The coast was a callin’, and we wholeheartedly obliged!
I couldn’t remember the last time I was in Port Aransas, which used to be mine and Sandy’s go-to getaway. So when Sandy showed me the info for the Sand Crab Beach Run, it was time to head south. I mean, how can you resist a trip to the coast and a nighttime run on the beach (with beer afterward)… oh, and dinner at our restaurant, Snoopy’s Pier? No arm twisting needed for this guy!
Of course, we couldn’t just drive down, do our run and come home. Which means we took the motorhome and made it a 5-day mini vacation. Why not, right?
This is not an in-depth review of every thing we did, but I wanted to share some highlights. One of those was I.B. Magee Beach Park.
This is definitely a no-frills park, but it was right on the beach where our run would start/finish. The staff was great, and the location was perfect. We would definitely stay here again.
The Port Aransas Sand Crab Beach Run is put on by Run In Texas, a group that holds several “off the beaten path” races throughout the year. This years’ race benefitted Friends of the ARK, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting the Animal Rehabilitation Keep (ARK) in Port Aransas. This was mine and Sandy’s first official night time run, and it was a cool experience. Running on the beach presents its own set of challenges, but adding the element of darkness was even more fun. (Does everyone go to the beach and dig holes the size of VW’s now? Did I miss the memo?) I did get to make good use of my Coast HL7 Headlamp (check out my review), we had a great time and managed to avoid injuries!
A highlight of our trip was meeting some fellow Dopey runners at the Sand Crab. Michelle and Rusty Jones are co-founders of My Team Triumph – Wings of Texas, an athletic ride-along program created for children, teens, adults, and veterans with disabilities who would normally not be able to experience endurance events such as triathlons or road races.
Not only will they be running the Dopey Challenge with us in January, they will be pushing their son Charlie, and friend Lori for the entire 48.6 miles! It’s always fun to hang out with fellow runners, but it’s really cool to meet folks who are tackling the same challenge as you and going a step further to share the experience with others who would otherwise not be able to. That’s effin’ awesome! By the way, their Wings of Texas 5k is taking place on October 7 at Cole Park in Corpus Christi. Sadly, we will be on the road from the Mother Road Half in Joplin, MO, but we will be doing the virtual race option. Please check out this awesome group, and show them some love!
After making it through our beach run unscathed, we were ready to enjoy more of the Third Coast. Swimming in the Gulf and a trip to the Blue Ghost, the USS Lexington, rounded out the rest of our island time. One last run on the beach, and we rolled north in the “Mighty Kangaroo.”
See ya soon Port “A”!
