Clean Start

Yesterday was a very productive day, highlighted by the fact that I was able to test out a theory that I have had for a while...it is possible for me to work out at a semi-reasonable hour in the morning (as in, not before 5 am) and still beat the traffic to get into the office early.

I helped to coordinate a series of meetings off site in Santa Monica at the Annenberg Community Beachhouse, a state-owned, public space that can be rented out for meetings and events. We were over in the guesthouse, which opens right up to the beach. This was certainly an inspiring and enjoyable venue for the day, but not the secret to my productivity.

I have been thinking for some time that there has to be a way to leverage all of the gorgeous beach mileage along PCH for a run...the challenge is how I would shower, dress and get to work without going all the way home. There are surfer showers outside of the bathrooms along the beach front...the plan is brewing!

I had an early conference call, so I got up, dressed in my running clothes, packed my stuff for the day and drove to the beach. I took my conference call (notes & all!) from the parking lot, then when we finished up at 7:30, off I went. It was a great run (a fast 5K, I just did a 13.1 miles the day before yesterday), and when I finished, I changed into my flip flops, grabbed my towel, a bag with some shampoo and sauntered over to the showers.

If you have not ever stuck your head under a shower head at the beach on 60 degree morning, I might warn you to prepare yourself for the shock of the cold. I have no right complaining because our friends are in sub-zero temperatures back east and I CHOSE to shower at the beach, but wow. Cold is not quite the word that sums it up. This is a blast of icy that will make even the heartiest of ocean-swimmers hyperventilate.

The good news in this story is that I showed up to the meeting nice and clean (and wearing a fleece jacket, I am sure that several people were wondering why) and have decided that this will be a ritual that I repeat. I might, however, wait until things warm up just a little bit more here on the gentle west coast.