already?

is it really sunday already? do i really have to go back to work tomorrow :( so sad. why do weekends, especially the long ones, always fly by?

i had a post all written up for thursday about my run, but then i ended up getting out of work early and got on the road before posting it... oops!

it was pretty much the most struggling to get out the door i have ever had on a morning run. i tried to come up with any excuse in my head not to go, or any random time i could make it up. but eventually i just put on my clothes and left. i was soooo glad that i did and got it done, plus it always makes my day better when i run before work.

10.0 miles/1:28:16/8:50 avg pace

we ended up making a last minute trip down the coast to my parent's house thursday after work. it was so nice to get down there and have a little escape from everything. we got a lot of relaxing in, a lot of eating, and some running too.

friday i had a recovery 6 miler planned, but somehow between napping and eating i never got it done :) that's ok... sometimes we all need weekends like that!

i have always been kind of hesitant to go down there during weeks when i have long runs, just because i am out of my normal routine and routes. i have done a couple 12 milers, but nothing longer than that, and i had 17 on the schedule for this week.

saturday morning we got up, but i was sooo sleepy. we eventually hit the road about 8:30. chris and i semi-mapped out a route, part of it was the normal path in avila beach that we have run on, but then we had to add quite a bit on. we climbed some hills and ran down the frontage road that takes you from avila beach, through shell beach and into pismo beach. it was a beautiful day... warm and sunny but the cool ocean breeze was there to cool us off. i love the weather down there, i wish i could take it back with me up to the bay.

honestly, i have been kind of struggling with my long runs lately. although i am trying to slow it down, i still have these thoughts in the back of my head that i need to be going faster or that i should be able to any time i might want to. since i was running with chris for a majority of this run i just assumed that i would be able to run like i have in the past on my long runs (8:30-8:40 avg) and that wasn't the case. i also tend to forget things like i am still building up my base, and as i am doing this i am going to be slower. i didn't give myself a whole lot of recovery time before jumping into marathon training and increasing my miles, but again this stuff i don't tend to think too clearly about while running.

long story short, i was tired and kind of upset at the end of this run. on the way back to the house, i realized how much faster it was than my long runs the past few weeks and also how much longer it was, since i have just started building up. i have had a great week of running, and need to be happy and not be so hard on myself which i know... sometimes the brain just gets a little silly and cloudy in the middle of running, at least for me, and i have to take a step back after runs to really look at them clearly.

17.0 miles/2:34:23/9:05 avg pace

i fueled normally during this run... water + salt tablets (3 total) + 3 gu's at mile 4, 8.5, and 13.

we then had a relaxing rest of the 4th of july... ate a lot of good food and enjoyed spending time with my family (and also 6 dogs... 2 of ours, 2 of my parents and 2 of my brothers... FULL house! sorry no pics, i know BOOO on me).

we made it back home early this afternoon and i wanted to get out for my recovery run that i skipped from friday. i have been wanting to try to do them the day after long runs, which i usually take off, so this was a good chance. my legs are usually heavy and slow my first run of the week, and today they felt that way a little, but actually felt better than they have on a recovery run in a while. i might incorporate this into my schedule more often, just to get the muscles loosened up.

6.0 miles/56:19/9:23 avg pace

total miles for the week: 46

overall another great week of running :)

hope you all had a great weekend!! i opened my reader for a minute and saw i have over 300 posts to read... see what happens when i take a few days break off the computer :) i will be catching up with you all soon!