Yesterday I went for my longest run yet in my Boston training. I ran 13 miles! I have been feeling a little off in my training lately, I think mostly due to being in Vermont and the holidays. The roads in VT are way different than in MA; they are hilly and snowy making it hard to balance and run a consistent pace.
But, last week, back in MA, I still didn’t feel strong running. I just attributed it to the ebbs and flows of running [and the cold weather].
I felt like I needed to get out and have a good strong run. And then we had a family emergency so I couldn’t run on Saturday and got back to my apartment at around 2:15pm on Sunday. To go for a long run, outside would take a couple hours and I was nervous about getting caught in the dark. But… the thought of running 13 miles on a treadmill motivated me enough to get dressed and go outside. I dressed in bright Saucony clothes that came with a special USB flashlight thingy and grabbed my headphones to help keep me going because I was feeling lethargic. 
The weather was so nice; it was sunny and 45 degrees which felt super warm.
I used Map My Run to find a loop I wanted to run and sent the course to my phone. It was the first time I had used the app while running and it was really cool. Every mile, it told me how far I had gone, the elapsed time and my average pace. For some people, that might get annoying but for me it was nice to know the mile markers.
I started running way faster than I thought. I was planning on running 8 min/miles but started out running 7 min/miles and finished with an avg pace of 7:42 min/mile. Map My Run breaks out your whole workout, it’s awesome!
I got a phone call around mile 8! haha
For the most part, I felt great the whole run. At points I felt so light and free, it was so fun and reminded me why I love running! I brought Honey Stinger Organic Energy Chews with me. They are the best especially because I love gummy candy. I ate 2 at mile 7 and 2 more at around mile 11.
By mile 11.5 I started to get pretty tired. My knees were achy and my back and butt were getting tight and sore. I was ready to be done. I have to fight mentally when I start to struggle because I start to think about how when I am running a marathon I am still going to have so many more miles to go, how can I already be tired when I am only at mile 11!?! But then I remind myself, this is why I train so I can be prepared for the distance.
I iced, stretched and foam rolled post-run. I feel good this morning so overall it was a good run!
Now to my diet and nutrition… If I am running and training this hard I need my diet to support me. This is where I really struggle because I like to eat and I often eat whatever is in front of me. I need to be better about eating what is right for my body and my training. So, this week I am going to stick to the Tone It Up diet plan and hopefully get on the right path to a healthy diet and nutrition plan through my training for Boston.
Today I started with an egg white scramble with spinach and a coffee with milk.
How was your weekend?
Have you started your week off with a good meal!?
