10k Halloween Morning

Era of WTF………joy and resistance

It’s the last day of October, and a Friday Halloween morning. I gave my students an alternative assignment since all classes after 12:10 p.m. are cancelled. The streets in Salem will be closed, and it’ll be hard to get in—and even harder to get out—as crowds begin to pour into the city. Halloween falling on a Friday means it’ll be especially packed this year. I’m not even going to bother trying to hold class, even though both of mine are before 12:15.

I decided that a good way to end the month—and to celebrate, since I don’t dress up—would be to go for a run on the beach. It’s warm enough, and if I go early, it should be quiet. I just need lots of lights and bright gear. It’s been a while since I’ve run on Revere Beach, and even longer since I’ve done a 10K. I think the last time was the Boston 10K for Women in October.

Layered up and lit up, I made my way to the beach. It’s always hard getting started, but once I hit mile one or two, I usually find my rhythm. I stopped often to take pictures and soak in the scenery. Starting in the still darkness, running by moonlight with cars passing and lights glowing from nearby businesses, is one thing—but watching the sky change colors as night turns to day is something else entirely. The sunrise, the vibrant colors—it literally took my breath away.

Since I wasn’t dressing up this year, I decided to enjoy the Halloween spirit by checking out the yard decorations along the beach. There weren’t as many as I expected, but there were enough to make it feel festive. On my way back—the run was an out-and-back—I saw kids waiting for the school bus. Not as many costumes as I imagined; maybe they were wearing them under jackets, or maybe I just couldn’t tell.

For this run, I used a 3:1 run/walk interval and finished the 10K in 1:19:19.