Running away

I do like to put cryptic titles or titles with at least dual meaning, but don't worry I was not running scared of anything.  I was away attending a conference with work for a week and managed something I have not done before (thinking back). The feat? I ran 5 days out of 7 away from home, in another country. Sounds simple I know - pack your running kit, go running.

At a conference you never quite know how much time you'll have and how draining you might find the sessions. Plus, the weather often sneaks into your (my) thinking. The conference was in Florida so I didn't have to worry too much about the latter at least. It turned out that either jet lag or good sleep left me happy to run early in the morning. I got up and about around 6am on the days I ran. I do have to confess that perhaps the biggest factor was having two conference travel companions who were going to run as well.

Clearwater Beach 6:30am, a good time to run





Clearwater Beach during the baking hot afternoons



It transpired that I ran at least 30mins up and down Clearwater beach for the five mornings that I was able. It was with a mix of companions (sometimes all of us, sometimes as a pair, and once just me), but it really did feel great. I recycled my kit each day, letting it dry out all day between runs (I only tried rinsing it out once, figuring my companions would be in the same boat I didn't worry too much about t-shirt odours). Best of all, it seemed to set me off on a good vibe each day of the conference, which I got a lot out of (but that's another story for a different place).