Mighty Burr Oak, McBaine, Missouri

Because it was so cold, the sweat that dripped from my hair onto my shirt froze.

We ate at Lucy's (in McBaine) where the food was not healthy, but the atmosphere was pure medication for the country soul. Where else could you find an American flag with John Wayne's face on it? After a 7-mile run, Mary drank a Jack and Coke (my grandmother's favorite drink).

Nike+: 7.19 miles @ 58:18 (8:05/mile)
Let's start with the weather. At 10:30 am, it was about 15 degrees, but felt like zero. I wore two layers up top - my white long sleeve shirt and the black long sleeve shirt that Mary gave me for Christmas. Down below I wore my black tights, a pair of shorts on top of them and a pair of sports underwear underneath them. I also wore my black hat and gloves and listened to my iPod. I started out somewhat cold, but not too long into the run, I warmed up and unzipped my black shirt to cool off. I also removed my gloves at about the 6 mile mark and stuffed them into my tights.
Nic, Jason, Mary, Cat (a newcomer) and I met at the MKT/Scott Blvd parking lot and carpooled to McBaine in Mary's car. Cat is the only one of us who has run a marathon. She did so in San Francisco and plans to run another one in St. Louis as part of the Team in Training program.
After a difficult week, I ended on a high note. This turned out to be a great run. The sun was shining and the landscape was beautiful. It felt good to get out of Columbia and experience a variety of senses.
We ran two loops around the Burr Oak tree. It was fun to watch Jason and Nic ahead of me as they separated from the pack. Because there was so much openness and the entire trip was flat, I could see all around me. And it felt good.
Probably because I ran faster than I should have, I struggled to speed up at the end. I think my lungs were tired.
After we finished and stretched, we drove to the mighty Burr Oak and took a few pictures. We all felt pretty good and ventured to Lucy's for some lunch. It took awhile to warm up, but we were entertained with country music on the jukebox and a colorful waiter who treated us with some small-town hospitality. And my cheeseburger was quite tasty.
It was a nice way to spend the morning and early afternoon.