My first official Ultra race and of course it has to be sub-freezing temperatures with 18mph headwinds. The worst part was having to stop 3 times to pre-emptively manage some hotspots on my feet, stripping the shoes and socks, applying lube, and then redressing on the side of the canal towpath were about as much fun as trying to eat the frozen gummi bears and m&m's. The final 8 miles climbing up from the river were much harder than I had anticipated, especially because mental motivation to overcome the physical hardship was hard to come by at that point. But at least I could summon the strength to run the final 2 miles and finish within my original time goal.