Triathlon Training Day 27 – California Dreamin’ (and Runnin’)

My alarm rings at 5:45 and and I roll over realizing that I’m not in my own bed. I’m in California at the Loews Hotel in Coronado (just south of San Diego)

My friend and coworker who is accompanying me on this business trip told me last night that their was a group from the CLOXchange conference that was going running on the beach at 6:00 a.m. We jump up and quickly change into our running clothes before heading out to the lobby. We arrive a little early and find we are the first ones there. Within a couple of minutes the rest group arrives. We all briefly introduce ourselves and thank Scott Kiefer for organizing the group.

Now it’s time to run. We leave the grand entrance of the hotel and head up the wharf passing ships which are decorated with Christmas lights. Two of the group decide to walk.Rich and John lope off down the beach to the south at a nice pace. I look at my options and decide step #1 is to take off my shoes. I hate getting sand in my nice running shoes, especially the ones that I use to race or train long distance. The sand never gets out of the shoes and is so abrasive that it feels like running on sand paper. I look around for a place to stash my shoes and find a little nook at the lifeguard tower that will hide them for the next 45-50 minutes. Once I feel my shoes are safe from potential hijacking I head north up the beach.

It’s not quite dawn but the earth is starting to awaken with a subtle glow. The rhythm of the waves is serene and the sand is gently cool. I quickly learn that running in the sand so different from trail, track, or road running. Some steps are firm and provide steady propulsion and others are soft and depress easily which stutters my pace slightly. At first I let the waves chase me up the beach just like the little sandpipers that scurry in front of me. The longer I run the more I give in to the desire to let the salty sea foam lap at my feet. The water is refreshing and surprisingly warmer than expected for a December day.

The tide continues to rise as if being pulled up by the rising sun. Colors of pink and gold streak across the sky and gracefully flow down onto the waves and reflect off the newly moistened sand. As the earth brightens waves repeatedly come up to my knees I start to feel a little disoriented without understanding why. I realize that mother nature is playing a joke on me. She is creating a moving optical illusion. As the waves pull back into the ocean my brain is telling me that I am falling to the side and it feels like I’m running sideways even though my course is true. Each time the water peels back I feel a similar dizzy sensation to when I would finish spinning in circles as a child like I’m about to fall over. I laugh to myself with the realization of what’s happening and just keep running.

The rest of the run passes too quickly. The thick, rich sea-level air filling my lungs with energy producing oxygen, the rhythm of the waves, the beautiful sunrise and mother nature all around makes me wish I can keep going forever. I pass mile four and a group of pelicans decide to join me. They skim inches above the waves that about crest as if they are surfing the waves.

I make it back to the empty lifeguard tower and gratefully my shoes are still there. I look out across the ocean one last time and feel thankful for such a beautiful run.

P.S. Coach Marci texted me the following workout last night:
Monday workout:

55 min run
10 min warm up,
30 min at pace but not race pace or all out
15 min pace of your choice with cool down