Speed: 6.6 miles at a relaxed pace

Distance: 6.6 miles

Time: 66:43

Performance Stats (out of 5 ★)

Legs: ★ ★ ★ ★

Gut: ★ ★ ★ ★

Energy: ★ ★ ★ ★

Mind: ★ ★ ★ ★ .5

Overall: ★ ★ ★ ★

Soundtrack: Far East Movement, Free Wired

As we speak, I am charging my headlamp through my computer. I was very proud of bringing my morning light with me to Florida. I was even smart enough to remember to bring the special charger that goes with this thing. But, as I made my way to the elevator down to the hotel lobby this morning, I pushed the light button to find that the charge in the battery was red - no good!

I decided to give it a go anyway. For those who have been following this blog for a while, you will recall when I first got into this morning running thing, I was always doing it in the dark. Turns out, that does kinda freak me out, and I have been much more content to run with my headlamp.

Fastforward two years to today, and of course its a new moon out - so no help there. My headlamp does manage to get me almost out to the first turn-around point before cutting out. This is good, because I was able to see that there were no wandering coconuts on the sidewalk this morning! The trail is obviously unfamiliar to me, as we are down here on conference, but it is very flat, not strewn with any debris, and there are a few hotels and communities on the street that have their own lights.

I'm not sure what ended up spooking me more: the armadillo or the shirtless guy also going out for a run in the dark. I confirmed the armadillo was an armadillo with the bell hop after I got back to the hotel. Those little creatures are just so mysterious to me - since we don't have them in New England, and they are just so odd. They scamper like New York City rats, so it put the spook into me as it scurried away. The dude with his shirt off was a little more familiar, but he did seem to come out of nowhere.

So I'm charing up my headlamp, but tomorrow I may either run some in the afternoon, or switch it up and see what the gym here has to offer. We have the 5K in two days, so I may just sleep in! We'll see. Keep you posted. Enjoy the day everyone, and I hope you can get a good run in.

Hills: 45 minutes of continuous hills. Faster up the hills, easier on the flat parts.

Distance: 4.2 miles

Time: 44:44

Performance Stats (out of 5 ★)

Legs: ★ ★ ★ ★

Gut: ★ ★ ★ ★

Energy: ★ ★ ★ ★

Mind: ★ ★ ★

Overall: ★ ★ ★ ★

Soundtrack: Fun Lovin' Criminals, Crime and Punishment

Nothing better than new stuff! So after the race yesterday I took one good look at my running shoes and new it was time for a new pair. The back of the left heel was fairly worn, and the sides of the heal were starting to buckle in. I've had those shoes for about a year, and they have seen plenty of distance.

I made my way over to the New Balance store and bought a new pair of the exact same show, the 1260. I'm not exactly sure what the number stands for, but the shoe has been very reliable and came recommended by the salesman a year ago. I also purchased New Balance inserts at the time and again, and these have worked out well too. A little less pounding on the foot, and they keep you from over-pronating while running. I'm convinced these shoes did a lot to reduce my knee tendentious over the past year. The shoes felt great today, and I never missed a step (nice!). It felt like running in my old shoes, which is exactly what you want.

Since I was out, I decided also to look for a running head lamp. I found an excellent LED lamp at the local EMS. They had all sorts of kinds, but I settled on one of the brightest, and one that could be recharged. I put this on today, and ran up my steep dark hill next to my house. It was as if I was running in the day-time. Now, the whole road wasn't lit up, but I could see exactly where I was going, and where to put my feet. It certainly gives you a little more confidence that you are not going to end up on your face doing hills.

Not a bad set of purchases. Running certainly isn't the most expensive hobby, but sometimes you do have to make some investments in keeping yourself safe and healthy. One wrong step, and it's back to square one!