I ran in Ocean City, MD last week! Where I proved empirically that boardwalk runs > all other runs. FACT.
You may recall my route from last year – up and back on the boardwalk. This time around I added the last little bit I had missed before to one of my runs, and it was so much less than I thought it would be; it barely added .4 miles to my overall total. But it was shaded, so there’s that!
Not much has changed about the run since before, so I don’t feel the need to offer a play-by-play (quick rundown: hot, kinda had to pee the second time, but I knocked out a total ten miles over two vacation mornings so not bad, right?). However, I do want to expound upon the virtues of a feature I rarely encounter: the humble water fountain.
I know of three water fountain stations along the OC boardwalk, and they bring me such exceeding great joy I can’t even tell you. It’s wonderfully freeing on an outdoor run knowing that even though you have burdened yourself with nary a water bottle there are still multiple chances for hydration as you go. The sun was especially bright on the first morning and I was sweating like, as they say, WOAH, but the water fountains saved me.
As a bonus, they provide fantastic motivation later in the run when you’re starting to flag. You just have to tell yourself: keep running until you hit the next water fountain! You can stop and have a drink then!
In conclusion, I love water fountains and would happily trade the movie rights to my first born in exchange for someone installing a bunch of them along my running trail at home.
In alternate conclusion, you should know that this is a real place in Ocean City and you can go there and eat food.
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