One thing I really like about running is that I generally try to take care of it first thing in the morning. That leaves me the rest of the day to do whatever I want and not worry about being in good condition for a run. And when you’re in Key West, it’s very easy to get yourself out of running condition.
I’ll also knock out the running section of my post early. Today, I intended on a short, easy run to loosen up my legs before tomorrow’s half. I planned on running to the beach that our shuttle driver said was a mile from the hotel and back.
This morning was cool again (for Key West, that is) but there was no wind at all. As I headed out in the opposite direction I did yesterday I immediately wished I had run this direction yesterday. There was no construction and virtually no buildings – just water to my left and palm trees to my left. With no wind, the water was like glass. I could see fish swimming as I ran.
It didn’t take me long to realize that the distance to the beach was more than a mile, but I decided to keep going all the way there. When I got back to the hotel, I was really surprised to see that it was 2.3 miles! I ended up running more than double what I planned at 4.6 miles, but it was at an easy 9:45 mile pace. I’m sure I’ll be fine tomorrow.
Vacation Update
It was fun being a tourist yesterday. At the end of the day, Carolyn and I calculated that we walked well over four miles. That’s not easy to do on an island this small! Here are a few pics from our adventures:
The view from our hotel. Not too shabby.
(Almost) the southernmost point in the US. It’s really on the Navy base.
The official bird of Key West. They’re everywhere!
One of the six-toed cats at the Hemmingway house.
One of the 2 beaches in Key West. They import sand from the Bahama’s to create the beaches.
Literally, the “End of the Road”. The southern end of Route 1′s 2200+ miles.
Plank Streak Update
Today, I did a 1 minute plank to extend my streak to 21 days.
Shortly, I’ll be off to the Key West Half Marathon expo for packet pickup. Almost time to get serious.
Good luck tomorrow Tod! Looking forward to reading your race report.
Thanks John. I’m looking forward to writing a race report. It’s been a while.
Wow, great photos! Virtual tour, thanks for that. What a great pick of location for a half… flat, warm & I love that there are chickens everywhere! Good luck with your race
Thanks. It was worth coming here just for the people watching.
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