Day 2 a new PDR

LOTS has happened since I last left you all, lets start with last nights yummy eats!!!

I had the sweet potato fries as the bulk of my dinner, and then stole a cookie or two. I picked up the dough yesterday afternoon during my famished Winn Dixie Trip!!!

The Black Eyed Pea Salsa turned out quite tasty and I was really surprised how much it made, we still have plenty left to eat! I will definitely be making this a future staple for tailgating/football watching.

John, Peachie, and I watched the entire Sugar Bowl from the comfort of our couch, and it was quite nice to have all the luxuries of home.

We watched MANY touchdowns scored during Tim Tebow's last college game, and it was fantastic to watch the entire senior class go out on such a great game!

We headed to bed as soon as the game ended (which was well after midnight) and my 2nd late night in a row. I slept until almost 8am this morning, I cannot seem to stay up late like I used to. When I was in college my normal routine didnt have me in bed until 11:30 or 12 and still I was up by 7 or 7:30 every day, I just can't seem to do that as well anymore.





Once I crawled out of my warm bed, I was hoping to start my long run within an hour but then I was informed that it was only 36 degrees out (yikes!) so we decided to wait a while. I made an arnold sandwich thin breakfast. I love these little bun/toast immitations for pretty much EVERYTHING! Sandwiches, mini pizzas and as a toast substitute! One half had Peanut Butter and sliced banana and the other half had some Pumpkin butter. I topped it off with a glass of milk and John and I decided to get moving while we waiting to see the temps approach 50.





We headed down to walmart to pick up some wooden coat hangers and then headed over to a different bike store out at the beach to survey their merchandise and hopefully help us make a decision about the best way to approach my confusing bike situation. John has decided which bike he wants and we will most likely go pick it up tomorrow, but I am still evaluating what to do to make sure I have the best bike for the uses I want it for. I am thinking that getting a hybrid fitness bike is probably best, but am still torn about what my true goals are going to be.





During our bike escapades I snacked on half a clif-z bar, the perfect amount to make sure I was prepped for out run.

Once we hit the house, I confirmed the route we were going to take and started getting myself together to head out. It has hit about 48 degrees outside but was super sunny and we knew it was perfect for our run.





I suited up in pants and long-sleeves but decided to leave the gloves and fleece headband at home, I knew I would get hot and then annoyed with them. Today was the first day I was trying out my camelbak and I opted to take the bigger of the 2 so that A. I had more water, and B. it has clip that fastens across the chest to help keep it from bouncing.

All ready to go! We had 9.5 miles that we had moved from last weekend to this weekend to get to run on the flat terrain we have here at home. This run had to be accomplished and HAD to be done today and done well! My plan for the run was to keep an easy 10 minute pace for the first 5 miles and then take a walk break for mid-run fuel of clif shot blocks and then run as far as possible and alternate runs of about 5 minutes with a 1 minute walk break. Well in some ways the run went haywire and in others it was perfect...

We I hit start on the Garmin and we started to run I made it about .1 miles before I realized it wasn't logging any distance. I immediately stopped, assumed it lost the satellite and reset. I made it almost a half mile before noticing that the displays were very off and something didn't look right. I remembered Penny and I were playing with it the other day, but was pretty sure I didn't reset anything. I then remembered that I switched my setting yesterday to biking when I headed to the gym to see if it registered me on the stationary bike (it did not). I tried to switch my setting from bike to run mid-run but it reset it completely which I knew was going to throw off my splits AND got me confused as to how far we were:(

Luckily I knew Exactly where the 2 mile mark was so I just ignored the computer until we got there and then noticed the distance on Garmin was .6 miles behind so I just kept that in mind the rest of the way, and I was able to stay on pace and find all my marks- oh how easy the Garmin has made my runs in the last week!

