Day 24: Only

My mother often asks me how far I run. My favorite is when I answer , "Only six miles," and she responds in her motherly tone, "Only..." just to remind me that six miles is a pretty good chunk of distance. 

Today is the first day of my vacation, so I thought I'd head down to the beach to run. 

It was still dark when I got there, the sun was just rising in the sky. It was cold but I was so happy to be back here. This beach is a huge component in my training. In the summer I was down here at least once a week. It is a place I can run for long distances without stop lights and of course the view is amazing. This beach has seen me struggle through my first 5, 6, and 7 mile runs. This beach was also the course of my 10 mile race. 

This beach and I have a lot of history. This bridge is the two mile marker, meaning I've gone two miles from my car and/or I only have two miles back to my car (yes mom, only two miles). Every tower and parking lot is another mental mile marker. Every step is well-worn and comfortable. 

(Sorry pics are dark. Remember sun just came up)

This beach is a great distraction. There are people everywhere, surfers building fire pits and waxing boards, bikers, crazy runners like me, dogs on the beach and if you're lucky, a dolphin or two in the ocean. There is so much to see, you can easily forget that your body has just run 4-5 miles and still has more to go. 

(Here's the pier in the distance)

Since I haven't been to this magical spot in such a long time, this was a great run. I slowed down to take pictures along the way, and just let myself enjoy the time out there. I probably could have run longer or could have run faster, but instead I ran to enjoy myself and enjoy my sport in a place I love. 

So I ONLY ran 8 miles, but that's not too shabby!