It's July and I'm running on a Hatteras beach. I've chosen the wrong time of day for a run. It's hot and the tide is almost in, so I'm presented with the choice of dodging the incoming surf to run on the hard pack or squishing through the soft mounds of dry sand.

If anyone asks, I'm not just running, I'm training. But no one asks. I slip by as unnoticed as the mirage of heat that dances in the distance or the sea foam that disappears in rainbow bubbles at the edge of each finger of encroaching surf.

I imagine myself a gull cruising smoothly just above the breaking waves, casting a blue flowing shadow on the brown of the sand.

I pass the toddlers digging holes, wet dogs chasing Frisbees, sizzling sunbathers and scuttling ghost crabs. Farther on, the houses are behind me, then the marina recedes from view as well.

I duck under spidery fishing lines and nod to anglers mesmerized by the bobbing arcs of their surf rods. The deep boom of the ferry horn calls from beyond the dunes as passengers head out for a day at Okracoke.

I've run this same stretch of beach for more than two decades, usually one week in June or July on a family vacation.

But I knew this year would be different. I'm alone on this beach run — no husband waiting with his beach reading and morning coffee or afternoon beer in an Adirondack chair on the upper deck of the beach house.

My children are grown and sleeping lazily in the arms of others who love them.

Despite the profound changes in my life since my last beach run, this one is surprisingly like any of the others before it in any year or decade.

If I try, I can almost become that younger, faster version of me, the one who steals away for a speed workout between Seashore Ranger talks and a trip to the aquarium. Or the one who leaves her husband in charge of the digging of holes and building of sandcastles, of catching crabs under a bucket until she returns to make chowder or to steam fresh shrimp for lunch.

My beach runs were always wedged between other vacation activities, filling in the cracks and spaces of a family vacation. Now that I have no one waiting. I could run as long as I wish. But after all these years, habits are habits. My runs are still measured mostly in minutes, not hours.

I choose a spot in the distance where the sand juts out into the sea for a destination and estimate five more minutes until I reach my turnaround point —- or not. I could choose to keep running until sundown or exhaustion.

I imagine that one day I will simply run down the beach and not return. My family eventually would find me, not stopped dead in my tracks like Mark, whose big heart finally quit from years of loving life too much, but wandering aimlessly and exhausted, having forgotten the way home.

I'll spend the next July in a room in Pennsylvania instead of in an Outer Banks beach house and my children will visit on their way to vacation.

"Remember when we used to go to the beach?" my son will ask. And I'll smile and think of this day and this run and the sand squishing out from under my shoes.

Plan ahead

Sign up for the 2011 Dick's Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon, Half Marathon or Marathon Relay on Monday to receive a $10 discount on individual registrations or $20 off relay registration at www.pittsburghmarathon.com

Upcoming events

Saturday, 8 a.m.: Up-N-Running Group Run, Valencia. 724-898-2525 or shoes@runpa.com

Saturday, 8:30 a.m.: Run for Roch 5K, Mount Washington, Pittsburgh. 412-488-0912 or run4roch@comcast.net

Saturday, 9 a.m.: Turtle Trot Run and Walk 5K, Turtle Creek. Offers $1,000 in prize money. 412-349-0777

Aug. 7, 8 a.m.: Allegheny General Hospital Running Clinic, Pittsburgh. Free parking and T-shirt. 877-284-2000

Aug. 7, 9 a.m.: St. Barnabas 5K, Gibsonia. 724-444-5512 or www.stbarnabas5k.com

Aug. 8, 7:30 a.m.: Family YMCA Triathlon, North Park. 700-meter swim in pool, 12.5-mile bike ride, 3.1-mile trail run. 724-934-9622

Aug. 13, 6 p.m.: Titusville YMCA 5K, Titusville. 814-827-3931 or klkrepps@worldconnx.net

Aug. 14, 8:30 a.m.: Roebling's Run 5K, Saxonburg. 724-898-2525

Aug. 14, 8:30 a.m.: Brookline Breeze 5K, Brookline. 412-571-3222 or www.brooklinebreeze.com

Aug. 14, 9 a.m.: Rimersburg Cookie Daze 5K, Rimersburg. 814-473-6427

Aug. 14, 8 p.m.: Howl at the Moon 5K, Beaver. Run on high school track. 724-622-7637 or stevegoldcamop@yahoo.com

Aug. 18, 7 p.m.: Courtney's Ice Cream Race 5k, Grove City. 724-866-1374 or smc@runhigh.com

