Hi friends! We had quite a treat this past weekend – randomly warm temperatures. Cue the run dates – hooray!!
My friends Kathleen, Sarah, and I met up for a run on Saturday morning and seriously the ENTIRE city was out there with us. It was so fun – everyone was clearly as eager as we were to enjoy the spring-like temperatures (60 degrees?!), especially after the snow/ice lately!
We had the best run – it felt so good to be out there with two of my best friends enjoying such a lovely day.
We did a nice loop from Georgetown over to Hains Point and the tidal basin and back, chatting away the whole time.
Such a blast! There’s nothing quite like running endorphins + a nice day + two good friends. 6 miles – done!
After our run, we walked over to Kafé Leopold in Georgetown for a little brunch action! I’d never been there before – it’s tucked away in a cute little alley just south of M street. I had their avocado toast with poached eggs and a crispy ham – perfection. Plus an unpictured mocha and a shared pastry because we wanted something sweet while we waited for our entrees!
Matt was off playing soccer so when I got home I took advantage of the beautiful day by taking a nice stroll and listening to a podcast. Then, I sat on the porch and read magazines and the newspaper for a couple hours and relaxed. It was glorious. :)
On Saturday night, we went out to dinner with a HUGE group of friends to Boulevard Woodgrill, one of our Arlington faves. We had some friends in town visiting so it was a good excuse to get everyone together. :) I meant to get a photo of our 20+ person crew, but got distracted by food and conversation. I did get one of me and Kathleen, though! We thought a non-sweaty blog photo was in order for once. ;)
It was really great to catch up with so many old friends! After dinner, we moved the party over to a friend’s place for more chatting.
Sunday morning, I reluctantly dragged myself out of bed for another run! I was feeling a bit sore/tired but I had made plans to meet my friend Sokphal as well as some of my track group buddies for an 8:30 a.m. jaunt. It was another nice morning so I couldn’t complain. :)
To my surprise given how I felt when I first woke up, I felt AWESOME on this run! We gradually sped up and split into two groups and I stuck with the faster crew.
Since I had just run the day before, I was originally only planning to do 6 miles again, so the group looped back to the cars to drop me and Sokphal off before continuing on. But when we got back to our cars I felt so good I was like, what the heck – let’s do more! Sokphal headed home and two of my guy friends from the track and I headed out for more. Luckily one of them had some extra Huma gel so I snagged one – I wasn’t prepared to do a long run and didn’t have any fuel with me!
As we ran, the distance I was going to do gradually become longer and longer – peer pressure at its finest! First I was going to do 8, then it became 10, and then they convinced me to “just run to the bridge and then we’d turn around.” Lol! I was having a great time so I didn’t mind. :) Good company and my legs felt surprisingly energized! We kept getting faster and faster – by our final mile I think we did a 7:45 pace. I forgot to turn my watch on when we stopped for water at one point so I snagged a picture of Paul’s watch for our stats – 10.49 miles at an 8:30 overall average pace. Hizzah!
I was pumped about the unintentional long run because I’m doing the DC Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon in 3 weeks and haven’t been great about long runs since the Charleston Half Marathon a month ago. It felt good to get one in and remind myself why I love running so much. :) I’m pumped for the race now!
How was your weekend? Anyone else enjoy the spring-like weather with a run, walk, or anything else outdoorsy?
Also – another big thank you to those who participated in the Winter Shape Up, which just ended yesterday! That flew by, huh?! Gina and I loved having you guys join us for 4 weeks of fun workouts and healthy eats. Thank you again to our fabulous sponsors for making it possible to offer the shape ups to you guys for free:
- Cabot (best cheese ever)
- Sabra (best hummus ever)
- Sizzlefish (awesome seafood delivered right to your door)
- Pure Canadian Maple Syrup (my sweetener of choice)
- Daily Harvest (ready to blend real food smoothies delivered to your home)
- Gluten Free Chex (love that crunch – excellent with yogurt, nuts, and fruit)
- Crunch Live (stream online workouts from the convenience of your home)!
Have a great day, everyone!
I did my 10 miler outside Saturday and the weather was amazing! I ran on the Mt. Vernon trail and around the monuments–it doesn’t get any better than that! PS your brunch looks amazing!
Glad you had a great run, too!
The weather lately has gotten me so excited for spring! Awesome job on your long run. I love those runs that surprise you with how good you feel.
I know – the best! :)
My sister lives in Georgetown and going to Kafe Leopold when I visit is a tradition. I’ve got a visit coming in two weeks so I’m getting excited!
Nice! Enjoy – it was delish!
Jealous of the warm weather! It was warm in Minneapolis this weekend at a whopping 35 degrees! Lots of people out during my long run on Sunday. Still some snow/icy spots to watch out for so i was on high alert the whole time.
Stay safe! Hope it warms up and all that ice melts soon!
I’m running the Rock and Roll Half in DC too and I’ve been slacking on my long runs. This Saturday I managed to get out and run a decent distance; warmer weather makes all the difference! Hoping it stays warm enough to get some outdoor runs in since I’m not the biggest fan of the treadmill. 😝
It really does make all the difference! Fingers crossed it stays nice out! :)
Looking great, ladies! Dickinson <3
thats also an awesome pace for a surprise long run! great going.
Thanks! It’s all about the running buddies – def wouldn’t have done that without them!
Unintentional long runs are my secret weapon. Then there’s no over-preparation or freaking out the night before!
Haha so true!
I love unexpected long runs–so happy you have that to serve as encouragement as you get ready for your next half! Glad you’ve gotten the chance to get outside and enjoy the weather after the huge blizzard a few weeks ago too :)
The Disney Princess Half Marathon was Sunday – absolutely beautiful weather for it, if not a little chilly before the race started. By mile 1, though , I think we were all warmed up!
Yay! Hope you had a great race!
I am doing the half marathon on March 12th. I didn’t train at all due to snow and being busy at work…it is going to be interesting…
I think many of us will be in the same boat! There’s still time to get out there and get in some miles. Good luck and have fun!
that’s an amazing run! i didnt get any running in :/ but i did a lot of walking saturday to/from the farmers market, and just for fun :)
Walking is great, too! One of my favorite things to do. :)