Is there anything nicer than a Saturday morning run? I usually work out later in the day. But today is a day of multiple birthday celebrations, so I decided to get my run in early. The morning air was cool but still. I was slightly over-dressed for the 50-degree air but the cool air was refreshing on my face as I headed out.
There's a long stretch of smooth, sandy beach on a saltwater estuary only a few miles from my house. I try to incorporate this section into many of my runs because it feels amazing to be that close to nature. It doesn't matter whether it's winter or summer - the place is always inspiring. But the spring is an extra special time because that's when the Osprey's return after a long winter. They are almost majestic in the way they circle high above the beach looking for their next meal, reminding me of how nice breakfast will be when this run is over!
The tide determines how much beach is available to run on. If I time it right, and the tide is low, I can run about 2/3's of a mile on nicely packed sand. Those are the best days! On the other hand, sometimes my timing is not so great, and the high tide erases the beach, forcing me to alter my route to a scenic hillside instead, giving me glimpses of my favorite spot from above, which still isn't too bad to handle!
After the beach, I managed to tack on another 4 miles or so, bringing my tally up to 6 miles in all. Not too bad for a geezer. Of course, headphones were tuned to my favorite station Martha's Vineyard Radio (MVY Radio). In earlier times, a simple FM radio would have easily received the signal from where it originated a few miles across Vineyard Sound. But in these high-tech days, my signal took a slightly different route and arrived to my trusty iPhone after having first traveled through some combination of underwater cables and cellular towers. But that works too. Saturday mornings are a special treat musically because my favorite DJ Polly Simpkins plays a fantastic mix of older and newer tunes, ranging from the Beatles, Stones, Grateful Dead, U2, and Coldplay to newer material from Jason Isbell, Nathaniel Rateliff, Toots and the Maytals, just to name a few. There's something nostalgic about letting live DJs pick the music, especially after I've become bored with my own playlists. It's also kind of quaint hearing the hourly updates about wave heights and how many cars and trucks are line lined up to take the ferry. But most importantly, just when I'm gasping up a hill, a great version of Fix You by Coldpay comes on and gets me to the top!
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2 Comments
I like that piece about listening to your favorite radio station. I don't have a go-to radio station, but I do have some podcasts that I habitually visit: The Breakfast Club and the Bible in a Year with Fr. Mike.
ReplyDeleteI think I began to tune into the Breakfast Club when one of the hosts, Charlemagne the God, interviewed the then candidate Joe Biden, during which he made another ill-conceived comment, "You ain't Black if you vote for Trump." It drew a lot of media attention. It eventually led me to listen to the station regularly and it offers me great perspective into understanding racism and its effects on America and Americans. The other podcast speaks for itself. The narrator Fr. Mike follows a particular program of reading through the Bible. He takes the major chapters, moves to the Psalms, offers a prayer, and concludes with his understanding of the chapters read. I started it in Lent, and it too has grown on me.
I may give your MVY a shot, but my music preferences are quite eclectic. I like reggae, Ghanaian highlife, musica romantica, R&B, some rap featured on the Breakfast Club, 1980s, Beatles, musical hits, (Hamilton, JC Superstar, Fiddler), and many others. Well, always great to read one of your postings. Keep up the great work. I love how descriptive your writing has become, especially about the Osprey.
Hey Matt, yes definitely check out MVYRadio. You can stream it right from the app or iTunes, iHeartradio etc. I will check out the 2 you mentioned above too. Kind of partial to the name Fr. Mike ;)
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