We had some BRUTAL wind blowing right in our faces from mile 1 - 4 and it definitely dropped our pace during those miles, but must get used to all elements. I was hurting a lot more after mile 4 than I normally would be thanks to all that wind. When we turned the corner at about 4.6 miles, we were on a road we hadn't yet run on that was also under some construction on one side. The sidewalk ended on the side we were on so we switched to the opposite side where there was a sidewalk only to see it end into a big pile of brush which we had to wade through to get out and back to other side with a magically new appearing sidewalk. We encounterd A LOT of sandspurs in this brush which I was picking off for the next 2 miles.

We finally hit the 5 mile make just under 55 minutes (and this was considering the missing .6 miles on the Garmin). So just under an 11 minute pace which is a good minute slower than we are hoping to do our half marathon, but that is how they recommend we do our long runs, so we were happy to take it easier!

At mile 5 we stopped for about a 4 minute walk break to eat our mid-run fuel and regroup. I let John eat the shot blocks and I broke into a bag of gu chomps I was wanting to sample. They were less sticky than the blocks and went down a tad easier, but I found the taste a tad funky. John said the shot blocks were good, but left a lingering taste in his mouth, I had the same opinion of them from my last long run. I was SO happy knowing I was a little more than half way done, but was a tad nervous because the rest of our route was on major roads I have never run on before (but I drive on every day!).

I am pleased to announce these major roads were pretty quick and nice to run with the exception of a few hills that literally kicked my butt (it was the part of me most sore during the run, butt and ankles- wierd combo). From the time we finished our fueling walk break to the very end I managed to run 5-6 minutes (about a half mile) and then walk for a minute. I probably could have pushed a little harder, but I can honestly say I put all my energy into finishing this run and trying to finish it quickly.

During my run/walk miles at the end I did notice that my pace picked up and I felt even better than I had the first 4 miles if that is possible. I was running between a 9:30 and 10 minute pace at that point so it kept my miles at around the 11 minute mark, Garmin stats slightly skewed due to mess up at the beginning, but I am very pleased with our performance today!

I logged 9 miles on the most recent Garmin lap and then add the .6 back into it and I did 9 miles in 1:42:45 and did the full 9.5 miles in 1:47:26!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My original goal before heading out this AM was do finish the whole run (10 mile route) in 2 hours or less. As I was nearing the last 2 miles or so I knew I could finish sooner and told myself it had to be in under 1:50 which I totally did!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is an average of an 11:18 pace for the whole distance, but if the splits had been cut up accurately it would have been more like 10:55. I LOVED having my camelbak today, and plan to use it for any run 5 miles or longer. I also used my fuel belt this past week, and that is probably best for 3-5 mile runs and then the camelbak for 6+ but I will continue to play it by ear.

My legs were certainly heavy as soon as we finished running and I was contemplating an ice bath, but once we walked back in the house and I started shivering from the drying sweat I decided on a really LONG stretch and a HOT bath.

When we come back for a run, Peachie LOVES to lick all the sweat off of us and it makes the stretching very difficult, so we take turns alternating who gets licked...

John taking his turned while I stretched out my tight hamstrings and snapped an always cute Peachie shot!

I then uploaded the Garmin stats, took Peach for a potty break and then took a hot bath. I had SUCH a hard time getting out of the tun and had to stretch some more before I could get dressed and proceed with my day.

I had the other half of my clif z-bar from the morning before my bath, but John and I were STARVING after burning 1100 calories!!!

We headed to mellow mushroom at 4pm for our lunch. I devoured a mixed green salad and had 1 slice of sausage and pineapple pizza. John had 2 slices and brought the rest home. We stopped at redbox to get 2 movies to watch while being lazy this evening.

We got home, settled in and were about to start the first movie, Up, and then I decided it was time for my 2nd piece of pizza! We watched up, then some football and I made dinner.

Sauteed mushrooms and onions with reduced fat wheat thins and some sliced vermont white chedder- Yum! I also had a glass of milk. I am surprised I was not more hungry today, but maybe it will set in tomorrow.

Peachie and I have been curled up for the last hour blogging and watching 4 Christmases, GREAT MOVIE! Makes me laugh each time!

Hope you all enjoyed hearing about my new Personal Distance Record and 9.5 miles is now the farthest I have EVER run! I am getting excited for 11 miles next weekend! Off to bed, Night!!!