Did I really just do that??

Guess what I did.  Just guess.
Give up?

I. RAN. SEVENTEEN. MILES!!!!!!!!


Oh yes I did.

Oh good grief was it windy yesterday. I think it was around 20mph at the start of my run with gusts over mach 9.
Ok. Slight exaggeration, but it FELT like mach 9.  It was coming out of the north and that's the direction I was running for the first 3 miles. I SERIOUSLY felt like I had someone pulling the back of my jacket those first few miles and the fact that MOST of those miles were up hill did NOT help.

The wind calmed down a WEE bit during my run but was still around 10-15mph for the duration.
I tried a new Gu flavor 'Mandarin Orange'. I was surprised that I kinda sorta liked it! Still doesn't come close to my love for the chocolate flavor though. That has my heart.

I was feeling a bit sluggish and 'heavy' as I consumed calories on Friday like it was my JOB (I literally consumed over two days worth of calories). And topped the day off with a large blizzard from Dairy Queen and ate the WHOLE thing. I normally only eat 1/2 and save the other 1/2 for the next night. So learn from my mistake: eating DOUBLE your daily amout of calories in a day, does not a good run make. Fact.

Still trying to wake up from the food hangover...

One of my favorite, but super short trails to run on. Any local peeps know where this is? Hint: it's near Lakeside!

You have to click on this picture to experience the full magnitude of just how curvy this sidewalk is!

Getting to Lake Z around mile 9 I think...

I love seeing these 'fueling' spots around the lake-water and gatorade!

Yep, we still have a METAL slide in our town! Anyone remember these? You only slid down ONCE in the middle of a hot summer afternoon before realizing that you never wanted to do that again!

This picture made me laugh when I looked at it. This is me leaving the lake after having run 15.5 miles. TIRED. SORE. COLD. READY TO BE DONE.

But I made it another 1.5 miles (had to. Had to get home!)  =)

2/5 of my children were there to greet my tired sore self when I got home. Always brightens my mood =)

This is a cutback week for me now, so I only have 13 to knock out this weekend. And hopefully, if the stars align right, the hubs will get to go with me (he's training for the marathon too, though he's not done any real 'long' runs yet). We've not run together for probably 2 years so I'm super excited (he really doesn't enjoy running-he's a soccer player-but he's doing this for me)  *swoon*

Do you run with other people? Do you prefer it or prefer to run alone?

15 mile run! And Gu 'Strawberry banana review'

Mar 9: 15 mile run! (2:38:53-10:36 avg pace)...*old 2009 shoes*

Distance PR! 15 miles!! 

I know all 3 of you readers are DYING to know what I did as far as shoes =) I went to the store last night and got these:

I put one on my RIGHT bone (the one that just started bugging me this week) and it felt GREAT (did that before I even started out). My left bone, oddly enough, felt just fine at the beginning of the run (I was wearing my old 2009s).  BUT it started to feel like it was GOING to start bugging me around mile 3, so I stopped and put one of these on THAT bone too. After that, it was smooth sailing =) I really think as long as I wear these, I can PROBABLY wear my new shoes. I'll test that out next week =)

Getting ready to tackle the run!

Very few cars on the road at 6:30am!

Gu 'Strawberry banana' review!


Stopped around mile 5 to refuel. I did 1/2 the pack w/ 3oz of water (and did the other half at mile 10 with another 3 oz of water)
I didnt really care for this flavor. It tasted a lot like a Laffy Taffy and I'm not a fan of fruit candy. Still, it was palatable and if this was all I had in a race, I could gulp it down with no issues.  After thinking about it today, I think I'll probably just carry my OWN gels, that way I wont have to worry about them running out of my favorite flavor (Chocolate Outrage all the way, baby!)

To the lake!  I really dont like gloomy mornings, but nothing could put a damper on the excitement of knowing I was on my way to a distance PR this morning!

I bet I saw 7 or 8 deer out there this morning too! (click on the picture to see a larger image)

 

Pretty trail

Thank you Lake Z for some awesome miles!

I did it!!

Brought one of these along to refuel with after the run and really didnt care for it. I choked down about 1/2 of it before deciding that my NORMAL post-run reward of peanut M&Ms and pretzels is FAR superior. At least according to my picky palate.

Now it's time to prop the legs up and recover til next time!

