Long Run Sunday - Creeks and Lakes and Greenway. Oh my!

Plan: Run at least 12 miles.  Try to keep the heart rate low, but if it sucks just try to run.

Route: I headed down along the creek to Lakes Harriet and Calhoun, then back home along the Greenway.  Strava says I've done this route one other time, and that was a faster run that this one.  Sigh.

Weather: Yes, let's talk about the weather for a minute.  Because, WTF?!? It was 35* when I started, but warmed up to about 50* for the finish (which I was expecting).  There is no snow here, though some of the walking trails are still covered in ice and/or puddles.  The lakes are still covered with ice. Sort of.  Outstate, several lakes have had cars go through.  In Minneapolis, ice houses are gone.  I saw one or two fishermen actually on the ice today and that was it.  Not sure if they are brave or foolish.

Wardrobe: Capris, short sleeve shirt and a quarter zip.  The quarter zip was almost too much by the end, but I was too tired to take it off.  And sunglasses.  Because the weather.  I did not take pictures because I feel like I have pictures of most of this route, and I have all of the selfies from the past few days being outside.

Execution: I started this run really doubting my ability to go a full 12 miles (which was silly, I know) so I started off extra slow and restrained.  And slow.  Yes, I really was running that whole time.  I keep looking at this run saying "I wish I was faster".  I should be saying, "you just ran 150 minutes with a Z2-3 HR, that's great!"  This is the part where it's very hard to keep my eye on the ball.

Nutrition: I had a bowl of yogurt with chia seeds and pumpkin seeds before I left.  I carried two 6oz bottles of water and a bag of chews with me.  I took chews at miles 6 and 8.  I took water at 4, 6, 8 and 10 which is also where the hills are.

Bonus: I saved a runner at Lake Harriet.  The lakes have bike trails and pedestrian trails.  In the winter only bike trails are plowed and they become shared trails.  With all the melting, the pedestrian trails look deceptively clear right now. I am not fooled.  Some other poor runner was though, and she wound up on a solid sheet of ice where the running trail should've been.  So she tried to climb up a short but steep bank to the bike trail.  She got most of the way up, and then I grabbed her and pulled her up the rest of the way, because she looked like she was going to fall back down.