Sunday October 5th was my last long run in my training plan for my upcoming half marathon. After a rough night with the girls – both up a few times – I was up at 6:15 and out the door just before 7 AM. Pretty good so far. The run went from bad to good to hard to awesome.
Wore a piece of my girls with me on my run:
Ladybug hair clip
I was on my own for 19 kilometers, that’s a LONG time to be on your own with no friend to talk to or music to bob up and down to (yeah, I don’t run with music). It was a long time to “think” …. and so I did, it went a little something like this:
1-3km:
- I’m wearing too many layers…keep going don’t turn back.
- Seriously, WHY am I running again?
- I don’t like running (today).
- How am I going to run a HALF marathon next week?
3k: Stop to take a picture
- While taking this photo I thought, yeah, I’ll just stop and take pictures of my run.
- That will make a great blog post.
Check out the trail I’m running on:
Nice trail under the road sign!
- Okay, I can do this.
- Oh, look pumpkin people – photo time.
Just a few of the Pumpkin People I saw.
- Dang, I just kicked my left ankle. Good thing I have on my ProCompression socks on….my ankle won’t have dirt on it when I get home.
- And, “RESUME” Garmin – shit…I forgot to turn it back on. Awww, man! Beep beep – on again.
- Time to cross the street.
- It’s getting lighter outside; rain please stay away.
- Kicked myself AGAIN!
- Cop car! S’up!
- Honk honk…helly buddy I don’t know.
- Another cop car…really ?
- Oh look, that’s how fast I am running in the school zone!
How fast am I running?
7km+
- I HATE HILLS
- Okay, I love running again, this is GREAT!
- I’ll take my GU near when I get close to the garbage bin.
- Pumpkin people again!
- Let’s play with the Vanilla GU as I run down THIS hill (stress reliever ???)
- Yes, the garbage bin. GU time!
- Man, I’m a messy water drinker when I run. Good thing there is no one around.
- Okay, new plan is to U-turn at 8k.
Vanilla Bean GU!
7.84km: (this time stuck in my head)
- Oh those leaves are pretty {mental note, take phone out for picture on return}
- When will my Garmin hit 8km?
- Finally, 8k, U Turn!
- Pretty red leaves
Couldn’t pass this up!
- Hello lady I’ve seen for the last 4 Sunday mornings…won’t see you next week!
- Another HILL…good lord!
- Finally, that hill is over only a few more to go.
11km:
- I’m pooped! No, I didn’t poop my pants but I’m just pooped from running.
- Side walk construction: should I run on the road or on the shoulder (sand/gravel).
- Road wins.
- Car coming. Game over (moves off-road).
- Car passes by: game on!
- Transport Truck coming – GAME OFF…jumps off road.
- Thank you truck driver for giving me lots of space – air high-five to you!
13k
- Second GU (Chocolate Outrage)
- Decision made: Vanilla Bean and Chocolate GU for the half. Must go purchase before Friday.
- I’m running fast again, sweet!
- Oh my, this hill is going to be a killer. Keep your head down and just run to the sign.
- Where is that sign again?
- Really, it’s that far away from me?
- A few more steps, I feel like a turtle.
- Oh thank god I made it to the hill, only 4k to go.
15k
- First I need to catch my breath…I think this is another hill/incline. Maybe that’s why I usually run it in the opposite direction.
- Yup, it’s a hill…and walk.
- Walk faster.
- Okay, it’s time to run again.
16k
- 3 more to go.
- I’m running fast AGAIN…this is wonderful!
- Just make it to the top of the hill, you can rest then.
- Almost there.
- Done, made it. No resting. Keep going only 2k now.
17k
- Running fast again.
- Umm, am I crying?
- Why am I crying?
- Seriously, I’m crying. Weird.
- Take the next left.
- Okay, u-turn back home, almost done!
- And……DONE. 19k… STOP the GARMIN.
19k done!
And that my friends was my last long run before my half!
A little yoga and stretching with my two best girls:
Yoga/Stretching post long run 🙂
After yoga, I got all cleaned up, put a new pair of PRO Compression sleeves on (seriously, I love these) and went for a walk with Sai and the girls.
What do you think of when you run?
What’s your lucky thing to wear?
What random things have you thought of on your long/solo runs?
Piper's Run 
This is awesome. It is hilarious how many random things go through your head on a long run. I love when you remember something random a few days later. Loved your post. Great work on the long run. Yay!
Oh, it’s amazing what one can think of while running for two hours. I’m pretty sure I won’t remember as much when I run my half but it was funny to run and laugh at what I was thinking.
I think I’m going to miss my long run days 😉
This is hilarious. I can relate to many of your random thoughts. I have this white hat that I must wear when I race. It’s more gray now and it smells bad after about 10 minutes, but I don’t care. I honestly can’t recall much of what I think about during my long runs. It is very random and usually involves solving world issues, too bad I can never remember.
🙂 There was a lot of thoughts I couldn’t remember when I sat down to write this post but it was entertaining to do. AND, I actually kicked my leg ankle SIX times – how does one do that!?!?!
LOVE THIS. Also, I nearly died laughing from the girls and you doing yoga together when I saw it on IG. HILARIOUS. YAYYYYYY last long run DONE!!!!
The yoga was pretty entertaining for everyone! For some reason they will do it with me but then crawl under me sometimes for down dog. I love it 🙂
Love the run down of thoughts! I usually listen to an audio book on long runs (when not with you!), but then sometimes my mind wanders and I’m like what the heck is going on in the book? I missed something… who is that again??? (Listening to game of thrones right now, it’s confusing at the best of times). And my thoughts and book get interrupted by things like – what was that noise… was it a coyote??? Bear??? Wait it was a chickadee. (Well of course except for the times that it really IS a coyote or bear 😉 )
For the record I have no idea how you survive a long run alone not listening to anything!
Good to know the vanilla GU is good, I have avoided it – I either love or hate vanilla stuff. I had a chocolate raspberry one on my long run, I hated it, then drank too much water to get rid of the taste.
So that’s what you are listening to when we run together….I get it now 😉
Yes, you’ve had some interesting run-ins with wild life – as least you have Flecher with you! I don’t know how I run without music – I’ve been toying with the idea of running with it but just haven’t found the time to upload it to my outdated Ipod.
haha, no I don’t listen to books when I run with you! I listen to my app cues and have music playing quietly if I have headphones in. needing headphones is definitely a downfall of having a phone app instead of garmin in some situations.
Yeah for the last long run! This was hilarious. Also – love your shoes – I have them too! A million things run through my head when I run – and I don’t remember a single one of them after the run unless it involves food (which it typically does).
I love these shoes – might have to buy them again! Next time you run, sit down afterwards and think about what your thoughts…it can be entertaining! Glad you are able to get back to running again!
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Love it. I usually have great ideas when I run, and then they all evaporate by the end…maybe I need a voice recorder?? But then I wouldn’t be able to breathe.
I would LOVE to have a voice recorder during my runs! ha ha
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