What a wild week it’s been! Our weather was all over the place and the cicadas are now out in full force, not to mention the many other animals I encountered on my runs. I never thought I would be writing a post about a cicada invasion, but here we are. Hopefully it will be over soon!
I think we started seeing them around the week of May 17th, which was almost 4 weeks ago now. During the first couple of weeks I was thinking that they weren’t that bad. When I would run a little farther from my neighborhood I would see hundreds of them around tree roots or on fences. But none were flying around close to my house. That changed just over a week ago. Now they are everywhere- swarms of them! When I work from home I can see them all swarming around the trees. Each morning there are about 20 half dead ones on my front porch. I drive into a handful each time I go to work. Luckily they aren’t flying around too much early in the morning when I’m out running!
Weekly Run Down: Running Through the Cicada Invasion
Monday: Strength Training + 4 Miles with Cicadas
I was off from work so I lifted early and then went on a stroller run. By the time we got out around 7 the cicadas were out and it was hot. Towards the end of my run one of them flew into my face. Also, Grayson learned how to get his arms out of the stroller straps. It was at the end and he had been asking to get out and I kept telling him we had just a little longer. He can’t unbuckle the clip so the belt is still on, but I don’t like the idea of him getting out of the stroller straps. Hopefully this was a one time thing.
We had an appointment later that morning and I brought a cicada friend in with me. We walked into the room and I felt something on the diaper bag. I shook it and it fell to the floor. The person we were meting with was very calm about it and put it on a piece of paper and took it outside. I’m so over this cicada invasion!
Tuesday: 6.2 Miles with 10 x 1 min on/90 seconds off
There were so many animals around for this run! When I walked out of my house the porch was covered in cicadas. They were sleeping (or dead) but I still closed the door quickly hoping none would come in the house. Then I saw a fox acting strange. A neighbor had mentioned seeing one a few weeks ago that was concerning and they called animal control but we don’t know what happened. So I ran the other way just to be safe. Usually I can keep running and they will run off, this one was just sitting in the street and just didn’t look right.
During my repeats I found a flat stretch of road which I circled several times. There was a deer sleeping on the grass. He didn’t seem happy to have me wake him up, but he just kind of watched and then eventually wandered off. There were also lots of bunnies but at least they were friendly!
The workout went better than I expected considering everything that was going on plus the heat and humidity.
Wednesday: Strength Training + 4 Miles
It was another warm and humid morning. I ran through a bunch of sprinklers which felt nice!
Thursday: 5.1 Miles with Strides
It felt slightly cooler for this run, but I was still completely drenched with sweat when I finished. I tried out the new Free Train vest that I was sent recently. My phone is a little snug in the pocket, but otherwise it’s a nice option to have for carrying a phone or other items.
Friday: Rest Day
It poured alllll day! It actually started Thursday morning and didn’t full stop until Saturday morning. I wouldn’t have minded running in the rain this week since it was so warm. But commuting, walking to and from my office from my car, and daycare drop off/pick-up were not fun. There was also flooding nearby which meant I had to take the longer way to get home both days.
Saturday: 10 Miles
It was “only” 63 degrees but the humidity was 98%. During my first couple of miles I was thinking “this isn’t so bad” but then the humidity got to me. I also bought a new pack of Science in Sports gels. I thought I got the same flavor as before but this one had caffeine. For some reason I didn’t like the taste! Maybe it was a bad batch? Super weird but I’m committed to using them because they are pretty expensive!
Sunday: 3.7 Stroller Miles
We went out for a family stroller run and there was actually a bit of a breeze! It definitely felt a little cooler than the rest of the week. The cicadas were worse though (partly because it was 7 am and they seem to wake up around 6:30).
Another week of running through the cicada invasion is in the books. Hopefully we are almost done with them for 17 more years!
You may also like:
If you have been running through a cicada invasion, does it impact your running?
Who else has had wild weather this week?
What animals do you see on your runs?
I’m linking up with Deborah and Kim for the Weekly Run Down!
The weather was all over the place here as well. This weekend it’s been beautiful so that’s been a nice treat. Great job on all of your runs this week!
Reading about all the cicadas just made me so itchy – yuck! When are they expected to leave the area? I hope they won’t be around too much longer.
