1.5 Hours to Myself: Well, There Goes My Beach Run

A few weeks ago, I wrote about my newfound 1.5 hours to myself.

Now that both boys are in school and their after-school programs have started, pickup at 4:00 p.m. instead of 2:30 p.m. suddenly gives me this little pocket of extra time during the day a few days a week.

And one of the first things I decided to do with it was run to the beach.

I found a route from Playa Vista that took me along the creek all the way toward the beach and back - a 5.6 mile round trip that turned out to be just about perfect. Long enough to feel like a real workout, beautiful enough that it didn't really feel like one.

I loved it so much that I kept doing it.

For the next couple of weeks, I ran that same route several times. I loved running alongside the creek, watching the scenery slowly change as I got closer to the ocean, and finally reaching the beach before turning around and heading home.

I thought I had found my route.

And then came Labor Day.

Well... There Goes That

On Labor Day morning, news broke that a dead body had been discovered floating in the creek.

Yes.

That creek.

The one I had been happily running alongside, by myself.

Yikes!

And if that wasn't enough, I started hearing from neighbors that there were ongoing investigations happening on the other side of the creek as well.

That pretty much did it for me.

I didn't even attempt another run down there.

Will I go back eventually? I'm sure I will. I really did love that route, and I'm not planning to give it up forever.

But in the near future?

No, thank you.

I just really don't want to be the next person who goes out for a peaceful morning run and ends up becoming a witness because I found something crazy along the creek.

So... time to find another route.

Running in Circles Around Playa Vista

My next solution was pretty simple: just run around Playa Vista.

I start at Playa Vista Elementary, head down Bluff Creek Drive toward Yahoo, turn onto Artisans Way toward the pond and Central Park area, then run along Waterfront Drive and Millennium Drive back toward the school.

From there, I continue onto Runway Road, Pacific Promenade and Playa Vista Drive before eventually making my way back home.

It's basically one big loop around the neighborhood.

The funny thing is that this route is only about 2.5 miles - less than half the distance of my beach run - but somehow it feels almost as hard.

I couldn't figure out why at first.

But I think it's the lack of a destination.

When I'm running to the beach, I'm actually going somewhere. There's a creek next to me, the scenery keeps changing, and eventually I get to the ocean. There's something very satisfying about reaching the beach and thinking, Okay, I made it. Now I just have to get home.

Running around my own neighborhood doesn't quite have that same effect.

Don't get me wrong. Playa Vista is beautiful place to run. But apparently, running past places I see every single day isn't quite as motivating as running toward the ocean.

Who knew 2.5 miles could feel so long?

And Then There's the Treadmill

On other mornings, I've taken the easiest option of all.

The gym is literally one block from our home, and our home is right across from the boys' school.

So my morning can look like this:

Drop the boys off at school. Walk to the gym. Get on the treadmill. Run 4 or 5 miles. Walk home.

That's it.

There's no ocean. No creek. No beautiful destination waiting for me at the end.

But surprisingly, I still really enjoy it.

Maybe it's because by the time I step off that treadmill, I'm completely covered in sweat and exhausted in the best possible way. 

There's something strangely satisfying about that feeling.

And I think I'm starting to realize that the running itself was never really the whole point of these 1.5 hours.

Apparently, I Just Want to Run

When I first realized I'd have this extra time, I imagined all kinds of things I could do with it.

If I take a day off work, my husband and I could actually go play a round of golf together while the kids are at school.

I could meet some mom friends for coffee after drop-off and not spend the entire time checking the clock.

I could probably find plenty of other things to do that don't involve running 5 miles and coming home drenched in sweat.

Have I done any of those things yet?

Nope.

So far, apparently, when you give me an extra 1.5 hours to myself, I just want to run.

But I'm actually okay with that.

Because I think what I've been enjoying most isn't necessarily the beach, the route, or even the running itself.

It's knowing that for this little window of time, I'm doing something 100% for myself.

I'm not taking anyone somewhere. I'm not picking anyone up. I'm not packing anything, planning anything or getting something done for somebody else.

I'm doing something that's good for me simply because I want to.

And when I come home sweaty, tired and ready for a shower, I feel like I did something for myself before the rest of the day begins.

My beautiful creek-to-beach route may be temporarily out of commission.

My replacement route may somehow make 2.5 miles feel like 5.

And apparently my exciting newfound freedom hasn't resulted in leisurely coffee dates or rounds of golf just yet.

But I'm still finding myself a little more often.

For now, it just happens to be while I'm running.