Today I went for a run and completed some loops around the track. I haven’t completed many up tempo runs since I’ve been on vacation, so I took to the track to do some 800s. Gee, that seemed like a great idea until I stepped out the door and was hit by the wall of humidity. It was hard to find an even pace and my recovery times differed each repeat. But despite the thick air, my legs felt strong and I pushed through until the end. It was comforting to know I wasn’t alone: there was an older speed walker, another man walking and a woman keeping a steady pace who joined in as I did my loops. At least I wasn’t alone in the swamp, and happy about the fit community I live in.
Today I went for a run in the mid 80’s, strong sun and just before dinner. It pretty much felt like I was running on an empty tank after returning to work after two weeks off, working through my lunch and not drinking enough water. My alarm went off at 5am, but I just was not motivated to get up and honestly for no good reason!? Well lesson learned! I hit the road around 4:15pm right when the sun starts to lower to that strong ‘in your face’ angle. I turned on my tunes and Van Halen got me moving. I pushed through the hills, busy road with cars cranking AC and strong exhaust fumes and finally made my way home. I didn’t give up, I stayed strong and pushed through on an empty tank.
Today I went for a run in Lavallette before heading back to Maryland on our last day of vacation. After a terrible attempt at my long run the previous day due to heat and humidity, I set my alarm and was out the door by 4:45am. For the first eight miles the only company I came across were seagulls that were picking through garbage cans that had been left out by tenants the night before. My 15 mile journey began along the boardwalk which provided a preview of the early morning sun beginning to stream through the clouds on the horizon. Next I came up along the sleepy bay where the usual swans were waking and making their way towards the inlet in hopes of a carb breakfast from eager children. I turned back to the main drag and headed north on 35 in the empty bike lane. My mind immediately began to wander as I thought about not only my thirty eight years visiting this town, but the older generations whom lived here.
Fruit bathing suits were all the rage in the 80s… right!?
The town was always an outdoor wonderland for me and my siblings. I learned to bike on sidewalks, swim in the bay, boogieboard in the ocean, and I even convinced my parents to sign me up for a tennis camp! (It really wasn’t a camp, but an hour to hit tennis balls with other kids and give parents a break.) As I made my way north on my run scenes of new, refurbished beach bungalows (that Superstorm Sandy destroyed) came into view and new superstores like Wawa were crammed in odd spaces. The last time a storm caused major damage was back in the 1980s when I was maybe nine. The ocean destroyed the boardwalk and the town decided sand dunes were necessary. These dunes would never stopped the devastating force of Sandy.
Today as the town rebuilds after Sandy and modernizes it is both exciting and frightening. I think back to pictures from my grandmother’s album that show a different time – one that was simple and an adventure.
My Great Grandmother Z behind the wheel.My grandparents house that would later be demolished due to Superstorm Sandy.
My polish family has been taking crazy adventures ‘down the shore’ since the early 1900’s and eventually established a home there. When my grandparents retired they built their home next to my great grandparents house in 1954 when most of the peninsula was still underdeveloped and actually had WWII bunkers that had been built for protection. Two things continued to replay in my mind as I looped south and enjoyed the wind on my back. First – adventure and challenge is something you shouldn’t shy away from. Thoughts of a crazy polish family making trails up to the beach and riding along dirt roads to a deserted beach is a pretty impressive adventure. (Clearly me running on the newly created bike path – not as adventurous, but that brings me to my second thought…) Development and change brings benefits with costs. We’ve rebuilt with hurricane proof structures, new fancy stores and replaced family owned businesses and changed my childhood sights. I hope to keep coming back for years to come and I hope the area never loses its charm. I’m glad to be able to run up and down the strip with time to reflect on how awesome the area is and the cool adventure my family took to get here. I hope me and the kids have many more adventures and memories here.
Today I went for a run, but didn’t complete my long run as planned because it was just too humid outside. The last few days the temperatures have been high and humidity full blast. Although the late morning and afternoon were plagued by thunderstorms, the morning consisted of oppressive heat and humidity. I woke up hoping to get out the door at 5:30am, but instead it was closer to 6am and the sun was already bright. I completed a six mile loop and called it quits. Sometimes a run like this is defeating because you gave up on yourself and didn’t have the courage to step out of your comfort zone and persist. It reminds me of one of my favorite quotes about courage – something that helped me in my personal life, in working towards my masters in leadership, in conversations with students and in running:
And that’s what I will do – try again tomorrow. I’m happy to report that despite my crash and burn run we still got out for a great six mile bike ride up and down the island before the storms blew through the area. It was a solid morning and a great way to finish up my vacation that went too fast!
