I know, it’s April 1, the day when tall tales rule the roost, but I swear to you that everything in this blog post actually happened to me.

On a day when race directors put out announcements like a new nude triathlon this summer, I suppose I should have expected something unusual to happen. And events did not disappoint.

I went out for my regular Saturday long run knowing bad weather was on the way. But the morning was sunny and bright, so inviting I never considered skipping the run, or waiting until the afternoon. And it was warm enough (40s) that getting wet wouldn’t be a big deal, as I get plenty warm during runs. So out I went.

Sure enough, less than an hour in, clouds covered the sky and it began to drizzle, and as I entered the village of Dexter, light rain. No problem! Then the thunder started. I got onto the Border-to-Border trail back toward Ann Arbor with just a little trepidation. All I had to do was get past the part with the steel fences on either side. Except after that would be tall trees; you know, the kind that get struck by lightning and fall on people. Well, I told myself, perhaps I’m being a bit melodramatic.

And then the hail started.

Thunder plus hail? Really? Natually, I had to take a selfie of that.

Then I spotted an umbrella on the ground. A nice one, and unopened. And while I stood there pondering that, my phone rang. So I picked up and opened the umbrella, and answered. My wife Joyce was wondering if I’d like a ride home. Now she knows me well enough to put in an escape clause, phrased like, “Or if you want to tough it out, that’s fine.”

Most of the time my inner samurai kicks in, and I just push though and git er’ done. But thunder hail is where I draw the line. A quick run back to the coffee shop was just too tempting – and sensible – to turn down. So we met up there, and she took me home.

As you might guess, my samurai would not let it end there. I had 4.5 miles left in my run, and after the bad stuff rolled by, out I went again. All went well, and as is my wont, I collected litter along the route to recycle, including a large brown glass beer bottle. Back home, I put the bottle in the sink to rinse out and got busy making French bread for a family dinner tonight.

But there was more than dirt in the bottle. Apparently a mouse had taken up residence there, and Joyce saw it emerge and crawl onto the counter. Fortunately neither of us are squeamish about mice, so we simply set about finding a way to get it out of the house. I cracked open the kitchen window, and after a minute or so it found the escape route and slipped outside. Cute little thing. Sorry, didn’t take any photos.

So that is what I got today for trying to be a good boy with my training, and a good steward of the environment. God will have his little jokes. On the other hand, he gave me a token for being a good sport. As I packed my car for an event tomorrow, I found a piece of my favorite candy under the seat – dark chocolate-covered orange peel. So all is forgiven.

Happy spring! And please don’t litter.