I ran my second virtual race on Saturday. It was a struggle because I haven't gone that far since February.  But, I toughed it out, mentally, along with the company of my friend, Maria, for a few miles.

I'm getting better at running on tired feet and working on my mental game.

I signed up for a virtual race across Texas with four others, starting July 1.

Feeling great about being motivated, yet concerned that we might be locked down again, killing that feeling.

Stay tuned.

Photo from Saturday, at my car, Roo, which I used as an aid station.

After months of lethargy and turgid running, I eked out 17.5  miles in four days. I know it's not record-setting, but it's a start. It felt good to run four  days in a row. May shoot for a couple more days and then rest up before my virtual Sugar Badger half on Saturday. 

Also, shuffle over to Apple podcasts and give this thing a rating and leave a review. It won't hurt. I promise.

If you're feeling generous, consider being a sponsor. Use the anchor link to do so. If not, no biggie, but I'd like to buy some real equipment at some point, so I don't have to sit in my bedroom closet with my iPhone. LOL.

The photo is Maria  and me at Land Heritage Institute on Saturday. I had to use her photo because I left my phone in the car. Durr.

This ultrarunner couple has navigated a couple of nights in jail (for quarantine), "sneaked" into national parks and have had a variety of adventures, including having  the windows broken out at their hotel in  Chicago (apologies because I said it was Dallas) during protests. They're professional runners traveling the globe with their super-cute dog, Smokey. They're living the dream -- experiencing adventures and  running crazy distances. This is a special episode.

Cassandra's Instagram, Matt's Instagram

Part 4 of our master's series.  We meet Donald  Flynn, a San Antonio-based runner who took up running to get out of going to gym class. He abandoned the sport for decades and picked it back up 5 years ago at the age of 60. He has finished three 100-milers and has his sights set on at least one more this year. He has some great stories to tell including when he "geezered" a young  guy.

I  returned to running, a bit, this week. So far, so good. Had a social distance ride with my friend, Maria and got to have lunch with my very good friends, the Montalvos on Memorial Day. Yes, we social distanced.

Things feel a little closer to normal, but to be honest, as the US inches toward 100,000 deaths, I made a grim observation: as of April 24, we had 51,000 deaths. Thirty days later, we almost doubled that number.

Stay safe and manage your risk.

After almost three months, I pulled the trigger and set up a "play date" with my friend, Maria.

We met up at Hot Wells ruins on Sunday morning and took a socially distanced bike ride.

It was so much fun and nice to have a conversation with someone in person and not feel like we were "cheating."

My ankle is officially sprained, which means running is on hiatus for a few weeks. This is going to be interesting trying to catch up on my training for big races at the end of the  year.

Photo: Maria and me

I am joined by  Donald Flynn of San Antonio and returning guests, Kathy and Orlando Montalvo of Mission, Texas.

We talk about the complications of training for virtual races and whether the "real" races we're signed up for later in the year will actually happen. Flynn and the Montalvos are signed up for the Great Virtual Race Across Tennessee 1,000K. Essentially, you run 620 miles between  May 1 and Aug. 31, or a minimum of 5 miles a day.

I really want to join in, but I'm already 11  days behind and -- guess what? I rolled my stupid ankle last week coming down the back steps. It's much better and probably able to handle some miles, but I am not sure I want to  risk it.

Speaking of risk, I lash out at folks who act like the pandemic is over and they're all running and biking in groups without  proper social distancing. Your actions matter. I live far from any family.  I don't know  if I will ever see them again. Yet, some folks just  can't sacrifice a group  run or ride.

Trying to keep a normal schedule during this crisis is challenging. I miss working aid stations and wonder what  they'll be like as we move forward. We used to joke about people drinking from the same cup or getting their hands in the snacks. "Eh, we're trail runners, this is what we do. " But I wonder about what they'll be like.

Running still remains something I want to do but I feel distracted or start too late and don't  get in the mileage I wanted.

I will do my  first virtual race today. Will report back next week.

Photo: Doing Pandora's Box of Rocks half marathon in 2016 at Reveille Peak Ranch.

I have known Kathy for a while -- through her husband, Orlando -- originally. They are two of my dearest friends. Kathy is a newish runner,  but she's done a boatload of ultras,  including three hundos. She's a little new to the Master's scene, but a worthy contender. She's extraordinary in that she hasn't quit a race yet and just chugs along at a decent pace.

Photo: Kathy finishing her third hundred-miler at the Snowdrop 55-Hour Race in December.

Not much running happening these days. It takes so much mental energy to get through each day that I feel spent. And when  I do run, it feels stressful navigating groups of people. I reflect on the story of my mom and purple roses and try to be uplifting.

Photo: Mission Espada in San  Antonio