Tube Socks and a Smile

Our running adventure started at 6am. Karen had obligations for the day and I was heading out of town, so it just made sense to start early. I must admit I got up earlier today than I EVER rise out of bed. The sun wasn't out yet and we were depending on the few and far between lights of Laskin Road until daylight. We went all over the place including the boardwalk and First Landing Park. It was sort of lonely the first 8 or so miles since no one in their right mind was out running yet. Once we hit the park, it was much better as we began to pass other runners. The only real obstacle we hit today was flooding in the park. Sure, my feet were wet, but we managed to re-route around the deepest part.

There were 3 things that saved the day today and made the run successful. The first thing was Body Glide on my feet. Body Glide is an awesome product that prevents and in most cases eliminates chafing. I always forget to put it on my feet so I don't blister. Today, I remembered. Feet did great. The second thing was GU. I decided before the run that I would ingest 2 today. So, Chocolate Outrage at mile 5 and Vanilla Bean at mile 10. I didn't necessarily need them at those moments, but I figured it was best to just do it so I wouldn't hit rock bottom and desperately need them later. They definitely fueled me today. The last thing and my most favorite were tube socks. When we started the run it was in the high 40s temperature wise. That's kind of chilly but once you hit a certain point, you get really hot. I wasn't really feeling long sleeves or a fleece. Karen had a brilliant idea. Tube socks on your arms until you get hot. It worked! I was able to keep warm in the morning and again on the boardwalk when the wind was ridiculously cold. I need to buy some of my own now. It was the greatest discovery ever!

So, we completed 16 miles in 3 hours 11 minutes. Not really fast, but we exceeded our goal and felt good at the end. To me, that's the most important.