Aug. 21, 9 a.m.: Running on Mars 5K, Mars. 724-898-2184 or runningonmars5k@zoominternet.net

Aug. 21, 9 a.m.: Specialty Orthopaedica 5K Run and Walk, Hermitage. Benefits Disabled American Veterans of Mercer County. 724-347-3422

Aug. 21, 1 p.m.: Run for Hunger Trail Challenge, Freeport. Choice of half marathon, 4-mile trail run or 2-mile scenic hike starting at Birdsfoot Golf Club. Post race spaghetti dinner. Online registration only at RunRace.net. Call 724-295-3656 or e-mail tomparenti@yahoo.com for information

Aug. 24, 7 p.m.: Quality Life Cup Series 5K, Mercer. Fourth in series. 724-431-0770, Ext. 2104 or MikeL@QualityLifeServices.com

Aug. 28, 6:30 a.m.: Baker Trail UltraChallenge 50-Mile Ultramarathon and Relay, Schenley. 412-512-4544 or ultrachallenge@rachelcarsontrails.org

Aug. 28, 9 a.m.: Baptist Bash 5K Race and Walk, Ford City. Starts near Lenape Schools. 724-859-4466 or hondo262@windstream.net

Race results

Cross Country Crusade 5K, July 10: Owen Venesky, 1st Overall M, 17:36; Corey Steinhagen, 2nd Overall M, 18:21; Brian Tackett, 3rd Overall M, 18:43; Shannon Evanchec, 1st Overall W, 22:10; Emily Hertweck, 2nd Overall W, 22:35; Holly Bauer, 3rd Overall W, 23:19; John Ciafre, 1st Masters M, 22:22; Tim Vantine, 2nd Masters M, 22:32Dorothy Moxie, 1st Masters W, 24:00; Mike Klier, 3rd Masters M, 25:04; Gineen Dutkovic, 2nd Masters W, 25:46; Kim Sonafelt, 3rd Masters W, 27:40; Van McCarren, 1st 15-19 M, 19:27; Alex Cetnar, 2nd 15-19 M, 20:20; Michael Beamer, 3rd 15-19 M, 20:44; Clayton Shaffer, 1st 30-34 M, 20:53; Adam Sudano, 1st 10-14 M, 22:05; Thomas Steinhagen, 1st 20-24 M, 22:19; Robert Sforza, 1st 35-39 M, 22:55; Jay Hagerman, 2nd 20-24 M, 23:26Tena Petit, 1st 15-19 W, 24:24; Katelyn Jones, 24:27; Andrew Kingan, 2nd 10-14 M, 24:58; Abigail Jones, 2nd 10-14 W, 26:24; Eric Hacker, 3rd 10-14 M, 26:37; Nicole Binnie, 2nd 15-19 W, 26:49; Nicole Khoury, 1st 35-39 W, 27:38; Jeff Kiley, 3rd 20-24 M, 27:08Jinny Hertweck, 2nd 35-39 W, 27:38; Jim Clark, 2nd 35-39 M, 28:55; Keith Vollerg, 1st 45-49 M, 29:00; Dawn Brahler, 3rd 35-39 W, 29:01; Kayla Mickey, 3rd 10-14 W, 29:36; Jim Fritz, 1st 55-59 M, 29:53; Jason Hoerth, 2nd 30-34 M, 30:01; Tom Karenbauer, 1st 40-44 M, 30:04Angela Mencer, 1st 30-34 W, 30:07; Frank Prazenica, Jr., 1st 60-64 M, 30:33; Barb Spreng-Volek, 2nd 45-49 W, 31:36; Scott Thomas, 2nd 40-44 M, 32:05; Debra Kuminkoski, 3rd 45-49 W, 32:23; Jesse Allen, 2nd 55-59 M, 32:32; Becky DeSantis, 1st 60-64 W, 33:47; Janis Hackett, 1st 50-54 W, 33:50; Chris Ott, 2nd 45-49 M, 33:57; David McConahy, 1st 65-69 M, 35:33; Marcia Semple, 1st 65-69 W, 37:08 Margretta Lutz, 1st 75 and W, 37:10; Bethany Turner, 1st 20-24 W, 42:03; Jackie Fennell, 1st 40-44 W, 42:06Ben Kingan, 21:19; Paul Kletzli, 22:00; Philip Kletzli, 22:59; Ethan Hacker, 23:03; Jyri Gray, 23:05; James Reich, 25:00; Sam Ott, 25:35; Carter Hoerth, 29:23; Lauren Karenbauer, 30:02; Theresa Crytzer, 34:30; Lisa Dentino, 43:20

