Am I the only person sick and tired of this guy?
Since I stayed in town this weekend to attend a family party on Sunday, I planned to train it to Long Beach today. But, I also had to get in 8 miles. Hhmm, what to do, whatever to do? Choice A) Run through Sunnyside and Astoria, fighting traffic through breezeless streets. Choice B) Run along the boardwalk with the ocean shimmering at my from the side. Really, now. That’s no choice at all.
This is an old routine of mine which I haven’t had much opportunity to put into play that much this summer, because I’ve been working so much and opting for Pennsylvania instead when I did have a free weekend. But, when I have yawning expanse of a Saturday or Sunday in front of me in the summer, this is how I’d prefer to spend it. Take an early train to Long Beach, in my running gear. Drop my stuff on the beach. Tug on my visor, slather on the SPF 30, and go for a run. Stretch, hydrate, change into bikini and walk straight into the water. The routes through Long Beach are pretty much in direct sun, so the post-run dip is a huge enticement.
Today, I started running around 9:30 AM, and this route took me all the way up and back along the boardwalk, plus a nice trot through the western beachfront neighborhoods of Long Beach, into Lawrence. I ran past the Water Club, on Beech Street, which brought back happy memories of a very fun wedding I attended there with my brother, for one of his high school buddies. The route spent more time on Beech than I would have liked, as there was no sidewalk & no shoulder for the last spit of it. By the time I hit the boardwalk again, I was very thirsty, despite having diligently hydrated last night. But, boardwalk means water fountains so I took advantage. It also meant unfettered views of the glittering ocean, which made me want to finish that much quicker.
I finished in 1:15:18, quicker than I’d hoped (was aiming for 10-minute miles) but my legs felt fine (the course is pancake-flat). And that swim? Even better than I imagined.
