Indian Runner

Report:
Very slow run overall but I spent a lot of time dicking around on the beach and at various points on the trail. Every now and then I just felt the need to stop and smell the farts.

Seriously though, this run went much better than expected. I felt like I could go further but I didn't want to make things worse by over-doing it. So I kept trying to tell myself to play it safe and to just go with the plan. And for the most part, that's what I did. The run itself wasn't too exciting. Except for the four trips, three deer, and one fall. Yep. I tripped four times. Three were early in the run and the fourth was near the end. All were because I wasn't paying attention to where I was going. The three deer scared the crap out of me. One I damn near tackled as I ran around the corner. He bolted so fast he nearly fell over. And the fall was thankfully not that bad. I was stepping over a downed tree branch and my foot got caught in a vine. I was walking so I was easily able to catch myself with one hand. Still felt like it came out of nowhere though.

The beach was nice as usual. The swamp was draining out and the tide was low. I got there early enough to see the foam still frozen on the beach. The early morning frost made the boardwalks extra slippery but I walked them all to ensure I didn't slide too far if I fell. Although many of them snapped, crackled, and popped when I walked on them. Guess they were a bit cold since it certainly had nothing to do with my weight.

The Beach. You may be able to see the frozen froth/foam in some of these.

The Trail.

Trying to strike a pose like Lauren.

Weather:
Temps were 25F at the start and maybe 40F to 45F when I finished. Frost on the ground for the first mile or two with some still left in the shadows by the end. Sun was out in full. Not really any wind.

Fluids and Fuel:
Breakfast was a burrito, egg, yogurt, and iced coffee. During the run I had a bottle of Hammer Fizz that I finished and plain water in my hydration pack (which I finished about half of). Recovery was Hammer Recoverite followed by lunch which was another burrito and an iced latte.

Aches and Pains:
My left Achilles felt tweaky but I think that's because I haven't used it much and I was trying to grind up the hills with a bit of a different form than normal. Beyond that, felt okay. Upper respiratory system didn't like the cold air or the effort but it survived.

Gear:
Wore my new arm sleeve coach with the map of the trails. Worked great. Took my recorder but didn't use it. Took lots of photos with my GoPro. Nothing else too extra ordinary beyond that. Although I did wear my neck gator as a hat instead of a regular hat. Worked great.

Codename - Indian Runner
The first deer I spooked wasn't very close but the second was close enough I could see he had four points. The third one I was able to pretty much sneak up on although that wasn't my intent. I was running softly and quietly enough to scare the shit out of him. Made me feel good that I wasn't clomping like a horse (like I've been known to do in the past).

Splits:
None. So suck it.