Today was a tough run. I had slacked this weekend and didn’t do my long run on Sunday. Time for payback, I made myself run today after work in 90 degree heat and what felt like 100% humidity… I stuck to the streets around my apartment, going down to the cul-de-sac by the water, looped down to the end of my street, then back to my building. It wasn’t too bad, but it was so hot… Not running for so many days, I could feel it. Each leg was like dragging luggage.

I ran back towards the cul-de-sac again, but this time stopping for water in my gym. I looped around again, and then went to check out my pool, which I haven’t gone to yet this year. When I got there, I was thinking I should definitely try a run with my suit on so I can strip down at the end and jump into the pool to cool down at the end. Maybe later this week if I get home early enough…

I then decided to follow this waterfront path that I keep seeing people walk along. I don’t know where it goes, or how far it extended, so decided to do some uncharted exploring. I discovered it actually goes pretty far, and on a nice day, I can see how this would a very relaxing walk… But on a day like this, the mildly fishy stench of Jersey waters was just cooking all day… Nevermind, I just needed to keep running…

A good portion of my run was on pavers. I don’t know where this falls on the hardness factor (vs. concrete or black-top pavement) but the impact wasn’t too bad and felt alright.

I run along the path to where all the building complexes end, and thought the path ended there. Then I see it continue off towards the golf course. I hesitated for a moment, but decided if it went through the golf course I wanted to see it. So I continued.

Turns out it continues along the side of it, and in private golf course fashion, it was well-concealed from view. A nicely built path was built through some marsh land where you can still view NYC. I was determined to reach the end to see if it connected to Liberty State Park.

I reached the end just as the sun was setting. The path ended where they were still completing construction on land I assume is part of the golf course. I turned to run back, focused on getting home at that point. Just as I reach the marsh land, which was nice just moments before, all the nocturnal bugs decide to come out. They all woke up all at once and began swarming around me.

I turned my run into an all out sprint… It was like the scene in that Bram Stoker’s Dracula movie where they’re racing against the sun to get back. All I have to do it is get back to the buildings… Just a little farther… You’re almost there! I pulled my baseball cap down low so it would deflect any bugs I ran into. I could feel the little knats bounce off my body, my stomach muscles began to burn I was running so hard.

I finally made it out of there and barely had enough energy to continue the run back. When I ended my run at the door of my building, the voice on my Nike+ ipod said, “Congratulations! You have a new best time on for this mile!” Well of course I did – I just sprinted the last mile at full speed!

I completed my run at an exhausting 4.56 miles with little bugs splatted on my sweaty body. Gross. (Meant to do 6 and really could not make it). Time: 55:09 minutes at 12.04 minute/mile.