We made that run our b*tch

2:07.  I ran 15.25 miles on Saturday, and it was great.  I completely shattered my half-marathon time, and we even finished the last two miles at a 7:30 pace. There is something liberating about running to a different town.  It is an amazing feeling to be able to tell people at the gas station that you just ran from another zip code to here.  They look at you like you are crazy.  But I kind of think they are crazy for not wanting to do it, themselves.  Let me walk you through my morning.

I woke up at 6am, because our run was at 8 and I wanted to have some coffee and breakfast and give it a chance to settle before the run.  Breakfast this morning was granola and milk.  Have you tried Feed granola before? It is organic, packed with good stuff, and really sticks with you.  I figured I was going to need something substantial for a 15 mile run. I also threw back about three glasses of water, just to stay hydrated.

I played with my Swiggies a bit, but I don't think I am going to wear them.  They are a little ridiculous, and uncomfortable when filled with water, as they do bounce.  Then it was off to meet the girls.

Although there were originally 6 of us, one lady canceled because her kids had a basketball tournament. The remaining 5 of us met, and we were ready to go! Rachel is our resident 20 year-old, and she is as cute as can be.  She told all her friends that she was, "running with the moms today."  Too funny.  She can run forever.

Carol is an experienced marathoner and tri-athlete.  When we met at 8, she had already run 7 miles.  Because 15 is for beginners, I guess.  She is my new idol. Talk about strong.  Amazing.

Here's me!  The sun is shining on me right now, but don't let that fool you.  It was windy and cold.  If you have ever been to the Midwest, you know that it is always windy.  This time of year it can be really difficult to run in.  Fortunately for us, the wind was either blowing across us or was at our backs the whole time, so it was okay.  If we had run the other way the run would have been completely different.  It's also difficult to know how to dress on days like this.  Today I have a tank, long-sleeved wicking shirt, another long-sleeved layer, and my fleece.  It was, arguably, one too many layers, but I just hate being cold. Also notice that my clothes are all too big for me.  I have dropped a few pounds since starting training, and I have no good winter stuff.  I'm hoping to fix that with end of the season sales!

Once everyone felt ready, we were off.  You can click the link for our route.
It was a really smooth, fun, easy run.  We averaged between 8:20 and 8:40 pace, and just visited the whole time.  We only had one water stop, at mile ten, and I don't think it was enough.  I was pretty thirsty starting about mile 6, so next time will definitely drop more water.  Jayme's dad was kind enough to drop the water for us, and he just kept patroling the road, most likely making sure none of us passed out or got hit by a car.  The second half of the run was much quieter than the first, since we were all a bit fatigued and just kind of got in "the zone."  I ate almost a whole bag of Sport Beans, since I was kind of wilting after mile 11, and they helped keep me strong. Before long, we all could see the bridge that signaled the finish line, and so I pushed the last two miles in.  I always like to push at the end, and fortunately these ladies don't mind it.  Jayme and I will often race a bit, although she is usually faster and beats me by a few seconds.  I love it, though.

Once we finished, we walked a bit and stretched, then loaded up in Jayme's Dad's truck to head back to our cars.  This is Karen, Jayme, and I.  Don't we look great?  The only thing that made me mad was that my Ipod locked up on me, so the run did not register on Nike+.  This is the third long run that this has happened to me, and it infuriates me beyond words.  I am going to try to figure out what is happening.

This was kind of a tough run for me mentally, and now that I dominated it, I am no longer as scared about the marathon.  Saturday I have to run 16 miles. I know I can do it.  And, I get a new PR!  

As for the Swiggies...my boys love them. Maybe I'll try them on a short run sometime.