Monday Morning Marathon Meet-Up: Week 13

I have to say that I’m feeling pretty empowered right now.  It’s kind of wild what your body will do if you ask it to.  It amazes me that I can ask my body to run 19 miles and it will obey.  And that I can get up the next morning and ask those same legs to power me through a cycling class and a yoga session and they still don’t really protest all that much.  The body really is an amazing thing.

This has been a pretty crazy week, so again running was not on my mind all that much.  I did get my short runs in as planned.  I’ve decided to replace Thursday short runs with spin class, because I’ve found that two days off running makes for a stronger long run.  I actually felt good during most of my long run (details below), but I was pretty darn wiped out afterward.  Like, hard to move from the couch wiped out.  Or walk without shoes on.

I did finally force myself off the couch to get cleaned up since we had to meet Claudia over at the Building Museum.  She’s working on her portfolio and we were lucky enough to be her portrait guinea pigs.  So I figured she’d appreciate it if I showered.  We had a good time shooting them and I think the  photos came out great!  The Building Museum is an awesome back drop for photos and Claudia really knew how to utilize the space and the light.  These are a few of my favorites:

Long Run Summary:
This was the first long run in quite some time that I actually found myself enjoying.  The Anacostia Riverwalk Trail was a great change of pace and so much more convenient than battling traffic.  Unfortunately Courtney’s knee started acting up early on (mile 3) and he had to call it quits around mile 7.  I’m really hoping that with some time off he can still make a recovery, but the race is right around the corner now.  I decided that carrying the water bottle made my hands too cold and I was a little worried about being without, but a few sips in Georgetown around mile 11 seemed to be all I needed.  Oh, and from a bathroom sink at mile 16.  There were points during the run that the wind was extremely overpowering– it nearly pushed me against the handrail across the 14th St. Bridge.  I also am not sure why my feet and shins started hurting– whether it’s from running in my worn out shoes that lack support or from trying to break in my new shoes earlier in the week.  That’s definitely something I need to figure out pre-race.  

Pre-run dinner:  Fettuccine Alfredo and asparagus
Pre-run breakfast: English muffin with peanut butter and jelly, banana, coffee.
Hours of sleep: 8-9
Start time: 10:30
Weather: Low 30s and very, very windy
Route: Down to South Capitol St. and across the bridge onto the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail.  Back across the Pennsylvania Ave bridge.  Down the Mall, past the Kennedy Center and onto the Geogetown Tow Path, over the Key Bridge, onto the Mt. Vernon Trail, across the 14th Street Bridge, around the Tidal Basin and back up the Mall to home.
How I felt: Actually pretty damn good.  This was the first long run that I enjoyed for a long time.
Mid run snack:  I had some applesauce around mile 11.  I didn’t have any Goo and anything that I have to chew tends to make me cramp up.  This actually worked out quite well– just the little sugar kick I needed.
Highlight of run:  New scenery.  Loved the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail
Injuries, aches or pains:  My feet, calves and shins starting hurting quite a bit around mile 16, which made the last three miles difficult.
Post-run treat: None whatsoever.  I’ve been having a hard time eating at all after long runs.

Johanna