Feb 27/28 runs, Mar 2 long run and 'GU REVIEW'

Feb 27 Wed: 7 mi outdoor run in my 2009s (avg pace around 10:20)...25 x 4 set push ups....I wore my old 2009s for this run. They bugged me on my (slow) walk down my hill and then for the first 15 min or so of the run. After that, they were fine but my foot was a bit sore the rest of that day. I ran this run a bit speedier than I normally would have (for having a foot issue) as it was my little man's birthday and I wanted to be sure to be home when we got up =)
Feb 28 Thurs: 4mi run on the 'mill 2%  incline for the first mile, 1% incline for the rest of the run (42:40).....3 set of planks (2:10, 2:00, 1:50)...I decided to run this in my OLD OLD shoes (2010s) as the foot box is a little different and puts no pressure on that cheeky little bone =)  Started nice and slow (5.1) and upped the pace from there every so often

MARCH 2 Saturday: 11.1 mi run (1:54:56-avg pace of 10:21)




I was excited to get out there for this run for a few reasons:
#1: it was a lovely morning (cold, but lovely)
#2: long runs are my FAVORITE (think Will Ferrell)
#3: I've been busy eating loads of THIS after my son's birthday:

Strawberry and vanilla ice cream and just a WEEEE bit of my crock-pot Hot Fudge Sundae cake = Happy Mouth, but the need for some SERIOUS calorie burn soon after.

Got my 20# of clothes and gear ready, including some sustenance:

*Vanilla Bean 'Gu' (review further down), a small pack of peanut M&Ms and pretzels, and of course a few tissues (a necessary item for a run of ANY length for me. I think my nose hairs shut down while I'm running...*shrug*)

Starting out under a beautiful sky...(* and my old old shoes-2009s-as I want to give my fussy foot bone a break from the 2010s)

I had meant to stop and refuel 4.5 miles in but I guess I was too busy jammin' to Ice Ice Baby to notice my watch. Oops!

Gu 'Vanilla Bean' review

 Now, I normally wouldn't fuel for a run under 13-14 miles but I have a few different gels I want to try out, so I plan to utilize any run over 10 miles for that purpose.  (I know this one says 'promotional sample'. I got it during a race last September but never used it)  =)
I liked this flavor, too! So far, Gu is 2 for 2.  Way to go, Gu.  It tasted like vanilla caramel and went down the ol 'pie hole just fine. Took 1/2 the packet with about 3 oz of water and stored the rest away for later...other flavors I have bought but haven't tried: mandarin orange, tri-berry, and strawberry banana-yum!

I headed over to the lake for the next 4 ish miles of  my run...

It's hard to see in this picture, but there is a group of people at the FAAAAR end of the trail which happened to be a friend of mine and 2 of her buddies.  I couldn't pass up the invite to run with them so I flipped around and did that for about 3 miles (going faster during that time than I had for the beginning portion of my run-had wanted to keep this run around 10:45 avg pace).
A bit after leaving their company, I stopped for the 2nd 1/2 of the Gu packet

 

I debated on taking it or not. I knew I didnt NEED it, and I knew that I would be fine with this flavor if its what was offered at the race, but the weird thing I've discovered about the 2 Gu's I've tried is that about 30-40 min after taking the first 1/2 of the packet, I start to actually FEEL hungry-like my stomach growls. Is that weird? Never happened w/ the PowerBar gel I used...doesn't really bother me, just something I noticed....

Very sad about leaving the lake....or I was just looking into the sun.
Or both.

The trail that led me home...

Greeted back into the neighborhood by these friendly pooches!

I'm on tap for 15 miles this upcoming weekend. I am OVER the moon excited about it. I just hope my shoe (and foot) situation is back to where it should be!

Fri/Sun/Mon workouts and Gu 'Chocolate Outrage' review

Feb 22 Friday......4 total miles on the 'mill (and  25 x 4 sets push ups)
     2.5 mi 1% incline in my old shoes (27:20)
     2 mi 1% incline in my new shoes (20:35)

Feb 24 Sunday.....14 mi run outside (!!) 10:53 avg pace (old shoes)

Feb 25 Monday...elliptical 10 minutes (2 mi) and 20 x 4 sets push ups
     super slow and easy 1.5 mi run on the 'mill 1% incline (17:30)....**wore my new shoes but had to shove the glove into the left shoe again....  =(


So, I ran 14 miles this weekend!!!!
It was a great run. I debated on what to do as far as shoes, but I decided on my old ones and just ran SUPER slow the first few miles (high 11s). I was able to pick up the pace EVER so slightly the last 1/2 of  the run but I wanted to keep the whole run pretty slow just to be sure to protect my left foot as much as possible.  Pre-run I ate 1/2 a banana with a nice dollop of PB (roughly 25 min before I started my run)

*getting ready to hit 'start' on the watch!*  6:45 am is a blissful time to start a run

I ran a bit around my neighborhood and got over to a local lake at mile 5. I stopped at this point to re-fuel....
**this is a picture of the trail leading to the lake**


Gu 'Chocolate Outrage' review:



This was my first time to try the Gu line. I actually really liked it!  It reminds me a lot of the PowerBar gel I tried last weekend (you can read about that HERE: http://fitgirlwannabe.blogspot.com/2013/02/feb-17-13-miles-and-powergel-review.html )
It tasted fudge-like but didnt really have the 'caramel' type taste with it that the PowerBar gel did, and really no after taste. I took 1/2 of the package with 4 oz of water

 

*THE LAKE!*

At mile 10 I stopped to take the other 1/2 of the Gu packet. I like that its slightly chilly (from it being 20* outside) but I wonder how it would taste and what the consistency would be like in slightly warmer temp)...? 

