Run at the Beach

Since Tuesday I thought about that morning run I missed. It wasn't a planned run and you probably can't really make up a run you missed. I feel that it is kind of like sleep; you can never really catch up. I made a conscious decision not to do it on Wednesday, figuring that my new 8 mile midweek run was enough for one day. Thursday was speed work so again I decided not to "do a double". But Friday morning, I actually woke up the first time the alarm went off. I was fully awake, not like on Tuesday when I only thought I was awake. As I lay there the idea to run crept back into the old brain. Friday is usually one of two days off, therefore no worries about the double. My youngest son had no school, therefore a less hectic morning routine. Before I had time to be lulled back sleep by the calming tones of the shower I got up, got dressed and headed out the door. I did my 4 mile Downtown Loop and got back home in plenty of time to shower and get to work.

Earlier in the week, I had put in a request with the unofficial coordinator of the CA Cruisers to run some route other than the Santa Ana Trail. I seems that we've been there for quite a few weeks in a row. She agreed and planned the run we call Two Parks, Two Loops. This run leaves from the parking lot to the Snail's Pace Running Store in Brea. Midweek, I was asked by my son to take him down to Huntington Beach on Saturday. He wanted to watch some paintball matches for the NPPL Paintball World Series. He wanted to get there around noon. That gave me plenty of time to run with the Cruisers and still get him there. Friday when I got home from work, he told me that he really wanted to get down there at 8:30 or so. He suggested I run at Huntington Beach. I did this for last year's NPPL as well.

What was I supposed to do? Of course, I scrapped the plans for Two Parks, Two Loops and took him to Huntington Beach. I got my 10 miler in on the bike path. I usually do my longer runs down there. It's a near perfect setting for a long effort; nice and flat, plenty of water fountains and facilities, and every mile is marked (Thanks to the training group from the Fountain Valley Snail's Pace Store). I hadn't run there since my last 22 miler before the NYC Marathon. Although, I felt bad about missing the Cruisers run I had requested I looked forward to the beach run.

Running NW on the bike path, the wind was at my back. I was sweating more than I had in a long time. I was wondering if it had to do with the humidity near the ocean. Once I turned back around, heading SE the wind was in my face so I stayed more comfortable. There were so many people out at the beach; walkers, runners, bikers, beach volleyballers and even the paintballers. It had a cool active, healthy vibe to it.

After the run, I hung out on the beach and caught up on some reading. I even spent a couple of hours watching paintball matches. As an added no cost bonus I got a nice sunburn from the neck up. Although the paintball matches were scheduled until 8:00 pm, we headed home around 4:00.