15 mile Run....

So today was the longest run of our training program for the half marathon (that is less than a month away). I decided to take the boys out to the American Tobacco Trail (ATT) for the long run because it has hard pack sand (easier on the body) and it's pretty much a straight shot so no one gets lost. It was a beautiful morning when we started @ 7:30 am, it was still cool out, and very low humidity. We started at mile marker 5.5 and ran to the beginning of the trail the 0 mile marker, and then out to the 7.5 mile marker. The run was pretty much divided into 2 runs an 11 mile run and a 4 mile run, with a break to replenish water bottles/ Gatorade bottles (for the boys). It worked out pretty well, except I get ditzy after 10 miles of running and I ended up not seeing the mile markers (which are placed every 1/2 mile) after mile marker 5.5. So I ended up doing a 16.5 mile run....except I figured it out and ran 15.11 miles and walked 1.55 miles. I was truly over the run and my hip was acting up again so the walk back was necessary. At least the weather was BEAUTIFUL! So happy for the great weather to be running in. I'm so proud of my running partners, my husband who saw the 7.5 mile marker, and my friend Chris who didn't see it but figured it out way before me. So my run distance and time was 15.11 miles in 2:57:19, which made in 11:44/mile, and my walk the rest of the way was 1.55 miles in 28:33, which made it 18:25 miles (can't tell I was over that run could you??).

One of the crazy things that happened on our run today started with the drive out to the ATT. Chris was sitting in the back seat and he had to adjust and put body glide on as well and get his stuff together (earphone repair). After he did all that he was missing a piece of his earphones (a wire that connects the ipod to the earphones). He searched all over the backseat and everywhere but still couldn't find it. After we got to the ATT he searched again and looked under the seats in the back everywhere and it was still missing. Ohh well, we figured it would turn up eventually. Bummer for him though because he didn't have his music to run with, but he was a trooper and we off on the run without. Chris and I were running along together and chatting a little (I tried to comfort him with singing some of the song on my iphone...that I carry with me...but he didn't seem to enjoy that). At about mile 7 Chris was a little bit in front of me and I noticed something dangling out the back of his shorts. I said to him "doesn't that feel weird hitting your leg?", he responded with a "what are you talking about" look...and I pull this thing out the back of his shorts...guess what it is?? Yep the wire he couldn't find in the car, how it caught up in the back of his shorts...we will never know. What I do know is that once Chris got his music in his ears he was a happy camper and off he went!!

The other wild thing that happened was with a group of cyclist. Now we all know I love my bike, but I am a stickler for bike etiquette. I was running along (in the 2nd part of my run) getting more and more tired as I went. These two ladies come by me on their mountain bikes and one of them comes over right in front of me even though there was no one else on the trail for a little bit in front of her. She almost hit me with the way she came over, and it was unnerving. I didn't say anything because I just figured they would be on their way and they were obviously new cyclist. Well a little farther up the trail the ladies "stopped" (one was pulled over on the side of the trail, and the other was riding her bike in circles around the trail) waiting for some people behind me. As I'm running up they start yelling we were worried about you we didn't know what happened to you (clearly not talking to me). The girl who was actually stopped gets on her bike and starts riding, the other girl goes behind me with the two guys behind me. The two guys ride on the left side of me (as they should) and the other girl rode up on the right side of me (startling me as she did). I couldn't help it I yelled out at her...pick a side and don't split with me in the middle. RUDE was all I could think. Again clearly not experienced cyclist, and I was clearly getting grumpy from running so long. Arrrggghhh. Thankfully I didn't see them again.

Ohh and I wanted to get pictures of us after the run, I even brought my camera...but I forgot (again long runs make me ditzy). We drank our chocolate milk and ate our protein bars (honey stinger bar for me, cliff bar for Jason, and a cliff bar for Chris), then drove to get a burrito (for Jason and I) and ice from the grocery store for my ice bath, then home.

ICE BATH-
I bought 2 bags of ice for the ice bath and I probably should of had 3 or 4 bags of ice for the ice bath.
Okay so if you don't know what an ice bath is...well it is exactly what it sounds like a bath with ice. There is a trick to being able to do an ice bath, if you put the ice in than try to get in you'll never make it. You should put cold water in the tub with you sitting in the tub and then put the ice in. I usually wear a sweatshirt on top and a hat to keep warm, and I sometimes have hot tea or hot chocolate, but not today.

The rest of night consists of eating, and drinking wine....maybe a dip in the hot tub.