*Feeling pepped up from the sugar shot!*

Still cant believe I did 14 miles!! And I really felt like I could have kept going much longer. I think the snail-like pace had something to do with that. 

My daughter took this of me when I got home. I love how their jaws hit the floor when I tell them I ran anything over 2 miles =)  They are easy to impress.
Somebody asked about my fuel belt and how I carry my Gu...
Below I have on my Spi-Belt (the pink thing-thats what I carry my camera in), under that, the gray thing, is my fuel belt. I have this one: http://www.amazon.com/Nathan-10-Ounce-Nutrition-Flasks-Medium/dp/B000KBD9QQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1361822671&sr=8-1&keywords=nathan+speed+2

I have a little pouch (I think it used to be a camera bag of sorts) that I slide on to my fuel belt and that will hold a good amt of stuff (I had 2 gels and some peanut M&Ms and pretzels in there as well as some tissue)

It has served me quite well so far for my longer runs. I store a lot of stuff in my jacket pockets too.
If you want something smaller, just for gels, there is always this option:
http://www.amazon.com/FuelBelt-Gel-Ready-Race-Number/dp/B002OM65OC/ref=pd_sim_sg_6

However, I'm not about minimalism as much as I should be when it comes to running 'shtuff'...my first summer running, it was SO hot out that I actually wore a huge fanny pack with a baggie of ice in it to suck on!  President and founder of the 'How-to-Look-Like-a-Dork-while-Running' Club right here!
    

Feb 17-13 miles! And PowerGel review



Feb 17: 13 mi run (10:19 avg pace)

Started out around 6:40...23* out

 



 

Love the morning sunrise...this is just leaving our subdivision....

*At the end of the first mile. Bring it on, long run!

POWERGEL REVIEW:
So, this was my first time to ever try a 'gel'. I was nervous as I wanted the gel to be a one-way ticket type of food item. Had no clue what it would do to my innards...

Anyway. It was fairly easy to open. The size wasnt too big either so I was able to put it into my 'pouch' that I loop onto my Nathan Hydration belt (I'll have to take a picture of it sometime and post it).  I took 1/2 of the pouch at mile 4.5 with 4oz of water and then stuck it back in its baggie and put it in the pouch.  I really do feel like I had a little more pep in my step about a mile later. Could have been the car that zoomed by me outta nowhere going mach 9 though. *shrug*

I actually sorta liked the flavor too. It WAS chocoate though and you really cant go wrong with chocolate (though it would have been 9 kinds of better if they could have incorporated nuts somehow....).  The taste reminded me of fudge mixed with caramel. There was a teeny bit of funky after taste but it didnt last long.

Here I am at mile 10 when I took the last 1/2 of the gel.  Drank 4 oz of water again. My neck gaiter and hat seem to be closing the deal on eating my face. Weird.

I ran around this pond close to my house. I love how it looks like I'm wearing a long skirt in my shadow.  I'm not THAT awesome.

There were quite a few ducks! These ones behind me were all sleeping and I was like, Native-American-wearing-swaggy-moccasins kind of quiet so as not to disturb their slumber (I got 5 kids people, I'm the queen of keep-the-kids-sleeping)...

**big bullyish geese out on the pond. Probably throwing gang signs at me or something. They're not a friendly bunch....

As you can see, I wasnt quiet enough going thru the group and they popped up and starting waddling away...and apparently turned radio-active at the same time.  Remind me not to go swimming in that water....

Here's what I had to do to complete this run. If you read my last post, you'll know these are my old shoes that are supposed to be celebrating their retirement. But my left foot is still scared of my new shoes so I wore these.  A few miles in it become VERY clear that I wasnt going to be able to complete the mileage without some assistance so I had to whip off one of my gloves and shove it in my shoe again. There has to be a classier way to do this right?  I had to stop and readjust the glove a time or 5...

Here's what it looked like on the inside.  And yep, those fingers were flopping everywhere during my run just adding another flavor to my varieties of crazysauce

I was super bummed that I couldnt run with my buddies this morning (they did an awesome 14 miles out on one of  my favorite trails).  Hoping to get a run in with them in the next few weeks (we're due for a big snowstorm this week, so I hear). Rumor has it hat Jim Cantore from the weather channel is actually planning to be in our area for this storm!  Guess I better make sure to tie a rope to the barn and put Bessie in her stall (and buy lots of s'mores ingredients)...Bring it on, Mr Blizzard! This girl's ready for you!