Date: 8/14/21
Training Day: 19
Miles: 6.2
Shoes: Brooks Adrenaline GTS 21
Weather: Slightly smokey skies, high 50s

How It Felt: I slept like shit last night, and my run today wasn’t great, but it wasn’t bad. At least my watch says I was productive, lol.

Commentary: Running around my dad’s place these past few made me happy. I enjoyed waving at the folks driving by, saying hi to folks in their yard or driveway, and the quiet and beauty of the forest.

After my run this morning, my husband and I loaded up the van and said goodbye to my dad. Not too far from my dad’s, but not close enough to him to be a threat, the Dixie Fire is burning through hundreds of thousands of acres of forest. The beginning of our drive took us just north of the fire.

The thick smoke made visibility poor. The smell of campfire usually makes me happy, but not this time. As we drove east I stared south, wondering if or when the fire would reach the highway we were driving on. We passed the entrance to Lassen Volcanic National Park, which is closed due to the fire. The park I spent my childhood in. The park my husband and I explored as camp hosts last year.

Each trailer and Uhaul we passed made me wonder if they were evacuees. We passed roads that were closed and saw firefighters cutting line. Numerous fire engines were filling their tanks at gas stations in Susanville.

My heart literally ached as I thought about the area I grew up in and worked in going up in flames. It was all I could do to not burst into tears as I wondered if and when the Dixie Fire scar would look as I remembered.

Then I thought of the wildland firefighters. How many hours a day do they work? Do they get any days off? If they do, is it really a day off? And how do they feel when they find out the fire has advanced or claimed more homes on their day off? I couldn’t even wrap my head around how tired the 6,500 firefighters from around the country must be from fighting the Dixie Fire.

A huge part of me hopes they get the fire contained before it claims even more of my beloved home. Another part of me knows that if it doesn’t go up in flames this year, it will soon enough.

Training Journal Dixie fire exercise fitness garmin home journal running strength trail running training