And so it begins again

15 years.  That's a long time.  That's how many years I've been at CC.  I'm not really old enough to have had a job this long, right?  I guess I am since this year also marks the beginning of a new decade.  Hard to believe I was only halfway through the first decade of adulthood when I started at CC.  It's been quite a run.

This travel season which begins on Thursday, may be the earliest in September I've ever gotten on a plane.  It's going to be even more frenetic than usual since I'm trying to balance class on Monday and Wednesday nights, as well as that full time plus job and traveling to DC, SF and HI.  Several short trips to avoid missing class early in the semester and two longer trips in late October and November  that can't be helped, but will mean only missing one of each class.  As I've mapped everything on the calendar I know there will be crunch points, but it seems feasible.  For now.  Ask me again in October.  Or not, you may not want the answer.  Neither may I.

As for running, well, I'm just hoping to run when I can.  Today was likely my second to last long run before the Denver Half on October 17.  Little far out, you might say?  Well yes, but that's just the way it's gonna have to be.  I'll be traveling and interviewing on the weekends and so I'm not sure there will be a two-hour window.  With on exception when I am in town on September 19.  That's a month out.   One more good long run.  And so the plan is to run when I can.  I have new tunes from Kat which will help with some treadmill runs.  This run isn't about time anyway.  It's about doing something bigger than me.  It's not about me at all, really.  So just finishing is good.   It's what I owe my generous friends, colleagues and family for their incredible generosity to me and to LLS!

The nights have been cool here - a sure sign that fall is on the way.  The mornings brisk.  I'm okay with that so long as the days are still warm.  I'm not ready for the cold.  And I'm not loving the dark.  I went for a run, uncharacteristically, after class on Wednesday night.  Syd and I left the house about 7:30 pm and by the time we got home 40 minutes later it was well past dusk.  I was running the sidewalks by memory, trying to remember where the buckles were so I wouldn't trip.  And the mornings, it's just getting light at 6 am.  The alarm went off today, I let Syd out and crawled back under the covers for another 10 minutes until the sky lightened up.

So not ready.

But it is inevitable.

The changing of the season.

Maybe that's what I need though.  A shift in season might bring the shift in energy that I am seeking.  I can hope anyway.