Running to the Beach

Sunday morning's early run with The Emerging Runner (ER) and The Petite Pacer (TPP) was cancelled due to thunderstorms in the forecast until 8am.  I woke up at 8am.  I'm not sure if it even rained.  TPP and I decided to postpone our run until later that afternoon.  I met her in the parking lot of Cedar Creek Park in Wantagh at 3:45pm.  The temperature was 87 degrees.  Perfect weather for a ten miler on the bike path along the Wantagh Parkway.  I'm kidding.  I was actually a little nervous about getting overheated, but my main goal that day was to get the job done.  No excuses.  Heatstroke, shmeatstroke (say that ten times fast).

We ran the first couple of miles in the low 9 minute mile range.  TPP was not used to running so late in the day and the heat was affecting her.  She told me to go ahead while she took a little walking break.  There is no tree cover on the path, but luckily it was mostly cloudy.  I ran over three small bridges where I could catch a slight cross breeze.  Right after Mile 4, I ran through the parking lot of the Jones Beach Theater  (A great summer concert venue, by the way!  Back in another lifetime when I used to go to concerts, I saw Sting, Erasure, Jimmy Buffet, and Duran Duran on many a hot, summer ni-hight ).  I continued past the end of the lot until I hit the 5 mile mark.  On my way back, I checked to see if there were any water fountains at the bay concession stand.  No fountains, but I found something 1000 times better - an outdoor shower!  Hallelujah!  I soaked my head under the cool miracle water.  I felt refreshed and ready to tackle the second half of the run.  I think I might have passed out (or at least developed a nasty headache) had I not taken advantage of the shower.

I finally caught sight of TPP ahead of me around Mile 8.  She was easy to spot because 1) her adorable neon outfit and 2) besides me, she was the only other runner on the path the entire time.  I realized no one else was as stupid intrepid as us to run the path midday in almost 90 degree weather on the longest day of the year when the sun is at its highest.  I finished the 10 miles in 1:29:47, an 8:50 pace.  It should have been slower, especially in the heat.  Bad pacer!  I'll get there.

My least sweaty portrait outside of the

Jones Beach Theater

TPP and me, 

the Wonder Twins!