I reeeeally didn't feel like a long run this morning, and was so tempted to just put it off and possibly do it tomorrow. But if I put off every run that I didn't feel like doing, I wouldn't be a runner anymore ;)
So I got up and dressed, and since Jerry was home to get the kids off to school, I left the house at 7:15. I drove to the Metropark to run, since running nine miles around here would drag on forever--I needed the change of scenery. I parked at the same spot I ran with Steph last week, and just planned to run out 4.5 miles and then turn around.
It was in the mid-30's, and I felt hot almost immediately after I started running. I was wearing two long-sleeved shirts, and I should have just worn one. I was glad I left my gloves in the car. My goal was to try and maintain sub-10:00 miles for the whole run. For the first couple, I felt fine. Mile three, I started to feel really irritated and I wanted to turn around early.
During the fourth mile, I just felt "off". My legs felt clumsy, and I just really didn't want to run! I kept going, but quit pushing the pace. Once I got to the turn-around spot, I was happy to be headed back to the car, so I started running a little faster each mile. After mile eight, I saw that I was running a 9:32/mi average pace, and I decided to use the last mile to try and get the average under 9:30. So I ran hard for the last mile, and finished the last mile in 8:41, making my average overall pace 9:26. I was happy with that!
I was really surprised to see that I had burned 916 calories! I very rarely burn 100+ calories per mile... usually more like 85. I've noticed that I've been burning more lately, since I've been running faster (obviously because it gets my heart rate up higher).
When I got home, I showered and then made a very indulgent breakfast: steel cut oats topped with 2 Tbsp. of Nutella! It was as yummy as it was messy and gross-looking ;)
After breakfast, Jerry and I went out for some errands. Our garbage disposal broke yesterday, so we needed a new one from Lowe's. I also had to mail some shirts to a couple of the girls on my Ragnar team. We finally decided on team colors!! Our team isn't going to be wearing the exact same shirts, but we're going to wear the same colors--that way we can wear whatever we like and still match.
For the first run, we'll be wearing bright pink. Run #2 will be bright yellow. And the third run will be bright orange. I have a bright pink tank and a bright yellow tank, but was in need of orange. And since all the winter clothes are out now, I was worried I'd have a hard time finding a tank to use in Florida. I ended up finding some on clearance for $4.50! They are performance tanks (moisture-wicking fabric, which is what I like to run in). And they had bright orange.
I took this picture in the fitting room to text to the rest of my team, to see if they wanted me to pick up some for them as well. Jerry was desperate to be in the picture ;)
We talked about maybe putting "our number" on the back--meaning the number of pounds we've lost. These tanks are ribbed, so I'm not sure how I will do that. Maybe with reflective tape?
I'm waiting on one more part of my outfit, and then I'll post pictures. I'm getting SO EXTREMELY EXCITED. The Ragnar is all I have thought about for days now! I cannot wait to meet my team, and run with them in Florida.
Noah went to a pool party with a friend tonight, so Jerry and I asked Eli if he wanted to do something special while Noah was gone. He said he wanted to go out for ice cream. Thankfully, all of the ice cream shops around here are closed for the season, so we went to McDonald's for ice cream, where I could get my beloved vanilla cone. That cone has become a favorite treat of mine lately! Jerry and I always look forward to seeing what our cones look like--sometimes, they look picture-perfect; other times, they look very sloppy.
A few days ago, we got one that was the sloppiest cone I'd ever seen. I wish I'd thought to take a picture! Literally half of the ice cream was falling down the side of the cone. I was a little shocked when I saw it, and then when Jerry was handed his cone, it looked the same as mine! We thought it was hilarious. The person who made it definitely needed more practice.
Today, our cones weren't very pretty, but they sure did taste good!
So I got up and dressed, and since Jerry was home to get the kids off to school, I left the house at 7:15. I drove to the Metropark to run, since running nine miles around here would drag on forever--I needed the change of scenery. I parked at the same spot I ran with Steph last week, and just planned to run out 4.5 miles and then turn around.
It was in the mid-30's, and I felt hot almost immediately after I started running. I was wearing two long-sleeved shirts, and I should have just worn one. I was glad I left my gloves in the car. My goal was to try and maintain sub-10:00 miles for the whole run. For the first couple, I felt fine. Mile three, I started to feel really irritated and I wanted to turn around early.
During the fourth mile, I just felt "off". My legs felt clumsy, and I just really didn't want to run! I kept going, but quit pushing the pace. Once I got to the turn-around spot, I was happy to be headed back to the car, so I started running a little faster each mile. After mile eight, I saw that I was running a 9:32/mi average pace, and I decided to use the last mile to try and get the average under 9:30. So I ran hard for the last mile, and finished the last mile in 8:41, making my average overall pace 9:26. I was happy with that!
I was really surprised to see that I had burned 916 calories! I very rarely burn 100+ calories per mile... usually more like 85. I've noticed that I've been burning more lately, since I've been running faster (obviously because it gets my heart rate up higher).
When I got home, I showered and then made a very indulgent breakfast: steel cut oats topped with 2 Tbsp. of Nutella! It was as yummy as it was messy and gross-looking ;)
After breakfast, Jerry and I went out for some errands. Our garbage disposal broke yesterday, so we needed a new one from Lowe's. I also had to mail some shirts to a couple of the girls on my Ragnar team. We finally decided on team colors!! Our team isn't going to be wearing the exact same shirts, but we're going to wear the same colors--that way we can wear whatever we like and still match.
For the first run, we'll be wearing bright pink. Run #2 will be bright yellow. And the third run will be bright orange. I have a bright pink tank and a bright yellow tank, but was in need of orange. And since all the winter clothes are out now, I was worried I'd have a hard time finding a tank to use in Florida. I ended up finding some on clearance for $4.50! They are performance tanks (moisture-wicking fabric, which is what I like to run in). And they had bright orange.
I took this picture in the fitting room to text to the rest of my team, to see if they wanted me to pick up some for them as well. Jerry was desperate to be in the picture ;)
We talked about maybe putting "our number" on the back--meaning the number of pounds we've lost. These tanks are ribbed, so I'm not sure how I will do that. Maybe with reflective tape?
I'm waiting on one more part of my outfit, and then I'll post pictures. I'm getting SO EXTREMELY EXCITED. The Ragnar is all I have thought about for days now! I cannot wait to meet my team, and run with them in Florida.
Noah went to a pool party with a friend tonight, so Jerry and I asked Eli if he wanted to do something special while Noah was gone. He said he wanted to go out for ice cream. Thankfully, all of the ice cream shops around here are closed for the season, so we went to McDonald's for ice cream, where I could get my beloved vanilla cone. That cone has become a favorite treat of mine lately! Jerry and I always look forward to seeing what our cones look like--sometimes, they look picture-perfect; other times, they look very sloppy.
A few days ago, we got one that was the sloppiest cone I'd ever seen. I wish I'd thought to take a picture! Literally half of the ice cream was falling down the side of the cone. I was a little shocked when I saw it, and then when Jerry was handed his cone, it looked the same as mine! We thought it was hilarious. The person who made it definitely needed more practice.
Today, our cones weren't very pretty, but they sure did taste good!