Week 2 training for Ragnar is on! This week, we headed out
to good ol’ 9th street in Huntington Beach, CA. Not unfamiliar to
me, or any of my boot camp girls, running PCH never disappoints. With a paved
trail and the sand and ocean on your side, you can’t go wrong with this run and
in this case, my team. I absolutely love that we all just show up with no
question and it is not until we sync our running apps and turn up the volume on
the headphones, does someone pop the question, “How far are we going?” Eyes
shift and we all make a joke or two about getting to breakfast, but we are
ready to hit the ground running. Six sounds good.
Today, the sun was hidden, as it typically is in the early
morning, but it hasn’t stopped So Cal to come out to play. Seven am and you
would think it was lunch hour on the trail. People walking, running, biking; kids
begging mom to come to the water to play; families trekking across the trail
with ice chests and easy ups to save a spot at the fire pit for the family
reunion. Just what you would expect at the beach on a Saturday in July! But
there was more as we shuffled our feet towards Newport Beach. Volleyball
tournaments, surfing contests, lifeguard trainings and a street fair to busy
the roads, the sand and even the parking lots.
Stopping to take a few pics, I found myself overwhelmed by
everything that was going on. After the first mile or so, I realized we have
two types of runners in our group today; the one who watches three feet in front
of him to make sure he doesn’t trip or run into someone and the one who can’t
stop looking. I’ll call the first one, “the fast and furious” runner, the one
who moves swiftly through the crowds, dodging walkers and kids, and listens to
the beat of her music while working towards a consistent pace. He is focused on
getting to the finish line, getting his heart rate up and beating his own time.
While the other, I will call “the distracted and dangerous” runner, the one who
slows his pace when something catches his eye, picks up his pace when she
realizes her team is at least a half mile ahead, stops for a photo, cheers on
the seniors as they run past her, engages in small talk with a man who sits
with his backpack and is amazed by the early morning hustle and excitement this
day already has started. She sees things, hears things, smells things and takes
it all in. When the run is over, she can appreciate the man walking his bull
mastiff, or the women who chat with friends while taking a morning walk, or the
family setting up for the day. When the run is over, she wants to go back
because the ocean calms and running excites.
As a child, I spent many days with friends, sno cones and jack in the box on the south side of the pier. But one thing I took for granted was that I live this close to a place that brings peace and energy, and promises that I can do anything I want. Whether you are the “fast and furious” or the “distracted and dangerous” runner, you can go 1 mile or 20, and along this trail, you will always have a different experience.
Depending on the race you want to win that day, choose your
inner runner. Sometimes we need to go fast, but sometimes we need to slow down
and simply enjoy the noise.
Psalm 96:11
Let the heavens rejoice; let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is within it.
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