For the first time in who knows how long, I got off work on time today, and was able to hit the pavement right away. The 8-miler was a full run and then some around Forest Park. It was windy at times and light drizzle, and it felt great to be out, especially with the fall temperatures.
It took me about 45 minutes to loosen up today! I was really surprised, especially since I ran 4 yesterday. Figured I’d be loosened up. It was almost an instant feeling from stiffness to loose as I climbed a small hill on the trail. Even though it was tough today, I think it’ll be worth it when it comes to the next long runs. I don’t wanna wimp out.
I ran my 8 miles in 1:25:10.
This is the best run ever! Patrick and I got to Forest Park in the morning. It wasn’t as early as we would have liked, but the temperature was in the high 40s, low 50s, during the run. We were freezing! Shortly after we began running, I took off. I didn’t see Patrick again until he was finished running. Right before we started, Patrick told me to run around the park once, and then one more time for a “victory lap.” When the run started to get tough, I just imagined that I was already done and I was just running down the streets of Vegas to let everyone know I was a winner. It was easy to imagine, because after running that long I started losing my mind a bit.
There is one very bad intersection at the park where cars just get off the highway and then are supposed to stop at a light. My brain wasn’t thinking correctly because I was so focused on running, so I found myself running across the road while vehicles were coming. I knew the lights had just changed, but I couldn’t comprehend what they had changed to. Someone honked at me. Still, I have no idea whether it was safe to run or not. I have to keep in mind to really think about what is going on around me when I run very long distances.
I was extremely tired when I was done, but I was still cold. It was very breezy during the run, and I ended up trying to warm up in the car. Patrick and I bought bananas and bagels beforehand, and when the run was almost complete, I could already taste the banana. The bagel tasted soooooo good! I can’t wait for next week. We’ll be running a half marathon next week.
After the run, we went back home and picked up my best friend Jane who was staying with us for her weekend vacation. We all went to the Old Spaghetti Factory for our cheat meal. This is one of my favorite places because it’s in a historic building on Laclede’s Landing downtown.
After that, we took a brewery tour at the history Anheuser Busch building. I was happy to learn the tour was free (as was two beers at the end of the tour. Although they were almost out of everything by the time it was our turn to drink. I asked them how they could be out of beer? Kinda weird that a brewery would run out.) We had a great time, but after a few sips I really wasn’t all that interested in drinking. I did get to sample some beers I’ve never tried, but after working out in the morning, my body didn’t want anything unhealthy.
That night, Patrick made hamburgers on the grill, and we also made some s’mores on the chimenea.
Wow! Things have been crazy. I’m really excited about training. I’ve finally hit the double digits, and I’m looking forward to my 12-miler this weekend. It’s close to a half marathon, so I feel like it’s a big deal. Last weekend, we ran Murphysboro Lake again. I’ve been seeing a lot of snakes while running. There were two on the course, including a giant black snake that stretched out across most of the road near the bridge. I didn’t realize what it was until I was right next to it and saw it’s eyes looking up at me. That encouraged me to run even faster.
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Today, I ran six miles. It was the first time I felt that I could breath during a run. It’s because the humidity was much lower. It was under 70 degrees and had a great breeze. I felt so, so great. Afterwards, I was pretty tired, so I took a nap. I can’t wait for the weekend run!
It’s hard to even call this morning’s run a “long run”. We are following Hal Hidgon’s marathon training schedule, which puts a 5-miler on the map for today, and it was an easy run. Easy because all the elements were in place–the weather was MUCH cooler, breezy conditions, enthusiastic morning runners at Forest Park, and we’ve finally adjusted to getting up early on Saturday mornings.
After our typical morning “flush” at the Visitor’s Center, Lindsey and I ran together for the first mile, then Lindsey took off a little faster and ran her interval training. I just ran straight through non-stop. There were times when I would pass her up, then she would pass me up right afterwards. She finished a few minutes before I did, but I was really happy with my run, and the weather conditions were perfect. Temps in the mid-70s, breezy wind, and a familiar course. I remember back to the first time I ran Forest Park, I could barely run it. Now, it was a non-stop jog, and I feel like I’ve built my endurance up quite a bit in the last 3 weeks.
After the run, we took my sister Ellen and my neice Erin to Six Flags St. Louis, where we dumped $250 into a typical day’s worth of expenses. I haven’t been at the park in over 10 years, and it’s quite the rip-off. They nickel and dime ya every chance they can. It’s so worth traveling to Holiday World in Santa Claus, Indiana. A 3.5 hour trip there will still be less expensive than Six Flags St. Louis. At Holiday World, the drinks and parking is free. Those 3 things at Six Flags St. Louis added up to $65. I’m just going to stop here before I really rip Six Flags St. Louis a new one.
Conditions: 73 degrees, breezy.
Results: today: 5 miles; shoe miles: 47; time: 51:35; pace: 10:18
Thoughts: The cooler temps was such a relief! I almost felt like I needed a jacket!
What I’ll remember the most: Not dying for water at the end. We drank out of the water fountain at the Visitor’s Center and didn’t even touch our own water bottles.
