Where Did MY Beach Go?!?!

I never thought about the tides, or how they might affect my running, until the tide pushed me off my running course. I know about tides. I know about the moon's affect on the tide. And I know the tides cause the water to come up higher on the beach at different times. But for some egocentric reason, when I found my new favorite running place, it never occurred to me that it wouldn't be just the way I found it (and wanted to to stay) day after day after day. 

"Charlie" and "Charlie"

I love running on MY beach. The thought of it is one of the few things that gets my butt out of bed early enough in the morning to go for a run before work. I love the wide, flat stretch of beach that is perfect for barefoot running. I love the surfers bobbing on the water as the sun comes up. And I love finishing the run on the pier lined with pelicans (they are ALL named "Charlie" according to the fishermen). 

This was exposed beach
two weeks ago...

Imagine my shock and dismay when I went to my favorite running place this past week, when the moon was little more than a sliver, only to find the wide, flat portion of the beach under water. I tried to run on the upper part of the beach, but it means running at an angle and my aging ankles don't care for that. So this week I had to resort to running on the sidewalk above the beach, catching brief glimpses of my beach when the tide rolls out, just before it rolls back in to cover the sand and splash against the rocks. 

I'm coming to terms with the fact that my beach is subject to the forces of nature, and not to take for granted the perfect mornings when the tide is low and the beach is prime for running. Running on the sidewalk is still a good run, considering it's right next to the beach (or right next to the water when the tide is really high). Even from a bit of a distance, I still love the sound of the waves, the colors as the sun rises, and the surfers bobbing in the waves. 

There's something about the ocean that draws a person to it (Jimmy Buffet knows that and has tried to describe it in a thousand ways), so even a lousy day is good at the beach. And even when I have to run on the sidewalk instead of the sand, the view is hard to beat...

Morning storm rolling in...