Bermuda: Day Three

On our last morning in Bermuda, my sister and I decided to run the route that had been recommended to me by a local runner, so we walked down to Horseshoe Bay.  After a brief debate, we decided to keep our sneakers on for Horseshoe Bay because we'd want them for the path at the other end.  It was hot, and I soon fell behind my sister.

At the far end of the beach, we turned up the hill and found the path that runs just inside the coastline to the next beach.  The path was grassy in some places, sandy/rocky in others.  It took us past a few smaller beaches and a campground.  We even ran right by the guy who'd told me about this run!  By the time we finally hit the parking lot connecting the beaches, I was drenched and thirsty. 

Once we arrived at Warwick Long Bay Beach, we kicked off our shoes and placed them far enough up on the sand that they wouldn't get wet.  I ran deeper in the water than I had the day before to cool off.  It slowed me down, but honestly, we weren't moving very quickly anyway.  At the far end of the beach we paused to admire the view, and then we ran back to our shoes.

After that, our run pretty much became a brisk walk back to the concession stand at Horseshoe Bay for some water.  With our "run" out of the way, we had a big lunch and spent the afternoon poolside.

The moral of the story is that it's hard to run very far in Bermuda.  Perhaps the people shelling out $15 a day to run on the hotel treadmills had the right idea!  It was fun trying, though, and I did pick up this little tidbit: "locating satellites" isn't any faster on an island than it is in NYC.  Crazy, huh?

-Gym Belle-

Bermuda: Day Two

Sunday morning, I decided to try running along the beach.  I went to Horseshoe Bay Beach, a public beach next to the hotel's beach.  It was quiet, hot and humid.  At the far end, some boxers were sparring.  Where I started, a few older men were hanging out and preparing to swim.  The water had been rough recently because of the nearby hurricanes, but today looked good.

Horseshoe Bay Beach

The beach was just under a quarter of a mile long.  I managed to run four laps before I needed to stop for water.  It was HOT.  As I drank, I noticed that the local runners were running barefoot.  I've been curious about barefoot running for a while, so I decided to give it a shot.  I put my shoes and socks on a rock and did a few more laps.

When the waves hit the shore, I had water up to my shins or knees.  When the waves receded, there was just sand beneath my feet, rushing back toward the sea, scraping my soles.  The surface was unsteady and I moved somewhat slowly.  The splashing was fun, though, and it really took the edge off the heat.  At one point, I ran past a fish.  That was cool.

 Where I left my shoes 

After I was done with my run, I chatted with one of the locals.  He told me that the best running path in the area started at Horseshoe Bay Beach and finished on Warwick Long Bay Beach.  The two beaches are connected by a path.  I decided that this would be my run for Monday.

Later that day, after spending some time at the hotel's beach, I decided to check out that path.  I didn't get very far.  I quickly came across a little cliff with a nice view.  I decided to sit for a while.

The view from my perch

While I sat, I saw a couple climb down the cliff to the beach below.  Monkey see, monkey do, so I climbed down, too.

Where I climbed down

I chilled at the bottom for a while, until a group of teenagers took over the area.   

View from the beach

Then I climbed back up and trekked back to the hotel.

(To be continued...)

-Gym Belle-

Bermuda: Day One

If you look closely, you can see Mom and Dad on their balcony.My mom, sister and I surprised my Dad with a trip to Bermuda over Labor Day weekend in honor of his 60th birthday.  (I think it's safe to say he was surprised, and that my mom is very proud of herself for pulling it off.)

My sister and I arrived at the Fairmont Southampton late Friday night.  Saturday morning, I woke up eager to check out the fitness center.  The previous week had been something of a bust exercise-wise because of work and my shoulder.  I was feeling better, so I really wanted to get back in the gym.

The gym was nice enough, but when I got down there, I learned that the hotel charges $15 per day to use the fitness center.  It never fails to amaze me that when I stay at Holiday Inns, I get free wireless, access to the gym and breakfast, and when I stay at these nice places, they charge for everything! I decided to pay for one day.

Me in oceanThe gym had a number of treadmills and other cardio machines, a small circuit of Cybex weight machines, lots of those big balls people use for crunches, and a large assortment of dumbbells.  I planned on running during the trip, but figured I'd save that for the beaches.  I stuck to weights. 

I also did pull-ups on Cybex rack that's usually used for back squats and bench presses.  The bar was resting on the highest rung, which was the perfect height for me.  I could just reach up and grab the bar.  I didn't need a two foot bench (like I do at CrossFit Metropolis) or even to stand on my tippie-toes.  This was new.  I did lots of pull-ups.  Don't get excited, they weren't consecutive.  But I did a lot of singles.  I thought about practicing my kipping, but felt too self-conscious about how that would look.  I did single pull-ups till my arms were done.  That felt good.

Along the road where we ranLater that day, I hit the ocean.  I most splashed around, but I did swim a little bit. At around five o'clock, my sister was ready to run.  I figured that was a good idea, despite the 85 degree temperature and near 100% humidity.  We got instructions from the concierge and set off in different directions.  Not even 10 minutes later, we found each other. Neither of our routes looked promising.  The sidewalk-less roads were narrow and the cars fast.  Also, we were drenched.  We trekked on in a different direction for another few minutes, and called it quits thinking we'd figure out a different run for the next day.

(To be continued...)

-Gym Belle-