Long Run: 17 Miles

I heart long runs!

Even if I still do get a little anxiety before doing them—as I’ve said before.

A successful long run starts with good pre-run fuel!

Today I went with a bagel and hot tea. I only had the hot tea because I was cold—no other special reason.

I am never sure if I’m going to want the same toppings on both halves of the bagel, so I start by toasting one half, slathering it with my spread of choice (peanut butter this morning) and then devouring in 0.2!

Then I reassess my taste buds, do I want the other half with the same topping or do I want to mix it up? (I know, I’m strange.) Today, I was all about mixing it up, which is usually the case. 😉

Today’s topping on the second half: The Laughing Cow – Light Creamy Swiss Cheese.

If you like cream cheese on your bagel but want to save on the calories, you should definitely give The Laughing Cow: Light Creamy Swiss a try. At 35 calories per wedge it is creamy, spreadable, and tastes similar to cream cheese!!

Today’s tea: Good Earth: Sweet and Spicy Herbal Tea. So good!

I love this tea! It has a strong sweet and spicy flavor to it. I know some people don’t care for tea because the flavor is too weak, but that is not the case for this full-bodied tea.

After letting my food digest for an hour, it was time to depart for my long run of the day!!

Classic cheesy running pose. . . .

99% of the time I run from our apartment, but today I decided to change things up and drive to a different location. Craig agreed to join me on my long run and ride his bike. 🙂

My run today took me:

over the river. . . . 

and through the woods. . . .

along a busy highway (not so enjoyable) . . . .

and over a bridge.

And after 17 miles and 2.5 hours of running, this is how I felt:

(Actually, I took this even before I started. ;))

Overall, it was a very good run! Nothing super speedy, but thankfully that’s not the point of a long run.

Distance: 17 miles

Time: 2:30

~~~~~~~

Post-run fuel is also very important!

Thanks to Caitlin for giving a great tutorial for a Pretty Omelet! This was my first successful omelet ever!

I followed Caitlin’s recipe, except I used feta instead of goat cheese: 2 eggs + mushrooms + spinach + feta

Fresh delicious strawberries from Costco. (Locals, go and get them!)

I spent the afternoon taking an ice bath, reading, talking to my sister, and relaxing. It was very enjoyable!

For dinner, Craig and I had BLTs and sweet corn: one of my all-time favorite summer meals. Although it seemed a little strange to be having this meal at the end of April, but it was still delicious!

Craig and I are about to watch the movie Due Date. It normally isn’t my type of movie, but Craig wanted to watch it, so I agreed. 🙂

Hi, I'm Michelle

I love running around the lakes of Minnesota, running after my two boys, and racing anything from the 5K to the marathon. I have been blogging here since 2010 when I ran my first marathon. I finally secured my sub-3 hour marathon after trying for 8 years.

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13 Comments

  1. 5.1.11
    Michaela said:

    1. I love Good Earth Original. I find it to be so naturally sweet that it doesn’t even make me think about adding sugar. I can’t really see eating it before running, though. Was an hour enough to digest?

    2. You must be remarkably tough to handle an ice bath!

    • 5.1.11
      Michelle said:

      I cannot believe how sweet the tea is–maybe even too sweet?!?! I still love it though.

      We left an hour after I had eaten, but it took us 30 minutes to drive to the location I was going to run, so it was more like 1.5 (pushing 2) hours before I actually started running.

  2. 5.1.11

    Great job on your run. I love the pressure free atmosphere of a long run. No one to keep up with, no pace to set, just you and the open roads. How lovely.

    Due date is hilarious and I found it absolutely hysterical.

  3. 5.1.11

    Mmmm laughing cow cheese! I like spreading it on toast with jam on top for a snack or breakfast too. I just recently saw Due Date too, due to my infatuation with Zach Galifianakis. He is hilarious and so hard to take seriously. I expected a little more from the movie but it was still worth watching.

  4. 5.1.11
    lifttorun said:

    I miss my long runs! I’m hoping to increase my mileage this month to get back to my regular long runs. I’m so excited.

    Your run looks so gorgeous though. Just too cold perhaps.

    • 5.2.11
      Michelle said:

      Yes! Definitely on the chilly side!

  5. 5.1.11
    Krissie J said:

    I love Laughing Cow cheese! I keep a stock of different flavors all the time.

    Good work on your long run! I hate running by busy highways, but the scenery near you still looks fantastic!

    I debated taking an ice bath after yesterday’s run, but I’m a little scared of them! I normally shower in temps similar to an inferno so sitting in something that cold is beyond comprehension for me. 😉

  6. 5.1.11
    Kristy said:

    Your running “pose” photo makes me laugh because your right arm and right leg are forward while your left arm and left leg are back. I would do the same thing! 🙂

  7. 5.1.11

    Awesome run! Thats so sweet that Craig went with you!