My PF is still acting up, and I usually call it quits at 8 miles with an average run of around 5 miles.
I miss that feeling that hours of running brings. That complete and total contentment afterwards. The post-long run bliss. And let's be honest, the big dinner the night before a long run. I used to look forward to it all week! I have no excuse to eat half of a large pizza right now, and that is unfortunate.
What I miss most, though, is the satisfaction that comes from running long. I love knowing that I just ran 18 or 20 miles. I feel strong, empowered, and kind of awesome. Lately, I definitely feel a little less than awesome with my running. I want to be training for Boston right now, but I'm not. I can't. I'm nowhere near marathon training, and that just plain sucks.
I did, however, build my treadmill completely by myself for the THIRD time the other night. That is a whole other form of satisfaction. Last night, I ran on that fabulous treadmill that I built entirely by myself. Can I say that one more time, by myself... Talk about independence!
I had the best 7 mile run at an 8:04 pace, and the time just flew by! I had my music blasting and enjoyed every second of it. It just made me want to run farther and longer, but I know that's not smart. Fortunately, I had plans and couldn't squeeze in extra miles. I was forced to be smart.
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| sweaty treadmill bliss |
Running is clearly on the brain. This is what Scrabble with runners looks like, from the other night:
I know proper nouns are not allowed in Scrabble, but sometimes it's okay to break the rules.
I followed up my run with a fabulous birthday dinner at Banker's Hill Restaurant for my dear friend, Megan. I had the most delicious kobucha squash ravioli and pear salad. YUM!
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| Check out this sweet chandelier made of wine bottles! |
Happy Thursday!
What is your favorite distance to run?
I love 10 mile runs!
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I understand! The long run is what I miss most when injured.
ReplyDeleteI ran 10 miles yesterday, and it definitely FELT long! :-)
ReplyDeleteI'm trying to do one long run per week, and that's currently 10 miles (my farthest has been 14 miles so far), but I generally do between 6 and 8 miles every day.
I know that feeling after a long run, or after a run in general - it's amazing. During runs I also just feel grateful to be able to run.
10 miles for a long run is a great base, in my opinion. Typically, between training cycles, I like to keep my long run at 10 miles.
DeleteThat feeling is amazing. :) I agree.
Sorry you are injured :( I love anything @ 15 miles, long enough to push myself but not over-the-top. I am actually heading out this afternoon on an 18-er. But, I plan to stop in and say hi to a friend after 11 miles and take maybe a 15 minute break before running 7 miles home. I am telling myself that still counts as 18 miles.
ReplyDeleteOf course that still counts as 18 miles! 15 is also a good distance. Definitely long, but not TOO long.
DeleteI like the 5K runs myself - sometimes a bit longer :)
ReplyDelete5ks feel so hard for me. I basically want to die the entire time!
DeleteAhh, I get this feeling Kate. You seem to be hanging in there with such a positive attitude though. And you look so happy after that treadmill run. I'm really hoping that I'm not finding myself in the injury boat here. :( I've spent too much of my 2012 year in that boat and it stinks! You'll be back there Kate and when you are it will be so so so so sweet! Um, if I lived in San Diego...I'd think I'd be OFF the TM as much as possible. :) But that's just me.
ReplyDeleteYou'd be surprised how COLD it gets here at night! Okay, okay -- it's nothing compared to Portland, but I promise, my blood has thinned and it feels freezing! Plus, I don't feel super safe running around my neighborhood solo at night. :-/ That's why I drag Angela out with me whenever possible.
DeleteI hope you're not in the injury boat! I just read your post. Sending positive vibes your way.
Feeling similarly over here :(. Here's hoping we can run long before too long :)
ReplyDeleteCrossing my fingers for both of us!
DeleteHi Kate! I'm sorry you're not back to running like you'd like to be. I'm also not running right now, not a running injury but a medical emergency! I'm definitely down for a while :( Anyway, my favorite distance is a 13 mile trail run, nothing beats it! On the bright side, we are California bound, probably in March. Hope to get to run with you sometime!
ReplyDeleteBTW, how do you run on the TM for 10 miles??? hehe I tried to run on there for 10 minutes in Jackson Hole, and resorted to running outside in -8 degrees because I couldn't stand it! ;)
ReplyDeleteI've run on the treadmill for 20 miles, can you believe it? And I don't even get bored. I think something is psychologically wrong with me. :)
DeleteWhere will you be visiting in CA?
Ive been out of touch for so long but I am SO impressed you put your own treadmill together AND that you're being disciplined about not running too long with PF going on - your moment will come - truly! 2013 seems like a great year for you - have faith in yourself and your decisions. Can't wait to see how it all pans out.
ReplyDeleteOh Petra! I love seeing your name pop up on here. I hope the new year is off to a great start for you!
DeleteTotally agree with you about the long run and all the feelings that go with them. You'll be there again soon! I mean come on you built a treadmill by yourself! You are a determined, strong woman! I love a good 10 mile trail run, but there's also something about 18 that makes me so happy!
ReplyDeleteYou love 18 milers -- you're the tough one! :)
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ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about the feeling you get after a long run! I totally love it and look forward to the feeling - exhaustion in my legs and knowing I did something pretty awesome!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite distance is probably 10 miles as well - especially when it seems "short." For marathon training, the 18 miler is my sweet spot - long enough but not the killer 20 miler!
I love when 10 miles feels short! It's amazing how quickly you lose that endurance from marathon training and 10 miles starts to feel like 26.2!
DeleteOh, I LOVE that feeling you get after a long run! Honestly, nothing compares to walking in the door after a long run -- big grin on my face and looking forward to eating, showering, stretching and just going through the rest of the day thinking I'm a badass! Ha! :)
ReplyDeleteMy favorite distance is 10-12 miles. Long enough to really feel like a workout but not so long as to take up too much of the day or cause me to fall asleep in the middle of dinner.
I also love the sweaty treadmill runs! Yes, I prefer running outside but also log lots and lots of miles on my treadmill, thanks to a TV that has Netflix and my wireless headphones. :)
Take care of yourself and you'll be right back in Boston training before you know it.
Hello there!!
Delete10-12 miles is such a nice distance. Not exhausting but still gratifying.
I am still trying to redeem my voucher for my Boston hotel and airfare. It better work out for me because I can not miss Boston 2 years in a row! How is your training going? I so wish we could do some long runs together. Wouldn't that be great?
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