Riverbank Rendezvous

The other morning a friend asked me innocently enough if I was still blogging.  I had to giggle out loud because I had been struggling to work on this story the past few days, but I just can't seem to do it justice.  I can't seem to capture the importance of this one.  Our little rendezvous in May, it was special and it came at a significant and special time. So Mary, this one's dedicated to you thanks for asking about the blog and all my fellow 25K runners that second weekend in May way to kick ass!


All this damn Covid stuff is starting to get on my nerves.  I'm sick of hearing about it, no pun intended.  Tired of masks and temperatures and tests and results. Tired of everyone talking about it. All. The. Time. I'm just sick and tired of Covid.  And I'm also extremely sad that everything is basically canceled. The worst part of it all, though, is all the hate and judging and negativity that it's brought out of people.  It has got to STOP.  The judging negativity is out of control, toxic and unhealthy for all of us and it needs to stop. I've had so many people I love berated and yelled at, or otherwise treated badly by other people--people who are clearly taking their frustrations out on others and it's just not necessary.   Love One Another.  That's it. It's really that simple. End rant...
I guess it all boils down to this, I've been on one hell of a

On a positive note, since all this Covid craze hit, I've managed the following stats:

mpd=Miles Per Day and I've already tacked on 4 more days and 28 more miles since I added this up!!!

Also on a positive note I've learned there are these benefits to Covid-19 living:

1.  More family dinners (all 5 members present) the past five months than in the prior year or two
2.  Less having to be places, more free time
3.  Less hustle and bustle, more time to reflect (in direct relation to #2)
4.  I'm in great shape because exercise first thing everyday is a priority and thanks to #2 it's possible
5.  Working from home has its advantages; more time for me with Jeff and more home cooked foods
6.  I have time to read; I've even finished a few books

Anyhow in the past week, I've had my final two races of the year canceled; North Country Trail and Chicago Marathon both threw in the towel and my very own race the Brainy Day Trail run moved to a virtual format....Enough of my crying and complaining though, I'm ready to share a stellar story with you and it's a doozy.  For the non runners, a quick lesson in running.  In the running world the Boston Marathon is the biggest deal especially for Americans. Think Super Bowl, World Series, or the Masters and you get the idea. It's all of these things to us runners.   But I'm getting off point. I'm chasing another freaking squirrel. The point to all this is here, in West Michigan, we are blessed with an equally awesome (or pretty damn close) local running event- the 25K National Championships--the Riverbank Run aka 5/3 Riverbank Run aka Amway Riverbank Run aka Old Kent Riverbank Run. And while the race name has changed more times than a chameleon changes colors, the race itself remains the same. It's just Awesome. I've run it several times and I've never been disappointed.  It is such an awesome gathering of runners from all over the world. Fast runners.  Slow runners. Skinny runners. Fat runners. Tall runners. Short runners. Serious runners and not so serious runners.  And no matter what they look like, or how they move, they're all found running along the Grand River and through Grand Rapids the second weekend in May and it truly is an experience of a lifetime.  Typically it rains for at least a portion of the race. It's to be expected. Riverbank run has a reputation for rain after all.   And if you are lucky and avoid rain, then there's usually an ungodly hot finish, in the full sun, with no breeze.

Not this year. Not for Covid.  This year the weather was PERFECT on Riverbank day. Some would have said it was too cold, but I though it was absolutely perfect. Cool, no sun, no rain and a slight breeze to help cool you at the end.  And thankfully I was bullied, I mean encouraged, to run the course with my early morning running buddies because we had so much fun. It was one of the bright spots in my otherwise glum post Covid existence.  We ran the course in near record time for me and goofed off along the way and enjoyed being out in nature with one another on a "grand (river)" adventure.  We saw other equally adventurous runners along the way also paying their dues on the course. Some running it in reverse to mix it up and others, like us, running it exactly as it would have been on race day. One of the logistical challenges with the race not actually happening was the lack of aid stations and mile markers.  Luckily, everyone else had a watch on and Anah had us covered with the aid station. Her daughter and boyfriend had a rocking traveling aid vehicle that followed us around GR cheering, keeping spirits high, blasting hip music and allowing us to ditch long sleeves when it was time and get a drink as needed...Best Aid Station EVER!

Our experienced crew at the Chicago Marathon 2019 before everything was canceled!

Yippee we did it!  Finish Line Pic! Yes I jumped!

and the banana to prove it!  In the beginning of the Covid Crisis I was an out of control, care package packing, post card sending, letter mailing lady just ask my friends and family.  No one was safe from me mailing them some random items I had found while on my most recent cleaning rampage also unique the early Covid time era. Well after we pulled off this Riverbank Rendezvous successfully, I decided to mail all my friends who ran the 25K, a banana. Just a banana. Try it out the next time you're looking for something relatively cheap and quirky to do.  Just write your message on one side like a postcard and your friend's address on the other and voila. A Banana will totally show up in their mailbox in the next day or two!  The Bananas in the mail were the perfect ending to this story!

Finish Line Photo Anah, Vicki, Steve and Vern

We did it! Covid-19 didn't stop us! I'm very thankful for these human beings. Without them (and the rest of my running buddies too, but these guys wake up at crazy ridiculous times of the day every Saturday to help me get my long run in before my kids wake up!) I'd be a hot mess right now!  They help me to stay positive and to continue dreaming of big adventures amid this chaotic world in which we find ourselves living. They help me to keep things in perspective which at times means offering parenting or spousal advice, and other times it means helping me to see that it isn't that big of a deal...Unless I go ahead and get bullied, I mean encouraged, into running the Riverbank Run on the day Riverbank Run was canceled, then they understand it's a BIG DEAL and we celebrate accordingly. Whatever it takes, that's what they do! Thanks for the memories you guys!

Vern Out