By Bill Quain
This week’s Six Words on a Boardwalk Bench are quite personal. I’m going to let you in on a part of my life I don’t often share. As my long-time readers know, I am almost totally blind. My days of actually seeing things on the boardwalk are long gone, but I still run on the boards. Each year I compete in a series of races, including the New Year’s Day 5k and the always exciting Ocean City Half Marathon. This year the half marathon (13.1 miles) is scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 22.
My Boardwalk Run: North to South
When I was younger and my eyesight was better, I ran alone. Years ago, as a teenager, I worked as a cook at Dean’s Pancake House on 12th and the boardwalk. Labor laws were a lot different back then, and I worked a “split shift” from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and then from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Most days I would run before work, but at least twice a week I’d get off at 2 p.m., rush home to our cottage on 1753 West, run on the beach to 59th street and back, take a quick shower, and be at work – usually on time – for that afternoon shift.
But, as I got older, I became a boardwalk runner – just one of many. There’s nothing like it! It’s a 5-mile round-trip run. Want to do 10 miles? No probs – just do a double loop. North Street to 23rd , that boardwalk is a runner’s paradise.
You Always Know Where You Are
There are so many landmarks on the boardwalk. You always know exactly where you are, and how far you have to go. In the old days, no one had a GPS tracker that told them “You have run 3 miles…” But that didn’t matter on the boards. Beginning at the North end and heading South, the scenery started with the Lifeguard Station, and in those days, wound between two rows of restaurants and shops. Today there’s just Ove’s and Brown’s, and nothing more until you get to the condos at Park Place, formerly the Delaware Hotel. And then you start getting to the heart of the boards – all the amusements, pizza places, arcades and shops from 6th to 14th. Does anyone remember the Smuggler’s Shop? Past 14th Street, you hit the Ocean City Fishing Club (I’m a proud member), the Port-O-Call, the 17th Street Grill (long gone) and the long line of residences on the Gold Coast, with a turn-around at 23rd. Like the rest of the runners, I could set my pace to the second as I passed those familiar landmarks.
Don’t Forget to Touch The Railing
Of course, every runner, biker and walker knows that there are strict rules that apply when you “reach the end.” You have to touch the railing! It’s almost a law. Does anyone remember the man who used to sit on the bench at the North End and “stamp” people’s hands? He gave you a choice between a crab and a starfish. It’s been years since I’ve seen him, and I suppose that’s not good news.
Thanks To Jeanne, I Still “See”
While I sometimes run the boards with a human running guide or with my guide dog Trudy, my main guide is my wife, Jeanne. She rides her bike, wearing a bright yellow “GUIDE” vest, while I run behind her wearing a “BLIND” vest. And thanks to her, I now “see” the boardwalk again. Jeanne describes where we are by telling me things like “Here’s the Pavilion” (17th and 20th), or “There’s the Statue of Liberty” (between 19th and 20th.) Of course, there are places I can still find, like the condos on Park Place, (the wind always changes directions on the corner of that building), as well as Ove’s and Brown’s (I can smell the donuts, bacon and home fries). Jeanne will also tell me when she spots something unusual, like a fox scampering in the dunes.
There’s Two Singles and One Couple
On the “skinny” ends of the boardwalk we often have to pass walkers. Jeanne describes the scene ahead. We have code words. “Single” is obvious (passing one person), but it can get way more complicated. “We’re coming up on two singles, one couple, and a stroller,” or “Slow down – we have to pass someone but there are bikes coming towards us.” A few weeks ago, Jeanne was describing a bike with an attached cart that had been chained to the railings on about 18th street. It was apparently sticking out pretty far. As she described the obstacle, a runner who had just passed us stopped and moved the bike to the side, and without a glance back at us, went on his way.
All The Memories Come Flooding Back
For me, it’s like seeing again. I always know exactly where I am, and how far it is to go. When we run the half marathon, we leave the boardwalk at 9th, run Asbury to Battersea to Gardens Parkway, then across the Longport Bridge, and turn around and head back to the far northern entrance to the boards. A quick stop at the restrooms, and we’re off down the boardwalk, getting off at 23rd, running round-trip to 36th, and then back to 9th. I can tell you that those “off-the-boards” parts are murder! But get me back on the boardwalk, and I’m in the driver’s seat! After 72 summers in Ocean City, most of them running on the boardwalk, I have an internal GPS.
Share Your Boardwalk Sightings with Us
How about you? Do you have an O.C. Boardwalk GPS? And most importantly, do you always “touch” at the ends of the boardwalk? Send me an email to bill@quain.com. And as I say each week, I’ll see ya’ in the papers!
Bill is a Professor in Stockton University’s Hospitality Management Program. He is the author of 27 books, and a highly-respected speaker. Even though he is almost totally blind, Bill is a long-distance runner and runs the Ocean City Half Marathon each year. He lives in Ocean City with his wife Jeanne, and his Guide Dog Trudy. Visit www.billquain.com or email him at bill@quain.com.
