So Close!!

My long run scheduled over the weekend was a 13 miler.  It seemed silly to run that far and not tack on the extra .1 in order to make it a half marathon- it would be only the 4th time I have ran that far, ever.  But I wanted to see how I was improving on my speed and be able to compare it to my other half marathon times.  That being said, I didn't set out trying to break any speed barriers either, I just wanted to run as fast as I comfortably could while still pushing myself. 

The weather was of course unpredictable.  It was raining and also on the chilly side so I opted for shorts and my running jacket.  I chose my Merrell Pace Gloves for shoes.  I had not run farther than 6 miles in them so I was a little bit nervous, however my knee was starting to feel a bit sensitive and these shoes would be the best option for protecting it.  They keep me on my toes with a quick, light step and my knee never bothers me after I wear them (or my VFF's for that matter).  But still, running a half marathon in them was a bit risky- but in the end were a great choice.  My calves are STILL sore today, but my knee feels fantastic.  I will take sore muscles over a sore knee any day! 

My route took me from my house down the road to Wright Park.  I ran around the trail there 4 times then headed back towards my house.  I was at 10 miles by the time I got near my house.  I stopped for a quick minute to check my time, distance and take my energy gel.  It was then that I realized how close I was to finishing the run under 2 hours.  Although at that point I would have had to run my last 3 miles at 8 minutes each and I knew it wasn't really going to happen...but I was going to try and see how close I could get anyways!  Final time for my training run half marathon- 2:02:29 for a pace of 9:20.  My last mile was done in 8:40, which I think is pretty cool.  And if it is worth mentioning...part of it was up a hill!  My last three half marathon times were 2:13, 2:10 and 2:14 so that is huge for me...without even really trying!

When I got home I decided to try taking an ice bath.  So Tiffany, how did you like the ice bath you ask???  It was COLD (duh) but it was mostly terrible and I didn't like it at all.  Until my legs were completely numb, at which point I finally stopped shrieking and relaxed for a few minutes.  Then it felt ok, but I am not 100% convinced the benefit I got out of it was worth the ordeal.  Somebody tell me that it is totally worth it and the next time it won't be so horrible...anybody?  Actually, I would probably be happier if somebody told me they do nothing and I should never stick the lower half of my body in ice cold water willingly again.

Yesterday I went to the gym for some cross training.  I swam for about 20 minutes, which somehow felt harder than running for 2 hours, then sat in the spa for a bit.  I also went in the steam room to stretch my muscles out.  Today I finally got my yoga fix in.  We did a lot of deep stretching through the hips and quads which felt really good, and also a lot of plank/core work.  Last week I ended up running 26 miles in 5 days.  Now I just need to figure out how to do that all in one day instead!

I am also attempting a mini goal for the week- eat an entire bag of costco broccoli!  I forget how much I love this vegetable...mostly because I am not a big fan of it raw and I am too lazy to steam it sometimes.  But I got this fancy new rice cooker that also has a steamer basket to make my life easier.  And my broccoli more delicious!