Long run Saturday: Slow confidence building miles

I finally got out for a long run today.  The last outdoor long run I had was the one where I flipped head over heels.  I've been going a bit nutty with all the snow we've been having.  It's really put a damper on my long runs.  This weekend of racing coming up in May is going to be hilarious.

I originally had these grand plans of getting up at 6:30am, doing a 10 mile run and then heading to the gym for a 9:45am Zumba class.  I didn't do either.  Oops.  Instead I got out of bed at 11:15am, had breakfast, lay on the couch for a while, had a shake for lunch, and then went for a run around 2pm.  The weather said it was in the high 30's but I was overdressed in my pants and two shirts.  Hello Sunshine!  Part of the reason I did not go at 6:30am was the record low temperatures we were having.  18*.  Oy.

I did a Minnehaha Creek and Mississippi River out and back route.  My goal was to go slow (mission accomplished) and to run the whole time.  I basically ran the whole time.  There was a bit of a walk to have Gu at the midpoint of the run, and a couple walk breaks for photo ops.  I actually met my goal pace for the run, and then did a run/walk/stretch cool down mile so Nike thinks my average pace is way slower than I actually was.

 

I wore my new Asics (apprently I haven't finished the shoe review post) for this run.  What shoes to wear on long runs is always such a decision.  I'm sure I'll go into more detail later, but these shoes are going to involve a whole different kind of sock, much thinner than what I'm used to.  But I basically love them.  If they last longer than my last pair of Brooks I may just switch brand allegiance totally.  Apparently, I could've also worn cross country skis.

There was a moment in time where I thought I was going to listen to music on this run, but wound up going to the soundtrack of my own awesomeness and was happy I did.  Minneapolis Park Board only plows one trail in the winter and asks bikers and runners to share it (usually we're on separate tracks).  There were crazy amounts of both bikers and runners out today, and I needed all my senses to stay safe and out of the way.  I saw these guys at the start and finish of their ride.  They were a big group.

The run was great for a bunch of reasons.   I accidentally on purpose wore Boston Colors, and saw quite a few other runners sporting the same gear, and one in a Boston shirt.  The entire Boston thing makes me sad.  I'm sad for the runners.  I'm sad for the victims.  I'm also really sad for this 19 year old kid. It was nice to get out there and be with people where there's this feeling of solidarity.  Second reason this run was great is all the photos I snapped.  But mostly, I was flipping out about trying to run so many miles in one weekend with so few long runs under my belt and this was an excellent confidence booster in that department.  I felt good and strong the whole run.  I didn't necessarily feel like I could've done much more, but I felt like if I'd planned my nutrition and hydration differently I definitely could've done several more miles.  (I had one gu and about 6oz of water for the run.)  Enjoy the pics from the run.