Brie Fit

Let me preface this post by saying right away: I didn’t run 17 miles like I was planning.  I ran 13.66 miles.  But I still consider this a successful, awesome, dare-I-say-epic, training long run (and PDR)!

So, I think I’ve mentioned Tim’s craptastic car before.  It crapped out again last night, meaning Tim and I needed to carpool to the race, which threw my long run plans for a loop because I am not mean enough to make my husband get up at 4 am and wait in a car for two hours while I run 14 miles before a 5K.

Instead, we got up at 5 (slightly more reasonable), left our house at 5:40, and got to our race destination around 6:30.  (Yep, that’s how far you have to drive to find somewhere decent to run around here.)

As soon as we got there, I took off and decided to do 2.5 miles out and 2.5 miles back from the starting line along a well-lit road with plenty of cars driving by and friendly looking walkers and joggers.  The sun wasn’t up yet, but I could already feel the humidity coming on.  This whole part of the run is kind of a blur.

I attempted an iPhone self portrait while running.  Here are the results.

Aren’t you glad I have no shame?

Anyway, I made it to the start line about 10 minutes before the race was set to kick off.  I pinned my bib on quickly and Tim and I, naturally, posed  in action shot photos.

(Tim has seen the light of wicking running shirts rather than his cotton t-shirts.  Hooray!)

The sun was still rising during the start of the 5K.

Anyway, then we ran the 5K.  We both failed to note that the first mile was pretty much entirely up a very steep hill.  It was rough.  I ran the 5K at a nice, slow long run pace, not really caring about my time, and finished somewhere in the 33:30ish range.  (I haven’t checked my chip time.)  Tim finished a few minutes before me!

Then, post- race, I found Tim, refilled my water bottle, had a few Sport Beans, and took a bathroom break.  We decided that while I pounded out a few more miles, he would go do our grocery shopping for the week!  (I know, I’m a lucky woman.)

Sidenote: I filled my handheld bottle with Gatorade, not water, this morning and it made a HUGE difference.  I don’t really like the flavor of Gatorade at all, but I definitely felt more energetic and like I had more stamina through the whole run.  I took one Gu at about mile 9, and that’s it!

Anyway, Tim left and we agreed to meet back at the car at 9:30, which left me with about 1:10 to run on my own.  I did about another 6 miles and finished my run strong (I honestly could have finished another 3, if I’d had more water/Gatorade, but Tim was waiting) with the following stats:

13.66 miles in 2:39!  A new PDR for me!

(I am also learning the importance of going slow.  Traffic signals slowed me down quite a bit on this route, and I did a fair bit of walking.  My average pace was 11:38/mile today, which is a-okay with me!)

By that point, it was also rapidly approaching hot/humid as balls territory, and I could feel that I was getting a bit of a runburn (new word alert) so I didn’t feel bad about calling it a day then.  It was a really great, not-so-difficult long run outside!  Who can complain?

I felt pretty fantastic after the run, but refueled with the cold water Tim brought me and the Sharkies I’d left in the car:

I immediately hopped into an ice bath when I got home for about 15 minutes:

(It wasn’t really icy, per se—I used the coldest water the tub would give me and a dozen ice cubes.  But it was chilly and it did help the last time I did it!)  Post-ice bath, I took a nice, steamy shower.

Anyway, I feel pretty awesome right now.  The only casualty is this toenail, which is looking weird and blood-blistery and has already fallen off once:

I am, however, rungry, so I am going to go eat lunch and snuggle up with my compression sleeves and good TV!  Thanks for all your support!