Today’s long run was great. I woke up feeling a bit like I had last week when I questioned whether I wanted to go so far. But I have learned that even if I question this I should get out of the house and go. And I did, and it turned out great. I ran all the way up to the Huntington Beach pier, which is about 6 miles from my house. I thought it was 6.5, so the entire run would be 13 miles, but even going out onto the pier didn’t get me quite to 6.5.
On the way back toward land as I ran on the pier I looked off to the right. The sun was rising, and I had this fantastic view of the Pacific Ocean and the sun rising over the mountains and I realized how much I will miss Southern California. Some parts of it, anyway, like the way the land rises and falls, and the great weather in the winter when it cools down and the days are not blistering hot.
I realized, too, that though I have always lived the gypsy life, never having stayed in one place for longer than three years, and although I am always antsy to move on to the next thing even before I actually do, I always miss what I leave behind. I started considering the things I will miss, like my friends and the runs I have had, but then I realized that we are moving toward something new in our life. It’s exciting, and once I got home I realized how ready I am for the next step.
So I did a total of 12.4 miles. Why that amount? I was planning to go to thirteen but decided to stop at the donut shop and pick up some snacks for the kids and husband. I had these two bags in my hand and about half a mile to go – and I was at mile 12 – when I ran into the yard sale. I found a lite brite and a huge dinosaur puzzle for a dollar each. So then I ran the rest of the way home with the two bags of donuts, the Lite Brite and a dinosaur puzzle box in my hands.
It was a great run. It’s amazing how much I love those distances. I was cruising toward the end, running between 8:30 and 9:15. I ate a Power Bar, vanilla crisp, throughout the run. I also had some gatorade but I have found that I can’t drink the amount they say to drink to keep myself hydrated. It’s so much that it sloshes in my stomach, so instead I drink what I need and when I feel thirsty, a little at a time.
Now we are off to find something to eat for dinner. Husband wants our standard Saturday night pizza. I’m not a big pizza fun, so I’m hoping for something else. There is this great little Cuban restaurant down the street, with sweet fried plantains and black beans and rice. My mouth is watering just thinking about it! But I bet we do pizza again. Oh well, I’ll soon be back near Florida, which has some of the best Cuban food in the world!