After breakfast this morning, Rascal and I did a photo shoot since he was looking so regal, basking in the sun.
Isn’t he handsome and stately?
Brad and I had a late breakfast since we slept until 9…haven’t done that in a while! So I didn’t get my 9 mile run in until noon. I planned my route with Google Maps, wrote it on a piece of paper, grabbed my Shuffle and was out the door. The weather was perfect! It was warm, around 78 degrees F when I first set out but very breezy and very comfortable in the shade. I swung by the Myers Park neighborhood where there are some water fountains for a quick water break about half way through my run. Around mile six I got a bit tired, but thought about how I only had three more miles to go.
Running is such a mental thing so I find it really helpful to play mind games with myself like thinking of a 9 mile run as a 6 mile run + a 3 mile run. I know I’m perfectly capable of 6 miles, so when that is complete I think about how easy a 3 mile run is and it helps get me through.
I’m not sure what my time was because my Garmin is broken. 🙁 But, I was just happy to accomplish 9 miles. I was so sweaty, exhausted, and thirsty by the time I got back. I definitely did not hydrate properly this morning. Arriving back home, I learned that I was locked out. Brad had decided to go running and didn’t know that I had left my key. Luckily our concierge keeps a spare key for us, so I headed back down to the lobby to retrieve it.
I considered laying down on the cool tile floors in the lobby (my brain is always a little fuzzy after a long or intense run). But didn’t think that would go over well with my fellow condo neighbors. Finally, I got upstairs, chugged glass after glass of water, and had a nice warm shower.
A chocolate and strawberry SIAB totally hit the spot. This was my standard go-to recipe, but I added one Tbsp. of organic cocoa powder to up the chocolate factor. I finished it off with some raspberries and the last of my cranberry flax granola with some lime bubbly water on the side.
Cool, refreshing, sweet, and filling. The perfect long run after-meal.
After my meal recovery, Brad and I ran some errands. We went by Lowe’s so he could pick up a water filter for the fridge while I studied paint samples imagining the walls of our new house in everything from butter creams to terra cotta.
I dropped him off at the new place to do some measuring and I swung by Charlotte Running Company. They are one of those boutique running stores that really cater to their clients and know a ton about running. They watched me run on a treadmill, which was not so easy after my 9 miler earlier. The salesman told me that although my feet point out when I run, I have a very neutral style. Neutral sounds good right? I guess that means I don’t run in any particular way that would cause me to need specific shoes.
I tried on some Adidas first, then some Brooks, then my tried and true Aasics. I immediately dismissed the Adidas and then headed outside with Brooks on my right and Aasics on my left to do a little jog up and down the sidewalk. The Aasics felt really cushy but the Brooks fit my foot like a glove. I felt like they molded really well to my feet.
I walked out with the Brooks Ghost 3 in orange…my first orange running shoes ever, and three different pairs of running socks to try. You guys know I like variety.
So why the big splurge on running shoes, when usually I buy the cheapest Aasics Clouds I can find? I feel the need to take really good care of my feet, because….
I’m running the Disney Marathon on January 8! It’s my first marathon ever and I’m so excited!
I’ve decided to follow the Runner’s World Smart Coach which is a 16-week plan, per several people’s recommendation. This plan is only 16 weeks so I won’t start training just yet. Although, if you’ve been really paying attention, you’ll notice that I’ve been doing some fairly long runs on Saturdays to get my mileage up so I’m ready for marathon training.
I’m also really excited about my first marathon, because Brad has decided to do the Disney half marathon, which will be his first half marathon ever. I’m so proud of him and hope we can find a way to train together so maybe he can run with me for half my training distance. Running with someone is always better than running alone.
I’m really excited to share my training here. Although I’ve done several 10Ks, 5Ks, and four half marathons, I haven’t been very diligent about writing useful race recaps. One of my goals related to my marathon is that I share the ups and downs of training as well as some things I figure out and learn along the way.
If anyone has any marathon training pointers, I would love to hear them. I need all the help I can get! 🙂