When I would have really long runs (longer than 13 miles) I would end the run with a quick dip in the ocean, clothes and all. The great thing about this route is that there are A LOT of active people who travel this strip of pavement. At 5:30 in the morning it's not uncommon to see groups of five to ten runners with headlights running together, or a line of 20+ bikers on the road. When I want to get my long run done and out of the way by 9am, this is where I go.
The last time I ran this route it was about two months ago and even then I started running it sparingly because I had already started getting tired of it. Yeah I know, how could I get tired of running by the ocean? Well I did and I wanted to change things up. So to preserve the wonderfulness of the trail I decided to let it go for a bit and come back to it when I was ready. Well last week I was ready and anxious to come back.
I planned to do 15 miles and run over two bridges twice. I've done this tons of times before and already knew the route like the back of my hand so I could switch my brain to auto pilot. You know the saying that goes: "When you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans." Well he was in stitches and I didn't find it so funny. The wind was CRAZY that morning. It was even windy by my house which is six miles away from the beach so you know if it was windy inland then it was a slight monsoon by the beach. No matter what direction I went in there was no relief and the bridges only made it worse. In addition to the bridges there are a couple of "rolling hills" in the trail that I remembered mentally but seemed to forget physically. Around mile eight I contemplated doing 13 miles so that I could have some relief, but I really wanted to stick to my plan. Had it really been that long since I had run this route? And did my body really forget this path after only two months?
Sometimes I wonder if inanimate objects had a personality what they would be like and how they would think. If my trail was a person it would have been smirking at me all morning, giving me grief for breaking up with it and moving on to a new route. My route gave me its but to kiss and I was begging it for mercy. I know that we haven't seen each other in a while but I just wanted to take some time off so I could appreciate you more. You know, absence makes the heart grow fonder. Nothing I said or did would ease the struggle of this run. I simply took it one step at a time and tried to get into a zone. I even started playing music after 10 miles which is something I NEVER do. But I needed Diana Ross and Chaka Kahn to help me through these last five miles.
Once I finished I stood in my usual reflective spot, looking at the ocean and chugging my water. I picked this trail ages ago for a reason. It has crazy bridges that help with speed and endurance, it's right next to the beach so I can look at the sunrise, it's runner friendly and always safe. Why did I need to take a break from this trail? Sometimes you don't realize how great something is until you take a step back and see all of its glory. To be able to run next to the ocean is a privilege and I need to appreciate that more. So same time, same place for the next long run. Hello old friend, it's nice to see you again.
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