I heard somewhere around the end of June to maybe early July. I hope its soon! I thought they were only supposed to be around for 4 weeks and I think its been almost 4 at this point, and there are still plenty of them around.
I’m glad we’ve avoided the cicadas this year–I think I read our turn is in 2024. But who knows? I’m having enough issues battling the biting flies on the trails. Can’t we just have summer?
I don’t know if I’d like that phone holder around my neck/chest. I still like the spibelt, altho mine tends to bounce if it’s not in the right spot on my waist.
Ugh biting flies sound terrible- maybe worse than cicadas since they are harmless!
I think I’m used to wearing a vest when I run because of my hydration pack. I didn’t even really notice I had the vest on. I remember when I used a spi belt it moved alot for me.
Ugh, those cicadas sound awful! We don’t get them down here, but I remember the cicada year when I was a kid. My sister lives near Chicago and she said they’re going to get them in three years- I told her maybe she could move to a different state before then.
Sounds like you had a solid week of running in spite of everything!
I remember seeing some cicadas when I was growing up but nothing like this. I am glad this only happens every 17 years!
As I’ve said, those cicadas really creep me out! I did ride through many (and I do mean MANY) bugs of every shape and size yesterday and this morning. UGH. We’re riding with friends, so we’re talking and laughing, and I’m so paranoid something is gonna fly into my mouth.
I don’t think I could handle biking with all these cicadas! They are huge and very unpredictable when they fly around. It makes it impossible to dodge them.
Seeing a fox acting strange is always concerning (well, any wild animal acting strange, really). My weird thing was the mama duck & her ducklings again, obviously!
I live in MD one year, before I got married. So happy it wasn’t during the Cicada invasion. It would totally gross me out.
Sounds like you made the best of a tough weather week, Lisa!
When I moved here I had no idea the cicadas would be so bad! At least it only happens every 17 years!
Wow – a fox! I saw one once but it was from afar. I haven’t seen any cicadas at all near me, but I know that they’re here! I don’t mind not seeing them either.
There are alot of foxes around here and I usually see them from a distance and they run away. That’s good that you don’t really see the cicadas! They are so loud and impossible to avoid!
I have a strange fascination with all these cicada stories, but I guess its easy for me when I’m not living through it. Having them fly into your face on a run…ugh. And to find one in the diaper bag, OMG.
There was a rabid fox on Lake Harriet, where I run, a few summers back, that bit a runner. So be careful, you never know!
I would imagine that hearing the cicada stories sounds interesting if you’re not experiencing it! When I work from home they are constantly landing on my window and they make this loud shrieking noise. It can be pretty distracting.
Thats scary about the fox and exactly why I ran the other way when I noticed this one!
Oh, I could not run through a cicada invasion. I hate big bugs like that. That would be my time to suck it up and run on a treadmill. Nope. Can’t do it. LOL.
I thought I couldn’t either but so far its been ok! When I run early they aren’t really flying around yet. Its after like 8am that they get really bad.
I agree last week was the worst with the cicadas and the humidity. I am really over them landing on me while I run or walk. I hope they are dying down while I am gone! Nice job on that hot and humid run yesterday Have a great week ahead.
I keep hoping that they are starting to die off but I think around here this weekend was the worst yet. So who knows what this week will bring.
I think I got my runs in before the cicadas were up, but I definitely encountered them on my bike — including one that flew into my helmet.
Great going with all those solid runs. The weather looks at bit better this week.
I think it would be really hard to bike around them! They’re so fast and can fly into you pretty hard!
Cicada invasion sounds like something that should have happened in 2020. Yuck. Nice air on that pic, and love Grayson’s Monday socks
Ha- it does sound like something that should have happened in 2020! I don’t know if I should be glad that it was one less thing to worry about last year, or if it would have been better to just get it over with during everything else that was going on.
ugh on the cicadas!!!! I would be totally freaked if I had one fly up in my face or end up in my bag!!
When the one flew into my face it happened so fast I didn’t even have a chance to freak out. And when I found the one on my bag I tried to play it cool but really wanted to scream!
Ugh, that cicada invasion sounds awful. Glad we don’t have that but I am sure our turn will come. I like that vest and I like it even more that it is reflective.
I heard that Chicago is supposed to get them in a few years! Who knows if it will be like this though. The vest is a great option to have.