Running tip #13
I don’t know of anyone else who does this, but I like to stash a thermos of hot cocoa at the halfway point of a long run in the dead of winter (complete with marshmallows or – my favorite – whipped cream!) to help me get through the bitterest of gnarly-bob days. I’m a low mileage gal, so a long run for me is only 70 minutes … but, even so, imagine how delicious that hot, creamy beverage tastes after 35 minutes of sleety, slushy, feet-soaked, hands-icy, chilled-to-the-bone running. I can tell you, it tastes like heaven! Hard core runners will argue this is a silly, unnecessary indulgence and I may have said the same thing back in my “Go for it!” days … but as I age in this sport I find myself returning to simple pleasures.
Try it on your next long run, but don’t forget to stash enough mugs (ceramic, not disposable) for your friends. You’ll love it, I promise.
I love this idea as a great pick me up to get through the second half, as a reward for getting through the first half, for a warm and fuzzy inside, and if running with friends… for sharing one more thing together (trail buddies share a lot that never leaves the trail :-).