Kelly with Katie

Today’s long run was one that I was really looking forward to. Not only would I be running with my good friend Katie, but I would also be running somewhere new.

(Katie and I before the Philly half marathon)

 

Kelly Drive is a popular running route in the city and it is about 8.5 miles around.

It starts near Boathouse Row, which is a famous site in Philly. Boathouses for regattas line the Schuykill River and it really is beautiful. They light it up at night as well.

Katie is training for the Suntrust Marathon in March (I’m running the half) so she was out for a 16 mile training run.

 

I was aiming for about 9 or 10 today so I ran 1 mile solo and then joined Katie for her second loop.

 

The sun was shining when we got started and we chatted and caught up. Before I knew it, we had already completed 4 miles.

At around mile 6 though, we both noticed that it got progressively colder and more windy. The last stretch towards the Art Museum was a little brutal for both of us. We both decided it was time to turn on our i-pods.

I was greeted by the lovely "Low Battery" warning on my shuffle and got about 2 songs worth out of it. Not cool. Soon enough though, I could see the Art Museum in the distance which told me we were almost done.

Garmin Report:

9 miles/1:30:58 min/Avg. Pace 10:04/mi

 

Overall Training Status:

At this point I feel good about where I am as far as training for this race. I’m not following my plan exactly, but I’ve been adding in more weights and cross training. I feel strong, and my pacing is consistent. My body is recovering quickly after long runs and I’m injury free. Can’t ask for much more.

I honestly don’t know if I will PR in this race, but either way my main goal this time is to finish strong. The end of my last half marathon was kind of brutal since I hit a major wall at mile 11. I’m hoping this time that I can make some small changes to hopefully avoid that issue again.

 

After our run, Katie and I hit up a cute cafe called Ants Pants. We each slugged 3 cups of coffee (and water) and housed our food. I got a spinach, goat cheese, and caramelized onion omelette, fruit, and a side of honey wheat toast.

 

Katie got crème brulee battered French toast with bananas. YUM!

Sorry for the lack of pictures of the food, I forgot my camera in the car and was way too lazy to get it.

 

Now it’s time to take a little snooze I think.

 

Training for anything? How’s it coming?

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And so it begins…

Training for my half that is.

 

Today I had my first long run on the calendar.  I think I sat around in my running clothes for a little over an hour, just procrastinating going out in the cold weather.

 

I watched the food network, played online and did things like taking pictures of the roses Joe got me all opened up and blooming. So pretty, but not helping me get out the door.

Then it started to snow. Fearing it would get worse, I got on my way.

The best thing about training for a race is that you know you have to get that mileage done, because avoiding or skipping it will just make things harder for you in the long run (no pun intended).

 
The terrain was iffy in some spots, but overall not too bad.

I finished 8 miles in an hour and 23 min.

Avg pace was 10:22/mi. Sure, I’d like to be faster, but I know I will get stronger in the next few weeks.

(hot pic!)

 

Post run fuel was a banana in the car, and then when I got home I ate some salad, baked tofu, a new hummus from TJ’s, and 2 tortillas.

Dinner tonight was eaten at a local BYOB- We shared some fried artichokes for an appetizer and then I had a roasted vegetable and shrimp salad and a bruschetta with gorgonzola and figs. I washed it all down with two glasses of cabernet. YUM!

 

Now we’re watching the end of the Pitt v. Rutgers game and I’m going to crash soon.

Have a good night!

 

How do you beat procrastination when you need to get a workout in?

What’s the last thing you ate a restaurant?

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