Reason #23 to Love Running

My personal list of favorite running reasons so far

Apparently I've talked about a lot of reasons to love running over the years. And while some reasons are trivial and some are life-changing, there's always another reason to run:

1) Love it for yourself.

2) Run for a cause.

3) Run for another cause.

4) Run for yet another cause and for an ugly sweater competition!

5) Run in memory of someone.

6) Run for the void.

7) Run to explore.

8) Run for your resolutions.

9) Run because you're restless.

10) Run for the joy of it.

11) Run for others.

12) Run for the friendships.

13) Run to explore your vacation area.

14) Run for the race swag and the race medal.

15) Run because everyone else always does it.

16) Run for the cute clothes.

17) Run to read.

18) Run to race an Olympian.

19) Run for tuna.

20) Run for podcasts.

21) Run to find something hidden.

22) Run to make it easier.

And now for reason #23 to love running:

Espresso.

This past weekend we went to the beach to catch up with some of McCrae's family. Ocean Isle isn't too far from Wilmington and Myrtle Beach, and it has built up over the years. There are actually grocery stores nearby now, and coffeeshops and seafood shacks and a variety of people from snowbirds to year-round residents to families with young kids to rowdy college students. 

On Sunday morning, fueling my love of vacation running and exploring a place on foot, I went on a run. I ran 2 miles down to a coffeeshop near the Ocean Isle pier. We had regular drip coffee at the beach house, but I'm a coffee snob. No, actually, I don't drink coffee. I only drink espresso, and I have developed my love of espresso from age sixteen when I got hooked on Starbucks (or, when I couldn't get Starbucks, then the cheap sugary concoction from the school library's "gourmet" coffee machine) to the maturation of my espresso love in Italy, to my discovery of local artisan coffee roasters. So yeah, I'm pretty serious about my coffee. Serious enough that I'll run 4 miles round trip on a vacation for some proper espresso.

My drink of choice is usually an iced mocha. I'm not really one for hot drinks, and the iced mocha gives a nice kick of sugar in the morning to make me coherent before the caffeine kicks in (though I won't say no to a cortado or a straight shot of espresso). McCrae knows my coffee habits though, and he and his aunt had a bet about whether I'd be stubborn enough to get an iced mocha or if I'd be smart and get an espresso drink that didn't have milk.

I totally got the iced mocha.

Heat? Humidity? Ocean breeze? 2 mile run back to the house? Yeah, milk was a bad choice, but it makes for a fun memory.