I Ran Fifteen Miles Today!

Guess what?  This morning I ran FIFTEEN MILES!

Wanna know how I feel about that??

Pretty great!

But let's back up and see how I got there.

Last night I planned a little carb heavy dinner for Greg and I.  He got in around 7pm and I had this veggie pasta ready to bake in the oven.

Veggie Pasta Bake:

-About 2-3 cups of pasta (I used veggie and whole wheat)

-1/2 large onion, diced

-1/2 red pepper, diced

-1 carrot, diced

-1 small/medium zucchini, diced

-1 cup sliced white mushrooms, diced

-1 tablespoon EVOO

-2 teaspoons garlic

-1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasonings

-salt and pepper to taste

-2 cups tomato sauce

-1/2 cup ricotta cheese

-1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Cook pasta according to directions, strain.



Meanwhile, sautee onion, garlic, pepper, and carrot in a large skillet until softened.  Add seasonings, zucchini, and mushroom.

Dump tomato sauce in to cooked veggies and simmer for about 10 minutes.  Add cooked pasta.

Take a casserole dish and place about half your pasta/sauce/veggie mixture in and then layer ricotta (and some extra mozarella if you wish).  Add the rest of the pasta then top with mozarella.

(Sorry, I'm having some technical issues with pictures flipping.  Thanks Blogger!)

Bake in 400 degree oven for about 15-20 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly.

I served mine with my usual salad (spinach, lettuce, tomatoes, mushrooms, balsamic/EVOO).

I also topped mine with a little Parmesan cheese.

Carbo loading success!

I went to bed by 10:30pm and was up by about 7am.

I had a bagel thin with PB and banana and some pumpkin spice coffee for breakfast:

Then off to the trail I went to meet Michelle for the run.

We met at 9am and suited up with our fuel.  I brought my new belt from the OBX expo loaded with a Hammer gel and a couple different kinds of chews.  I also carried a water bottle of half water, half Gatorade.

We did 2 miles out and back on the road near the trail, then headed out on the trail for the rest of our run.  I felt great for the first 6 miles or so, then soon after I felt a little more fatigued, but still ok.

I haven't mentioned it lately, because I haven't had issues in a while, but I can be a blister proned person.  I've gotten in the habit of taping my feet in certain places that I know I'm prone to blisters with sports tape just in case and it's really taken care of any potential problems.  This morning was no different- when I got ready, I taped up my feet, put on my new Asics, and headed out to run thinking I was all protected.  I debated wearing the new ones or old ones, but since I've had two decent shorter runs in the new ones and the old ones are pretty beat up, I figured I would run in the new ones today.  The problem with that was that I taped my feet in the areas where the old Asics were proned to rub after long distance.  Apparently that's not the same on the new pair (even though they are identical).

Around mile 8-9, I realized I was getting a blister on my right foot and I felt like it was because of the sports tape.  The edge of the tape was rubbing funny and I could feel it with each step.  Eventually, I decided to stop and check it out.  Yikes, I had bled onto the sports tape, my sock, and even my shoe...gross. 

I lifted the tape and moved it over the spot to see if I could protect it.  After about another mile running with the tape moved, it was apparent that wasn't working well either.  The tape was no longer sticky (from my sweat), so it was sliding and irritating it more.  I finally just took it off completely and actually that pretty much solved the problem and I was able to run without it really bothering me much.

I also had some lower back pain/pressure, just like my last long run at the trail, but it wasn't too terrible.  I really just felt like I need to work on core strength more.

With all the blister/tape issues and everything else going on, Michelle and I ended up going further than we actually meant to on the trail.  Really, we didn't need to go to the end (6 miles out), because we had already run the 4 on the road at the beginning.  As soon as we realized our error, we turned around, but we are nearly at the end of the 6 miles.  So, on the way back we eventually hit the 15 mile mark about a half mile from the parking lot and walked it in from there. 

Once we started walking I could feel all the pain seep into my knees, quads, and lower back.  It was kind of a painful walk back to the lot, but nice knowing that we were basically done.

15 Miles Done!  (Even though it looks like I'm saying "51"...lol!)

This was officially the furthest I've ever run! 

I felt tired and a little fatigued, but not dead.  I think if I continue to train properly, the full marathon is obtainable!  It's a great feeling!

It's been a low key day since the run.  I showered, rested, and had more leftover pasta for lunch when I got home.  I really didn't want to do much for a couple hours, but eventually summoned up the energy to accompany my hubby to Costco for some supplies.

Such as this essential item, that I couldn't live without:

Ok, maybe I can live without it, but it'll be really really hard ;).  I mean, if I had a dime for every time I said what I really needed in my life was a giant cat breed book, I would be so rich right now...

On that note, I'm calling it a night! 

Hope your Sunday was as funfilled as mine!