Nine miles were on my half marathon training schedule for today. I have to admit, I was kind of dreading it, so I dillydallied online””read blogs, Tweeted, played on Pinterest””before getting my act together to finally get out there and run.
Before heading out, I went on MapMyRun and found a 3.33-mile loop that started and ended at my house. I planned to run it three times, which turned my 9 miles into 10 miles, but it broke it down into three shorter runs. Even though my training run was a mile longer than originally planned, it seemed much more manageable to me. Plus, running three loops gave me the opportunity to get water from my house on two different occasions if I needed it. I hate carrying water on my long runs, so I often use the ol’ water-bottle-on-the-front-porch trick to get me through my long runs.
I actually wasn’t all that thirsty today, so I never stopped home and just trucked along without water, but I’m glad I had the option if I needed it.
On my run this morning, I saw FIVE different runners (including my neighbor). I know, I live a crazy life in the ”˜burbs, but I hardly ever see other runners on my long runs. Last fall, for instance, I’d run 16 or 18 miles, and not see a single runner, so seeing five people on a 10-miler on a random Wednesday morning was definitely out of the ordinary.
Maybe I’m weird, but seeing other runners always puts a smile on my face and motivates me to keep on running. I love waving and saying ”˜hi.’ I also like knowing that other people are out enjoying a good run.
FYI: I made that hill my bitch!
The first two miles of this morning’s run were killer. I just did not feel well. I was huffing and puffing, and my legs felt like a million pounds. I seriously considered nixing my long run all together, but I told myself to give it until 2.5 miles. I typically get into my running “groove” between 2 – 2.5 miles.
By the time I hit 2.5 miles, I felt better, but I really didn’t find my running sweet spot until almost mile 3. I’m glad that I stuck with it because I ended up having a really great run after that. I finished 10 miles in 1:26:26, which is an average pace of 8:38.
Do you have a running sweet spot? How long does it take you to get into the groove?
Lunch
After my run, I stretched, showered, and threw together a quick lunch of leftovers from the refrigerator, including ground turkey, couscous, and chickpeas from the Mediterranean Stuffed Peppers and some roasted veggies from Sunday night’s Shrimp and Avocado Salads.
I also drank a protein shake made with vanilla protein powder, almond milk, and ice. I add a handful of ice because it helps to mix up the protein powder when I shake it. Plus, I like my protein shakes cold!
Once I finished eating my leftovers and drinking my protein shake, I wanted something more, so I toasted a waffle and added some almond butter to it.
Feel Great Weight
Mexican food can be a diet disaster for me if I’m not careful. I love salt-rimmed margaritas and nachos covered in cheese, but these foods obviously aren’t friendly on the waistline. It’s even worse to consume them in large quantities, which is often the case when the 5th of May rolls around. I still plan to celebrate Cinco de Mayo””in moderation””with some of my favorite low-calorie, yet flavorful dishes.
Click here for a slideshow of 5 Healthy Recipes to Celebrate Cinco de Mayo that are easy-to-make crowd-pleasers that you can enjoy guilt-free!
P.S. My stainless steel straws are on sale in a Stainless Straw and Cups Pack!
58 Comments
I definitely need to make it 2-3 miles in before I can decide how I am feeling for the day. If I still feel crummy after mile 3, then I’m probably not going to get better!
~Ang
I am rather new to running distance (and only a year into running at all) and am super slow but am glad to know that even you faster people can dread those long runs and dilly dally a couple of hours before forcing your way out the door. My 11 turned 10 miles this morning was a killer (lots of hills and heat and no water after mile 4 — where there is a fountain) maybe I should try that loop trick. Also probably need to figure out that fueling thing as long as it takes me to run — I should probably add a calorie or two on the run to avoid that wall. Just 3 weeks until the half marathon. Thanks for the inspiration you provide.