This week's long run was supposed to be 11 miles. But I went ahead and just ran 10. It's going to put me behind schedule a week but that means my longest run before the half will be 11 miles instead of 12. That will be fine.
The plan was to meet my friends and run one of my favorite routes down by the bay. It is an out and back route and one I use often when I need more mileage with less traffic. We were starting at 5:15 AM. I went into this run knowing that my hip was probably going to be pretty sore afterwards. But I was hoping for a good run. I needed a good run.
The weather was perfect for running! It was a much cooler morning...63 degrees when we started and there was a light breeze.
The only bad thing was it was pitch black dark when we got started. And most of this route is not lit up by streetlights. So it was a little scary when you couldn't see where you were running. The sidewalks are bumpy in places so I was just hoping I didn't trip and fall...or step on any snakes!
The first few miles were about getting into my groove. I could feel the hip a little but it wasn't pain. It was more of just knowing that it was tighter than normal.
We made it to our first water stop at mile 3 in what seemed like no time at all! It's always so much more fun to do a long run with friends! I got to run with my friend Stacey who I haven't run with in forever! It was fun catching up while we were running!
After the water stop we ran 2 more miles and then turned around and headed back. The weather and friends were making this a great run for me! It was one of those runs where I felt like I could keep going forever!
And the scenery was gorgeous!!! I love living here on the Gulf Coast and getting to see these beautiful sunrises and sunsets!
The last mile of this route is all uphill. I was prepared. I knew I needed to keep a pretty steady pace the whole run so that I would have energy at the end for that hill. And I did...I ran the entire hill with success!
I made sure to slow down for this run. I knew my hip needed an easy run. I also wanted to work on negative splits. One of my biggest problems is that I always start out way too fast and lose it at the end. Not this run! It was everything I wanted in my run that day! And the weather was sooo nice! It actually felt like fall around here!
After the run me and my friend Misty stopped by my favorite coffee shop...The Coffee Loft! I got my favorite cold coffee drink...an Irish Kiss with a shot of espresso and a scoop of vanilla whey protein. It was the perfect recovery drink! Soooo yummy!
So how is my hip after this run? It's tight and a little sore but not any worse than it was. I've also discovered that my IT Band, hamstrings, and glutes are super super tight. I'm trying to focus a lot more on those areas when I'm rolling. I know that tightness probably has a lot to do with the hip hurting. In the past it felt this same way and after a few weeks the tightness went away. I'm hoping that happens this time too.
QOTD: Do you have a favorite route that you like to run? Do you like coffee as a recovery drink?
