Long, solo run

I made it. It wasn't pretty. But 10 solo miles are done.

I mapped out this crazy course because there aren't many spots in the shade, and I wanted to be close to the car for water. I'm also super paranoid about running in the safest spots possible. My father-in-law drove me around the other day to map out the safe area, and he even got up this morning to see me off. I did see two runners this morning, but my normal group has 80 members just for our team. I guess not too many runners around these parts.

Lots of loops. I stopped at the car around five miles to get some more water, cool off a bit, add my visor, and call my in-laws to let them know I was okay. They are so cute. I ended up stopping a few more times at stoplights to drink. The humidity reading was 100% when I finished. Please tell me it was wrong, but it felt tough enough. And I was too fast for most of the miles. My goal pace was 9:30 for this distance and heat.

My SAG was terrific, just wish I had some company. And thank goodness for iPods.

This was my view at the end.

One hot, sweaty mess. All smiles because I was DONE!

And this was one of the cute sites along the way. Another reason I'm glad we don't have a girl. I would spend way too much money on this cuteness.

My in-laws took me and little guy to a restaurant in an old Victorian house for a delicious chicken wrap. Then the strangest thing happened. My normally nap-free kid took over an hour nap with me. Love him, most of the time.

What's your longest solo run?

What safety measures do you take running in a different area?

What's your favorite way to recover after a long run?

 

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Getting things done

 

I did something crazy today. Several weeks ago, I planned a day at home so I could study for a certification test for work. I needed to read a book and some scintillating government documents, and take a practice test.

Fascinating day, I know.

We started the day with blueberry overnight oats. It was not a hit with the 5 year old, but I thought it was a good change to the breakfast menu. I want to try the peanut butter banana version next. And I liked the chia seeds, my first experience with them. I guess back to regular oatmeal or yogurt for the little dude.

Then, this was my seat for most of the day. Not a bad spot to spend a rainy day, just wish it was a book of my choice. Maybe next time.

I did plan a mid-day break if I had a productive morning. I am the worst procrastinator, so I looked up fitness classes last night. I found a noon yoga class, and set that as my reward.

I headed out in the rain and got there early enough to walk half of a mile at 4%. And I spotted Neon Blonde Runner at the gym, so bonus celebrity sighting. :) This was first yoga class with this instructor, and it was a great gentle class with lots of good cues. I need to find a way to make it back to another noon class on a Monday or Wednesday. She did give one cue that Beth at Shut Up and Run loved.

I finished up with another half a mile to make a mile towards #TeamGiraffe in the #ChillyChallenge.

I did manage to have a good rest of the afternoon. Reading done and practice test completed. Now to sign-up and get this monkey off my back.

How was your rainy Monday?

Oh, and I did finally sign up for the local Frostbite 15k for this Sunday. I'm missing the 10 mile group run on Saturday for a surprise I will share later, so this is the next best thing. I will sneak in another 0.7 before so I can tackle my first 10 miler. Hope the shirt is frosty cool.

 

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Best run yet

Tonight I was supposed to walk or jog 2 miles. My running buddy bailed on me again (something about stomach issues). She really was sick, but I like to give her a hard time.

My Little Dude learned to ride a bike in the last week. I thought this would be a good time to get him on the bike and we could do some loops around the neighborhood. He hasn't mastered the brake yet, so I knew it might be a little nerve-wracking for me.

That kid is a speed demon. I had to run to keep up with him. He isn't even 5 years old yet. My garmin didn't pick up for the first 1/3 of a mile. We ended up with 2.42 miles (adding in the .33) in 26 minutes. So much for an easy walk/jog for me, but it was AWESOME.

I loved having him by my side. He didn't want to stop. Before he went to sleep tonight, he asked if we could do it again soon. ABSOLUTELY!

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