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* '''Shoes.''' The [[Modified Nike Free]] again served me well. The open toes did mean that I got sand and grit in them when I was walking on some of the soft trails with Amy and Vince, but other than that, they did great. (Interestingly, the open toes are not a problem when running, even on gravel or soft dirt, but when walking they scoop up all sort of junk.)
* '''Swollen Feet.''' Rather like the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Curious_Incident_of_the_Dog_in_the_Night-Time|Dog that didn’t bark] my feet were notable for not swelling. I would love to know why I had no problem, as normally I have some level of swelling on a race this long.
* '''Ice. ''' Normally when the weather is as hot as it was at Hinson Lake, I would use an ice filled bandana, either a AKA [http://www.zombierunner.com/store/product152.html Cool-Off bandana[Jimbo Bandana]] or a or a homemade 'Jimbo' equivalent. I’ve had some issues with blisters on my forefoot due to my [[Epidermolysis Bullosa|Skin Condition]] and I know that the ice bandana will mean my feet are saturated with water. As a compromise, I held some ice in my hands and rubbed my skin with ice, which helped a bit. It was a tough call, but I think I did the right thing. Using the ice bandana may have prevented my overheating and allowed me to hit my goal, but the saturated feet could have retriggered the blister and caused long term disability. With hindsight, I may try putting ice in a Ziploc bag so I get a bit of the cooling without the saturation.
* '''Walking breaks. ''' I walked on each loop, including the first one. The walking breaks were reasonably short, probably less than a minute. It was enough time to get a drink make sure the timers had my lap number right (they did every time). I think the regular walking break helped keep my legs strong the whole time.
* '''Transition to night.''' Running in the dark is always hard, but the combination of Fred (Doom) Dummar's advice about mental attitude and the Petzl MYO RXP headlight got me through it. The MYO RXP is worth every penny when it comes to lighting up the trail. (See [[Running in the Dark]] for other tips.)
