What a weekend! Running on the Virginia Beach Boardwalk

[caption id="attachment_2944" align="alignright" width="150"] Ahhh. The beach![/caption]

This was one incredible weekend!   It was the final weekend of my kid's summer vacation, and we decided to do something AWESOME for them!  We got up in the wee early hours of Saturday  morning and headed down to Virginia Beach.   We didn't let them know WHERE we were going  until we were in the car, and they didn't know we were spending the night until we pulled into a hotel (while 4 hours is a long drive, we have been known to do those as day trips).  I don't think there is anything that has quite the energy (or grants as much energy) as being on and in the ocean!

It did not take the kids long at all to jump right in! You could say it took exactly as long as it took them to get their shirts and shoes off!

[caption id="attachment_2947" align="aligncenter" width="490"] And They are OFF![/caption]

I won't lie, they aren't the only ones that love the beach!

"The Bone Season" by Samantha Shannon... and a slow, tired run.

When I was a child, living at my parents house, I loved to read.  I loved to read more than I loved being told go to sleep.  i learned a blanket/clothes could block light from leaking out under the door, giving away that you were reading, not sleeping.  (I also learned that if you forgot to move them, that your parents knew EXACTLY what you had done - when they clothes made it hard to open the door when they were waking you up!)  I learned fairly that  a flashlight under the covers didn't cause any light to leak out under the door either (And I learned it was very, very hot!)

Needless to say, I liked my books. 

#janathon - Day 5 - The long run!

I used to hurry a lot, I used to worry a lot
I used to stay out till the break of day
Oh, that didn't get it,
It was high time I quit it
I just couldn't carry on that way
Oh, I did some damage, I know it's true
Didn't know I was so lonely , till I found you
You can go the distance
We'll find out in the long run
(in the long run)
The Eagles, The Long Run

So today was on the schedule as my long run.  Of course, I don't really have a schedule, as I have found that I stress it when I miss something, then get hurt trying to play catch-up.  I suppose it was more of a "plan."  A plan based on the fact that its Saturday, so I can run while it is still day light out, which means I can GO OUTSIDE!!!!!  We ran our assorted errands (See the previous post for details,) got back to the house - and I gave my phone a chance to charge (after all, if it doesn't get logged in Runtastic, and posted on Facebook - a run doesn't really count!) and got ready to head out the door.

And my neighbor stops by.  I love my neighbors.

Maps are awful flat.. The running route was not!

[caption id="attachment_553" align="alignright" width="300" caption="My trusty water bottle, you can see on the back side where the fabric was that I could keep under my hand - while the strap was on top of it. It bounced a bit more than I may have wanted, but did work."][/caption]

A nice short run of ten miles was in the cards for yesterday so I used mapmyrun.com and figured out a route that was 10 miles that would end at my parent's house. ( Yes, even in my mid thirties I am mooching off my parents, although for this day it was simply some water and a ride home!)  I filled up my water bottle and headed out the door.  The last time I ran with my water bottle, the water quite warm shortly into the run.  I thought cool water might be nice while running, so this time around I decided to toss some ice-cubes (Brilliant aren't I?)  Shortly after starting - I had  another brilliant realization - holding a bottle of ice water in your bare hand makes for a cold hand! (Man, I could so be a rocket scientist with cognitive abilities like these!)  I thought of  "I Run Like a Girl's" recent frost-bite experience, so I switched how I was holding the bottle.  I changed it so that the fabric of the bottle was between my hand and the bottle - It wasn't terribly comfortable, but it did avoid frost bite in July.

My big learning moment