In 2021, COVID-19 forced one of my favorite annual events to not live up to its name. Last year's iteration of the Manasquan Mid-Winter Beach Run was not permitted to go forward until mid-April. Moreover, on race day, instead of hundreds of souls of varying degress of hardiness lining up shoulder to shoulder near Leggett's together, start times were staggered so that significantly smaller groups of runners were on the course in twenty-minute intervals.
It was better than nothing. It was something. It simply was not the real thing.
Oh, what a difference a year (or ten months) makes.
This morning, the Mid-Winter Beach Run returns to its appointed place on the calendar, which is the Saturday of Presidents' Day Weekend. As of yesterday morning at 5 am, which is when I wrote this (spoiler alert!), 827 people had signed up for it. For me, happiness is having that which it is I love to do in its appointed, proper place. In the case of this event, its proper place is mid-February and not mid-April.
Order has been restored to the universe. Well, to my universe anyway.
Whether I am as excited about restoration after the wind chaps my ass while running on the beach this morning remains to be seen. Actually, it does not. I shall be.
Trust me.
-AK
I hope you ran, as always, like the wind.
ReplyDeleteFor me, it's usually like the winded.