Relay for Life and then some Beach

April 26, 2008


My energy level started out extremely low today; I'm sure due to some over-indulgence. This morning I did a symbolic one mile walk around a track because I missed being with my school's Relay for Life "team" on Friday night.

I've brought my bicycle again and traveling south of Jensen Beach Park I found beach parking at which to lock my bike. I then drove back to Jensen Beach Park and started a short four mile hike. Well, it would have be short if it hadn't been HIGH tide. Oh, it was step, sink, step, sink, step, sink. Not the best time to walk but I was there and already I was feeling better.

"Steven instructed the boy in his own peculiar gait. The slanting beach made the distance lower to put down one foot than the other, and the walking took this into account, so that there was no tiring from the difference. The trick was to be just a little quicker with the right foot going south, and quicker with the left foot going north. Jesse had taught him that, proclaiming him a true beach walkist when he accomplished it."
The Barefoot Mailman, Theodore Pratt (1943)

I'm not sure I'll ever be a "true beach walkist". I guess I do push off harder with the foot on the up slope. It is still slow going, more time consuming, requires more concentration and extremely tiring. I realized, as I had traveled half way, that I might not recognize the entry to my no name beach access. So the odd feeling of not really knowing where you are came into play. If I watch the time I can usually guess how far I've gone. Walking 3 miles in one hour is normal for me, but today I was slowing down due to squishy sand. Would I pass by my bike? Of course not, it was right were I left it. I was feeling much more energetic, and tooling back on the street was relaxing and fun, today the wind was too my back. I rode through a nice green golf course (Ocean Club) and past the Elliot Museum. I'm already planning for another great day tomorrow.

Section: Jensen beach Park South to Beach access (MacArthur) before Bathtub reef
Water temperature: 76
UV: 7 at noon
Wind: From the South
Tide: high, going to low?
Time: 9:30am-11am
Length: 4 miles, return by bike 4 miles
Marine animals: none
People: a few happy beach goers... crowded at the beach entries.
Beach litter: very little