Snow Ice Ride Along

***2/14 UPDATE***
The roads are a bit worse this morning. Yesterday it was wet and slushy. This morning there was that paper thin ice where I busted my ass twice. I had to run on the pot-marked sidewalks which is worse than running through sand.
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A not-too-bad few days.

My weekend long run was 35 miles. It felt pretty good, without really any issues. I was testing out some new hydration systems. Normally I just wear my Nathan vest; this holds a relatively large bladder, and pockets on the front where I store most of my gels and bars. This weekend I ran with a minimalist vest and a handheld water bottle. Overall, there wasn't anything fantastic or horrible about the change. However, I think it's a good idea to try out new systems or equipment. If something just does NOT flow, then you'll know not to use it. Or if it works out, then if something goes wrong with your go-to-gear then you're confident and familiar with your back ups.

Sunday was a fun day. I did a ride along with the Cary Area EMS. It was a 0700-1900 shift with a truck off of High House. When we got a call right at 0730, I got excited that it was going to be an eventful day. Unfortunately, like my last ride along three or four years ago, we only ended up with two calls all day. Nevertheless, after going through most of my EMT class, I felt better prepared to notice how the paramedics worked (patient assessment, secondary assessments, treatment), and ask pertinent questions.  I think it will do me good to do more ride alongs as necessary and possible. Since Sunday, I've definitely felt more motivated and committed to excelling in my class and this field. Depending on how things go at work, I'm going to try to work out volunteering with a local unit.

And of course, this week (and right now), we've some CRAZY weather. Tuesday there were some false-alarm flurries. Wake Tech cancelled class; this was frustrating because it causes a huge hassle to reschedule the hours we're required to have. However, midday Wednesday, things really hit the fan. We hustled early and closed up work around noon. I wasn't paying attention, and was awed to see how much it was snowing around 2:00. It just kept on coming, and eventually turned over to sleet/freezing rain. I'll leave it to you to see all the pictures on the internet of the gridlocks.

Personally, stuff like this REALLY makes me wish I was better prepared to be a contributing member to help people. I don't know if I'm just ill-equipped or just too timid to "jump in," but sometimes I really think I could be doing a lot more to be a good citizen.

I GOT that chance this morning! I was out for a run (OK, so Thursdays are off (from running) days. But I just HAD to get out in this stuff!). I came across some guys stuck getting out onto Chapel Hill Road from a side street. Helped them push on out. They were lucky. Over the rest of the run, I saw about 5-6 cars abandoned around the NW Cary area I live.

Still making my way through my next read. This week is also a recovery week. Normally this just means fewer miles. However, I also made a conscious effort to run slower. Ever since MMTR, I've been about 15-20 seconds per mile faster. This is great. But in the past, even after 2-3 months, when I think I'm safe from blowing up, I do blow up and struggle for several weeks. So now, I'm intentionally taking a week to slow down my pace and hopefully keep a full charge.

Soundtrack:
"Currents" by Eisley
"In Shallow Seas" by Emery