We drove down through West Seattle towards the beach and I kept seeing other crazy people out for a run in the rain. I couldn't believe that I was about to be one of these crazy people… that I was THAT determined. Up in the neighborhoods above Alki, we passed a fast guy with a hydration pack and I said, "That guy is extra hardcore. He must be planning on running REALLY far today in the rain."
I got out of the car with my dog when I decided the view was pretty enough, walked her across the street, and stepped in a giant puddle. I watched my husband drive away feeling the cold water seep into my sock, rain drops splattering my face, and thought, "Well, here we go." I started my Garmin and took off down the beach past all those beach houses I wish I could afford. The guy with the hydration pack passed me. There was a lot more people out than I anticipated. I spent the next two and a half miles or so yelling at my dog while she darted here and there as we passed people, other dogs, seagulls, bikes, cars… (No squirrels even though that's what I named this post. You've seen the movie Up, right? That's what she's like... "Squirrel!") She was driving me crazy. I was so, so frustrated. I wasn't able to enjoy the view because I had to watch for other people and dogs coming my way so I could avoid them so Athena wouldn't bark. (She sounds really scary when she barks even though she probably just wants to play.) "Heel Athena. *breathe* No! Heel. Hey! No! *huffing and puffing* Athena! Heel! *breathe* Heel! Heel. Heel! Heel!"
My headphones were driving me crazy too. (Yeah, I know, I still need to buy new headphones.) I stopped and tied the back of my headphones into my ponytail. That seemed to help the tugging but I was still pretty miserable, especially since my sock was still wet, and my knees were hurting which was a new thing for this run. However the rain was starting to let up which was nice. I was so done with the dog, I called my husband to tell him to get back asap, find me, and pick up the dog.
Around the 2.5 mile mark I started getting heart palpitations, and started getting freaked out about it. I was getting them last year while cycling and since my sister has heart problems, I was hooked up to a holter monitor for a weekend and I was told they're relatively normal. After having issues with anxiety and panic attacks, I figured out they're probably mostly related to stress… and this dog was definitely stressing me out. I slowed to a walk, took some deep breaths, and focused on the ferries out on the water to calm down. I started feeling better after probably half a mile so I started out on a jog again, watching every car coming around the corner hoping it was my husband to take Athena. The guy with the hydration pack made rounds again and smiled and said, "Good morning!" when he passed me. He must have known I needed a little extra encouragement. I probably looked like hell.
So, maybe around the 3 mile mark, Athena finally got into a groove and stayed with me. The rain stopped completely and I rounded the corner so I could see the Seattle skyline in front of me. At mile 4, I saw my my husband in the car up ahead and I handed Athena off to him, grabbed a quick sip of water, and headed off on my own. I was so excited that it was just me and my tunes again. And I only had a mile and a half to go! My husband took a couple pics of me running with Seattle in the background. I'm finally smiling!
I made it all the way to the cycle shop at the end of Harbor Ave and I still had .4 of a mile to go so I turned around and headed back the other way. I cannot believe that I just ran the entire length of Alki Beach and it still wasn't enough mileage. The whole way I kept trying to focus on how far I've come rather than how far I still had to go. At exactly 5.5 miles, I stopped my Garmin and walked back and forth a bit to catch my breath before hopping in the car. I was so excited to be done. Finished 5.5 miles in 1 hour and 15 minutes. 13:44 mile pace. (Which was better than I thought with all the dog tugging, and walking!) I want to do my next long run with BFF down at Alki. No dogs this time though... I'll work on training her on my 30 minute runs around my neighborhood but for now, the long runs are all mine.
