Hello my friends and happy Friday! I’m pumped because this morning I knocked out my weekly marathon training long run. 14 miles, done – and now I can relax all weekend!
Lucky for me, my track buddy Diane needed to get her long run in early as well so I had company! We met up early out in Falls Church to do the long run on the W&OD trail. It’s not shaded at all so we were lucky that it was a cloudy morning and we weren’t getting blasted by sun the whole time!
We ran out past Vienna – I’m used to biking this part of the trail, not running it – I was like “Wow, Vienna is actually pretty far from Falls Church when not on a bike!” Definitely took a little longer than I’m used to. ;) Speaking of – we ran past the brewery that Matt and I biked to last weekend! Sadly this time there was no stopping for beer… :)
Diane and I had fun chatting away and took a couple stops for quick stretch/fuel breaks. Over the course of the run I had a mocha Clif shot gel – yay caffeine – and a couple Clif Margarita shot bloks. Once I start getting higher in mileage I’ll be bringing in more “real food” fuel because I get sick of gels/bloks. You’ll probably be seeing my nut butter stuffed salty dates (<—recipe) again soon! Love those – haven’t had them in too long!
Our track coaches had instructed Diane to do an acceleration from miles 12-16 (for her – she was running 17 miles so she went out and did 3 before meeting me) to about an 8:30 minute mile… for me that would be miles 9 to 13. Last weekend I crushed our acceleration but this week my legs were really not feeling it, so I told her to go on ahead and come back for me for the last mile. No worries! We did a faster pace than last week for the first 9 miles so maybe that had something to do with it.
I finished strong, though – our last mile was 8:45 pace!
14 miles, done! Solid average pace for a long run for me, too.
Thanks for getting me out there, Diane!
When I got home I pounded a peanut butter perfect bar and had some fruit and a little tart cherry juice. Then it was ice bath time – with some hot tea! The tea really helps. :)
I was feeling super sore right after the run and the ice bath helped a ton. These are huge for me once I get over the half marathon distance! Are you guys ice bath fans, too?
And now, time to have some lunch and then get back to work! Matt and I are leaving tonight after dinner (hopefully missing traffic) to spend the weekend at our friend’s lake house. So pumped! I will leave you with some fun links from around the web – and this photo of purple potatoes that we ate for dinner earlier this week. Aren’t they beautiful?! The color was so deep!
They were part of a Blue Apron dinner. Yum, yum! Purple potatoes taste like normal potatoes but maybe a bit starchier. Have you tried them?
Have a fabulous weekend, my friends – see you back here on Monday!
From around the web:
- Eat: What to do with fruits and veggies past their prime // 7 Tips From People Who Bring Lunch to Work // 23 Low-Stress 5-Ingredient Dinners You Need to Try // Tortilla-Crusted Feta and Broccoli Quiche // The Very Best Sardine Salad // Gluten Free Orange Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Move: The Best of Washington DC Running in 2016 // 5 Things That Could Be Standing in the Way of Your Fitness Goals
- Think: Why I Haven’t Weighed Myself in 2.5 Years
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- Please note there are affiliate links in this post.
Definitely agree, they’re just a little starchier! I like them, nice to switch it up from the usual sweet potatoes; I don’t think they’re as naturally sweet either!
I love hearing about all the food and fuel you’re eating during marathon training. I have been experimenting with real food fuel too, I really am sick of eating gels! Checking out your date recipe now. The only thing I do like about gels, etc. is the caffeine!
I know, the lack of caffeine in homemade fuel is kind of a bummer, ha!
Great pace on the long run- I’m coming back from an injury so I really need to rebuild my speed- I’m happy to be under 9 min miles for my shorter runs right now. Those Perfect Bars are delicious- a little expensive, but they are my new favorite bar. Have fun at the lake house!
We spend sooooo much money on Perfect Bars in our house – Matt has one every day for breakfast! So good. Glad your injury has healed!
I ice bath my feet after most long runs. I can really tell the difference when I skip it!
It felt amazing on my feet in particular today – and my hips!
Annie, i think I saw you on the trail this morning! I was doing my morning run on W&OD! I should have said hi! :)
you rock girl!
one question: do you find the gel and the energy blocks upset your stomach? I had the blocks twice for long run around 45min to an hour, and always felt discomfort. Should I try something else?
Nice! Say hi next time – hope you had a great run! The gels and the shot bloks sit okay with me, but if they don’t for you, I’d definitely mix it up! Huma gel might be easier on your stomach – or try my nut butter stuffed salty dates!
The sunflowers on your run are beautiful! What a pretty spot to run.
Have lots of fun this weekend. I bet it’ll feel great to get away for a few days.
Another impressive long run. Well done! But, a no kidding bath in ice? V hard core. You might write a bit about how you prepare yourself and do that! And without a sauna or vodka first?
Hey Anne! Question about ice baths. I loved them when I did high school gymnastics, but at home I always did ice buckets. I once tried an ice bath! But then realized I didn’t know the ratio, or where to get all that ice! So… Do you just get 1 or 2 bags fromlike a gas station? Thanks!
I just use the entire container of ice from our freezer and turn on the bath to the coldest possible option too! More ice would probably be better but that’s what’s at home and is easy. :)
Hey Anne! I love your running recap posts :) I’m training for a half right now, so it’s fun and motivating for me to see other runners. I have a running nutrition question about fueling during long runs. I know that technically when activity reaches the one hour mark, we should refuel after that. That being said, I typically do not fuel at that point and really feel fine during and after the workout. When I have tried fueling, it has either made me feel full or very sick to my stomach. If I consume anything it’s a bit of gatorade at the aid stations on race day. Do you have any posts covering this question or do you have any advice for me? Since I am studying to be an RD, I want to make sure I know what is appropriate and set the best example possible! :) Thanks!
For a half you can get away with not fueling during the race (or just having a bit of gatorade or something), but for a full it’s super important to take in some fuel during long training runs and the race. Here’s a guest post about it from my Nutrition for Runners co-author: how to fuel for a marathon or half marathon. And I talk about it more personally in this post: how to eat for running.
Thanks, Anne!! Super helpful!!!