– Quarantine Day 184
One more long day at work and one more run under the belt.
I shut down my laptop at around 4.30PM and went out for our regular run at NHS at around 6PM.
The run was pretty normal, with kids tossing the soccer ball around and the adults lapping the NHS tracks. I could finish the 5K in under 28 minutes or so which is always a good time for someone like me. After the 5K, it was time for some soccer and post-soccer, we enjoyed some lovely Hot & Sour soup made by Monika.
Day 5 – Thursday, September 17, 2020– Quarantine Day 185
What a day!
I finished the 11th Half Marathon this day and it couldn’t have been better – it was my PR effort till date. The effort started off with just a mile or two miles long run, which ultimately ballooned into a Half Marathon distance. The good thing was I ran in the community itself, so had a quick access to water and other resources, which helped me freshen up a lot during the rare sunny days in Michigan. I must admit the last mile was really tough and though I was running hard for finishing the Half Marathon distance under 2 hours, I couldn’t achieve it and took 6 more minutes. I am okay with the outcome, since it was my PR effort, but would have been nicer if I could have finished it under 2 hours.
Anyway, with this run, I finished my weekly quota and am looking forward to the next two days to add some additional miles to get a head start for the next week.
Day 6 – Friday, September 18, 2020– Quarantine Day 186
End of the work-week for me and it couldn’t have gone better.
Just before lunch, I got some free time and I could finish a 13-mile bike ride. The weather was extremely pleasant and the shiny sunrays were calling out for me, which I couldn’t ignore. It was like a guilty pleasure for me.
Once I shut down my laptop at around 4.30PM, it was time to go for a quick run before heading to Costco for our weekly grocery shopping. I got a good feeling about the run and could finish 5 miles in under an hour. The only downside was that after the iOS upgrade, Strava couldn’t capture my location and I couldn’t keep track of the map. It’s a small thing but that map would have looked cooler.
Day 7 – Saturday, September 19, 2020– Quarantine Day 187
With the weekly running goal achieved with one day to go and no plans for hiking, we took this day as the official rest day to give our bodies some time to heal and recover. Happy with the progress so far. The goal was to finish 686 miles and glad that I am at most 4 miles ahead of my target. Let’s see how the next week turns out.
Before you go, please check out the weekly highlights.
See you next week! Only 15 more weeks to go!
stochasticity 
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