Quality Life Series Race No. 3, July 13: Jed Christiansen, 1st Overall M, 15:31; Chris Geddis, 2nd Overall M, 16:40; Steve Strelick, 3rd Overall M, 17:08; Leslie Kramer, 1st Overall W, 19:18; Tasha Wheatley, 2nd Overall W, 19:54; Jeanette Boyd, 3rd Overall W, 20:26; Kurt Brown, 1st Masters M, 19:08; Tim Monfre, 2nd Masters M, 19:10; Cindy Grimm, 1st Masters W, 25:11; Cindy Suber, 2nd Masters W, 28:06; George Kelly, 1st 19 and under M, 17:21Dan Dygert, 1st 30-39 M, 17:36; Peter Boyd, 2nd 30-39 M, 18:01; Ben Mourer, 1st 20-29 M, 18:43; Jon McCulough, 1st 50-59 M, 20:07; Lloyd Grimes, 1st 40-49 M, 20:15; Joshua Denny, 2nd 19 and under M, 20:28; Holly Bauer, 1st 30-39 W, 20:54; Kevin Lutz, 2nd 20-29 M, 21:35; Matt Drohan, 2nd 40-49 M, 21:51; Curt Grimm, 1st 60-69 M, 22:00; Melanie Lutz, 1st 20-29 W, 22:01; Eric Fritch, 3rd 30-39 M, 22:05; Mitch Radella, 3rd 40-49 M, 22:14; David Donahue, 2nd 50-59 M, 23:10; Taylor Edwards, 2nd 20-29 W, 23:27Brendan Knox, 3rd 19 and Under M, 23:28; David Adams, 2nd 60-69 M, 23:48; Joe Davis, 3rd 20-29 M, 23:56; Ted George, 3rd 50-59 M, 24:21; Lou Alakson, 3rd 60-69 M, 24:25; Tanya Ambrose, 2nd 30-39 W, 24:33; Tracy Newman, 3rd 30-39 W, 24:51; Lindsey Cimono, 3rd 25-29 W, 25:09; Emily Jones, 1st 19 and under W, 25:20; Dez Csizmadia, 1st 70 and over M, 26:02; Debra Kuminkoski, 2nd 40-49 W, 29:50; Autumn Holt, 2nd 19 and under W, 31:16; Sherrie Mazurek, 1st 50-59 W, 29:33Kris Snyder, 2nd 50-59 W, 31:34; Ruth Cochran, 3rd 40-49 W, 31:54; Susan Tassey, 3rd 50-59 W, 35:50; Becky Todorich, 3rd 19 and under W, 36:04; Jean Dobay, 1st 60-69 W, 38:28; Ellen McElhaney, 2nd 60-69 W, 49:50; Arthur Joachim, 2nd 70 and over M, 58:50Brian Cochran, 22:15; Bob Kline, 23:17; Clint Hartle, 23:45; Bruce Hall, 23:58; P.J. Winkler, 24:16; David Suber, 24:28; Benjamin Edwards, 24:37; John Antinossi, 24:59; Dave King, 25:07; Carrie Smith, 25:08; Brad Bowser, 25:58; Tony Sunseri, 26:20; Carrie Dever, 26:43Jason Myers, 27:32; Frank Tarantine, 27:37; Ken Tack, 27:48; Angie Fritch, 27:50; Kip Linger, 29:38; Tabitha Kupec, 29:44; John Casteel, 31:25; Jesse Allen, 33:33; Peter Winkler, 35:07; Dana Hogue, 35:28; Amy McElhaney, 35:55; James Bell, 37:31; Gary Miller, 37:34; Tracy Pattan, 38:52; Erin Hartle, 39:13; Keith Day, 39:49; Pam Miller, 40:45; Karissa Kusick, 40:48; Bridget Casteel, 41:18; Diana Barnhart, 41:37; Kayla Wolford, 43:28; James Hayes, 43:30; Alex Brochetti, 44:19; Jan Berg, 45:23; Jason Ligas, 46:27; Debra Sonntag, 49:56Send comments and suggestions to: 435 Cherry Valley Road, Saxonburg PA 16056. Phone: 724-352-4395. E-mail: lotzak@consolidated.netPat Neubert is the running columnist for the Butler Eagle.