5 miles on Fernandina Beach, FL

Well work caused me to miss my run on Tybee Island yesterday, so I was determined to get one in today. I got done with my restaurant visit in Yulee, FL and then headed east to Fernandina Beach, just north of Amelia Island. It was a beautiful afternoon, sunshine and 78 degrees. A slight breeze blowing off the ocean.

A quick Google search found me a mostly tree covered sidewalk/walking/running trail next to Amelia Island Parkway. After finding a parking spot at Scott Rd beach access, I quickly changed in my car. Once the Garmin located the satelites, I was off.

Ooops, about 30 seconds in and nature was calling big time. And it wasn't a simple matter of ducking in somewhere to pee. Both sides of the sidewalk are surrounded by trees, bushes, ponds, nature and who knows what kind of creatures. I saw an Beach access area that looked promising, but it actually led to a Condo complex. Luckily the pathway emptied at their pool area which included bathrooms. I helped myself and took care of business. Problem solved.

Back on the pathway, I quickly realized that this was going to be a tough run. Some shin/ankle discomfort was back, the heat/humdity took some getting used to, and with each step, I heard the sound of critters nearby. I don't like critters, especially the thought of snakes and gators. Luckily I didn't see any, but just the thought kept me tense. I was taunted by those little lizard things and one of my major nemesis, the squirrels, kept mocking me.

I went down, stopped about mile 1 to stretch some, then turned around and headed back. I eventually reached the end of the trail around Mile 3, another beach access spot. I took some time to enjoy the beauty. The sound and color of the ocean, the refreshing breeze blowing in off the water. The tension disappeared and as I headed back, I stopped only momentarily to watch some golfers teeing off. I finished the run strong and feeling good. Okay, so I missed my the turnoff for the car, but didn't mind the quarter mile cool down as I backtracked.

After the run, I got back in the car and drove the 2 hours back to Savannah. A perfect opportunity to reflect on the run while listening to some running podcasts; Two Gomers Run A Half Marathon and 4 Feet Running.

Three days to the Rumpshaker 5K.