Tuesday, March 25, 2025

Drive to Florida - Day 2

 I got a reasonably good night sleep in Columbia SC and was up at 5am for a quick coffee and out the door at 545am.  I was nervous about traffic and worried that if it went very slowly I might miss the timing to check in and get my uniform.

Started out the day with a nice run on the Columbia River Canal.  I was surprised to find that the trail was well lit and I didn't need my headlamp.  It was cool and comfortable as I slowly woke up.







Next up was a long drive to Savanah GA for a run on the McQueens Historic Trail.  I'd biked on this trail a couple of years ago but never ran there.  It was sunny, windy, and in the 50s when I got there at 
930.  I put in my second 3.33 mile run of the day (aiming for 10 miles in three runs).  The trail was a bit rocky, not the greatest footing but not terrible either.  The tailwind at the end was nice.



Next was a 2 hour drive to White Oak GA for the Georgia Coast Rail Trail. This trail was a mix of grass and dirt and was also a bit rocky.  It wasn't that bad and definitely a pleasant place to run as much of it was shaded.






That was the conclusion of my planned runs although I was hoping I'd get to Gainesville early enough to check out the XC course.  there was a bit of traffic but I was able to make it to packet pick-up by 2pm (although it wasn't easy to find).  After that I drove the 15 minutes to the XC course and tested out my road racing shoes over the 2km (1.2 miles) loop.  I decided it was a bit rough for road shoes and would got with XC spikes.  Calling this a "golf course" is a bit of a push.  It USED TO BE a golf course would be more accurate.  We'd have ups/downs, sand, and potholes to deal with along with generally rough footing.








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