After a great hike on Saturday, I was ready for a long run. Or I was cautiously optimistic for one. My training plan called for 12-14 miles but I knew that was highly unlikely. I was eager but also lazy. 🙂 I was aiming for 8-10. This was my test run. If I felt good throughout the run and after I was registering for Wine Country. Which is now 4 days away.
As much as I love daylight savings time and was looking forward to it, there was no way that I was running in the morning. I was looking forward to sleeping in. Besides my favorite time to run is the afternoon, so why change? Ha! I set out around 2:30 for my run. What I forgot to take into account was the unseasonably warm weather we have been having. High 70’s- low 80’s when I set out. This actually sounds like my perfect running weather, and it is, when I am used to it. I’m just not there yet. 🙂
I kept it slow and easy and felt pretty good. Because I am a sucker for punishment, I did my usual hill repeats. Why am I not better at hills? Actually I know that part of my problem is the downhills. I tend to slow down when running down a street. Which is odd because I practically throw myself down trails where there is more chance to hurt myself. 🙂 That’s a little backwards. I need to work on keeping my pace more consistent on downhills. 
It was warm so I was actually managing to keep my pace just under 11:00 for once. I have a route that if I loop twice is 10 miles but then I would have to run past my driveway halfway through. I always end up doing little loops instead and end up shorting myself mileage. Which drives me crazy because in theory I am covering the same ground just in a different way. Ugh. I had just completed mile 8 and was trying to figure out where I went wrong again when my phone went off. Texts from my brother and mother, they wanted to do family dinner…soon. I was still a mile from home plus I needed to try and make myself look (and smell) presentable and that was only if I gave up on 10 miles. I’d kept walking while trying to figure out the plans so that added to getting back home brought me to 9.25 miles for the day. Not what I was aiming for but pretty good. Once cleaned up, I proceeded to eat way too many chips and salsa at dinner with my family. Oops!
I felt pretty good after my run. I was achy but not in any unusual ways. Sitting through dinner in a small booth so soon after running didn’t make it any worse. I had stretched briefly before leaving for dinner so I made sure to stretch really well later as well. I rolled a bit but not too much, I’ve learned my muscles get real cranky if I try to push it with the roller. Also is it any wonder I ache some when the roads I run look this-
Do you slow down or speed up when running downhills?
What do your roads look like?
What’s your weakness- chips and salsa or a breadbasket?
Slacker Runner 
Glad to hear you are getting better and I’m totally for the chips and salsa ha! And our roads look about the same.
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So addictive right? Boo for horrible roads! It’s hard to tell if they are worse while running or driving. Neither my legs or the car appreciates them. 😦
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Our roads? Well, there’s a fun game we play in March that we like to call “Puddle or Pothole”. It’s quite entertaining, but if you lose, your car gets messed up. Fun, right??
I tend to slow up on downhills, but am trying to train myself to lean into it.
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There are so many streets here where cars drive like they are warming up for a NASCAR race. Small, controlled swerving back and forth, back and forth. Puddles are fun to drive through… I say that only because we so rarely have them. 🙂
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Hahaha… I ditto Courtney’s comment about the Puddle or Pothole game. Our roads are messed. Up. It’s hard to look straight ahead and run with proper form when you’re constantly scanning the ground for divots that will turn your ankles or worse!
I used to slow down when I ran downhills, until I read an article that said to just let gravity carry you and that that usually means speeding up. I find it more fun this way 🙂
Breadbasket all the way – especially at this one Italian place near Drew’s work that has the BEST homemade bread – unless the chips are served with guac. Avocados are my weakness.
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Let gravity carry me, that’s a good tip, I will have to try that! Yeah constantly looking down is no fun- our sidewalks are just as rough. Well when there actually is a sidewalk.
I’ve never had a liking for guac or avocados which is strange considering I drive past 2 avocado farms/orchards on a daily basis.
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I’m so jealous about your proximity to good avocados. Whenever I visit my in-laws in CA it blows my mind that they can just go to the store and buy a perfect one… the window for good, ripe ones here is so tiny!
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We have road side stands that sell them too. I never understood how big a business avocados are until I started commuting. 🙂
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I’m surrounded by slanted sidewalks. These kill my arch and ankle and I have to be very intentional about which routes I take. It’s a bit disappointing as one of the routes is really great! Yay for many miles!
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Oh yeah, slanted is worse than rough roads. I haven’t run my work route in a few weeks due to the slanting. Why can’t all roads just have a nice, flat blacktop lane running along side -that would be awesome!
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Great run! I like to go faster down hills, but not TOO fast, because I don’t want to a) pound on my knees, and b) go flying face first. Our roads and sidewalks are pretty nasty right now–puddles, mud, ice, potholes… My shoes were filthy after my run yesterday. Oh, and I’m a chips and salsa girl, every time. I can say no to bread, but not chips and salsa.
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I used to think I was going faster downhill then I got my Garmin- oops! Yeah, ice would be a no-go for me- I would break something!
I am so bad, if there are chips and salsa in front of me, I just can’t stop eating even if I am full! I have a little more restraint with bread!
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Haha, yeah having a Garmin has definitely been educational regarding pace consistency etc. Mm now I just want chips and salsa, and it’s only 9am!
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I’m the complete opposite-I slow way down on trails and I speed down hills on the road! It makes sense to slow down though, downhill running is actually way worse on your legs and knees than uphill (which feels worse! haha). Um, definitely chips and salsa!
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For some reason, trails bring out my inner dare devil or something but streets slow me down! I need to practice better pacing.
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Bring on the chips and salsa! Usually I take half my dinner home if they are on the table 🙂 I wish I could recreate that Mexican goodness at home.
So glad you had a fantastic run. I cannot wait for those warm 70+ degrees afternoons, but I know it will feel like punishment the first couple times around. Downhills are my fave, but I’m not a tiny person so gravity is definitely my friend.
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I usually eat way too much at the table because I know I won’t eat the leftovers and I don’t want to waste it! It usually takes me a few weeks to acclimate to all warm runs. Too bad my race this weekend is expected to hit the 70’s and 80’s! But not as bad as what LA is going to get because it’s only a half.
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