Volunteering weekend, sickness, and COVID test

By Orangy -
I would say July caught me off guard and I feel like I was hit by a high-speed train. My body is still intact but mental health is somewhat destroyed. Every day there is always new information, new details, new rumor, new communication, new direction, new policies, new politics, etc. I woke up everyday and felt like I wanted to throw up. Everything is so confusing that I had to take a step back to look at the overall picture and re-assess the situation. All I know is there are only minimal things I can control and I'm not going to worry about what I cannot control. 

Back to #life updates. 

The Canal Corridor 100 race weekend was a success. It was the first 100-mile race in god-knows-how-many months since the beginning of the pandemic. The race had good social distancing and volunteering policies. The good thing about the CC100 is that it's very small (less than 100 runners) and everyone followed the rules. I had a great time biking the course to cheer on runners and volunteering at the Second Sole aid station at night. I also ended up pacing a runner who was chasing the cutoff to the finish line (about 7 miles). It was great to help someone finish their race. I was so worn out from that weekend that I was sick after the race. 




After the CC100 weekend, I felt sick for a couple of days and decided to see the doctor because I was not sure if I got COVID from the race or not (everyone was being very careful but who knows?). After 2 phone calls and one telehealth visit, they said my symptoms did not sound like COVID but it's better to get tested just to be sure. While I was waiting for the result to come back, I was recommended to stay at home or stay quarantined. It was a LOOONNNGGGGG and pretty stressful period (on top of other #life situations that I have been dealing with). 

The test result came back negative and I felt like I could breathe again. 

This weekend we taught our #QuarantineCooking class and had pretty good attendance (July 25). I'm thankful for this class because it reminds me that I can still make an impact, educate and bring joy to someone's life during this time of difficulty. Although many states re-opened back up and people act like lives are back to the new normal, the increasing number of positive COVID cases and death are still worrisome. We are trying to stay home as much as we can and I only interact with people when we are outdoor. I signed up for a small gym near my house that no one is ever there so I can have the whole gym to myself to keep the social distance. 




Sunday bike ride with the group was resumed this weekend (now that I know I'm COVID free). Today we rode to Kent and took a tour of the Kent State University campus including the Kent State shooting scene. It was horrific. 




At this point, I'm not even sure what I am training for - a race or just #LIFE. One thing I believe is that "When God closes a door, he opens a window". I still believe that, in the end, everything will be fine. 

Sydney


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