Today I went for a run to Seaside Heights and did our own “4 on the 4th” run! It was a pretty warm morning, but Shawn and I planned to do our own 4th of July four mile run and plotted out a route that took us to the end of the Seaside Heights boardwalk. We headed out and made our way south along the bike lane before jumping on the already filling up boardwalk. Despite the 8:30am start, lines to enter the beach were already forming on the boardwalk and creeping into the path of morning bikers and runners. Usually we don’t make our way down to the Seaside Heights boardwalk; however, the patriotic bike parade was taking place on the Lavallette boardwalk, so this was a great new route to try out on a pretty awesome holiday. The rest of the day was filled with perfect weather, the beach, ice cream, a great bbq and great family time.
Today I went for a run at night after a busy day crabbing, kayaking, beaching and biking. I got up this morning with the hope of getting in a run, but going for a morning walk with my sister and niece to the bay sounded a little more fun. My kids and husband had gotten a head start crabbing and we made our way over to catch up with them at the pier. After a devastatingly bad crab catching turnout, a stop to get Bavarian cream crumb cake helped the situation, but not for me who still did not get in a run.
Next, Shawn and I went out kayaking around the island and later my kids and I went for a bike ride down the strip, but still no run for me. Finally at 9:30pm I laced up and headed out along the bay and finally on the boardwalk. I did not want to run, but I’m glad I got out the door, saw some fireworks and took in the calm ocean breeze.
Today I went for a run and watched an amazing sunset over the bay. We are now down the shore for the 4th of July which means – shore runs!!! I initially left the house to run this morning, but looped back around after a half mile due to heat. It was hot! So I delayed my run until after dinner, which is not my favorite time to run, but more family friendly and cooler. The bonus of running after dinner is watching the sunset on the bay. I wish I had brought my camera on the run because the sunset was show stopping. The sky was cloudy due to arriving thunderstorms; however, the sun had lit the surrounding clouds on fire in red, orange and pink. People were stopped along the road taking pictures and many paused on the piers to watch. It was a pretty great way to end the day.
Today I went for a run with Amanda and completed our famous Taco Bell Harbor Half! Due to the terrible heat and humidity that has plagued the area, we decided to meet downtown at 5am at the Taco Bell. We snaked around the harbor while catching up about the past few weeks and before we knew it we were at the entrance to the Domino Sugar Plant. At this point the sun had begun peaking through the buildings and we both needed to stop and refill our water bottles. We made our way back to the Canton and luckily felt the long run tiredness, but not overly achy! Running solo is great to clear the mind and get lost in the scenery; however, sometimes a solid long run with a friend is just plain ol’ fun!
Today I went for a run near my house! We arrived back in town yesterday in time for me to squeeze in a barre class before dinner because it was just too warm to run in late day heat. Today I tried to get up early to beat the heat, but it was already warm at 6:15 am when I stepped outside. Even though I was able to fit in runs during my trip to Williamsburg, the heat was really a defeating element and I was not setting any record paces. Even today I started out slow in order to conserve energy, yet the air remained stuffy, and I continued to just feel sluggish. But then I remembered this tip I read in the June Women’s Running Magazine:
Duh! I mean I’m running my 10th Marine Corps Marathon – an achievement ten years in the making when I crossed my first marathon starting line in 2010. The exciting thing about marathon training is the journey – overcoming your own self doubt and running crazy marathon miles! The new adventure of starting a new training cycle is awesome, but not something that defines your running. Completing a run in 100% humidity with the satisfaction that you still got off your butt and ran is just as important as completing 8 x 800’s at a fast pace. Running is a balance of fun, strength and being honest with elements you can’t always control.
(Above photo from: Life in the day of a runner Facebook page)
Today I went for a run in serious humidity around the historic area. Shawn and I made our way over to the historic area for what will probably be our last run in Williamsburg. The car temperature read 77 and was in the low 80’s by time we were done. We detoured and then split for a bit before heading back to the car. The heat was one thing, but the humidity was something else. If I was sweating buckets in shorts and a tank top how could anyone in historic times survive in multiple layers of clothing and limited bathing!? With our trip coming to an end we spent the day in the Colonial area, threw axes, took part in a military camp, and enjoyed taking in the simple colonial life.
