ocean sunrise run in vff

This view makes getting up at 5:30 a.m. totally worth it! I travelled from home to Wrightsville Beach, NC, yesterday for a business trip. I checked Weather last night for the sunrise time (6:02 a.m), and set my alarm clock to maximize sleep, yet allow enough time to get dressed and drive to the beach before 6 a.m. I was worried when I left the hotel at 5:50 and the sky was already partially lit. Thankfully, the hotel that I'm staying in (Hilton Garden Inn) is only a few minutes from the beach. When I walked onto the beach, the sun hadn't peeked through the clouds yet.  So I walked a few minutes until it did and then snapped many photos with my phone. This is my favorite. What a gorgeous view!

Then I began my run on the beach, facing the sunrise. I had debated about running barefoot or in my in my Vibram Five Finger Sprints. I decided to go with the VFF's and am glad I did. I don't think my tender feet would have handled these shells very well. I mostly ran on the hard packed sand from the low tide. I alternated between the dry land and splashing in the ocean for the cool, fresh experience. It was 80 degrees before sun rise.

I totally enjoyed watching the birds swooping in and out of the sea. It was also amazing to see the sun rising over the ocean, while at the same time the moon was still very visible in the opposite direction. And I was in awe of this scene... It looked like an artist's rendition of a tree with many branches drawn intricately into the sand. WOW!  I love nature!!!