A day and a half.......the amount of time left in the school year and subsequently the amount of time until I begin summer break. I feel so spoiled by the school calendar! It's been a week of wrap-ups with therapy sessions, paperwork, and end of the year parties. I'm also wrapping up my running schedule with now less than 2 weeks left until the big race! Luckily it was a beautiful weekend. Mother Nature must have been hearing my pleas for sunshine after all. What's even better than sun? Sun + the beach. Yes the beach! Not exactly the kind you can swim in but water and sand none the less! I went with my friend Sydney to an area new to us called Golden Garden State Park. It sits north of Seattle and is known for the interesting sea creatures that you can find in the tide pools. Unfortunately we made it later in the afternoon when the tides were too high but we did get to experience the smell of the salty sea air and take in the large crowd that had gathered about. I don't think there was a patch of sand left to sit on there were so many people! We walked around a bit to get our bearings and then wandered next door to the marina where all the sailboats are parked. I can't tell you how many times I say out loud that I wish I knew someone with a boat. On sunny days it seems it's the place to be out on the water. We finished our Saturday at a restaurant on Lake Washington with a window view of Mt. Rainier. Very picturesque!
Sunday was my big running day...12 miles. Let's just say my knees and quad muscles haven't been the same since! I ran a trail that curves along the canal north of Seattle and ends at Golden Gardens. The beach twice in two days! Things were going pretty well until my path just suddenly ended (I thought it went all the way). Luckily I was able to figure out where to head from our drive the day before. On my travels I stopped to be a tourist at the Ballard Locks. This area is known to be quite the attraction as it's the meeting point for the Puget Sound (salt water) and the bay (fresh water). Unfortunately there weren't any boats to watch make the switch but it was interesting to see the different water levels. I then continued north on my journey until I hit the smell of salt air. When I arrived at Golden Gardens there was a much smaller crowd since it was earlier in the day. I decided to take a few minutes to enjoy the air and the view with a popsicle. I find that the sugar helps with my running.:-) All in all my journey was 2 hours and 30 minutes and by the end my feet were telling me they were done. This morning I was reminded again of my activities yesterday as it hurt to walk down stairs and raise my knees. I hope my body can hold up for two more weeks......