So, today school was cancelled. Again. I have a feeling we will still be in school in July.
We got about 6 inches of snow dumped on us last night, with winds so severe that we couldn't see out the back window. Or the front window.
And I needed to get in a long run at some point today or tomorrow. I figured since I had all day off school, I might as well do it today. But, with the conditions, it meant one thing: TREADMILL!
Now, I have run 14 miles on a treadmill before, and it wasn't death. After about 12 miles though, I was definitely ready to get off. So today would be an interesting task.
I got up around 7am to get some breakfast in my belly. (Last week's long run, I only ate a half a Clif bar before the run. Not the smartest idea. And no mid-run fueling. I didn't have a clue!)
I also bought some Clif Shot Blocks this week when I picked up my foam roller at the sporting goods store. I figured I'd give them a "shot" (haha)! I have had pretty bad experiences with stomach cramps and digestive issues while I run... ask anyone who's gone on a run longer than 8 miles with me. So the thought of actually eating something while I run seemed like it would only produce disastrous results.
So what does a girl do while she's strapped to a rotating gerbil wheel for 2.5 hours?
1. Enjoy some quality time with the TV. Usually I don't watch a lot of TV. However, this week, since I've only been at work 1.5 days, I've watched a bit more than usual. Today I watched "I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant." (insane!) Followed by Rachael Ray's talk show (love it!) and The View (don't love it so much. Those ladies are nutso.)
2. Practice my mental math. I'm a numbers person (hello, math teacher!) so I constantly figure out how many minutes I've run, what my pace is, if I continue this pace, how long will it take me to finish, etc... This might drive some people crazy but it keeps me content.
3. Look forward to my next Shot Block snack. I got the strawberry flavor, and these things are like fruit snacks on steroids! Delicious! They gave me a little tummy trouble, but not so much that I had to stop running. I ate one after 1-hr of running, then 1.5-hrs, then 2-hrs. Not sure if that's how you're supposed to do it, but it worked for me!
4. Debate with myself which treat I want to make this afternoon to reward myself, these Cake Batter Rice Krispy Treats or these Better Than Crack Brownies. Should I take a vote? My heart is leaning towards the second choice. Brownies, topped with a Chocolate-PB Rice Krispy layer? Who could pass that up? (Besides all my students out there who "don't like chocolate" when I am a super-awesome teacher and give them candy. Why would I buy anything besides chocolate?)
5. Obsessively wipe my sweat with a little towel that my gym so graciously provides for us. Try to remind myself that sweating feels good! And try to envision that I am sweating because I am running along the beach in the middle of the summer, not because I am running inside while staring at 16 million snow banks out in the parking lot.
We got about 6 inches of snow dumped on us last night, with winds so severe that we couldn't see out the back window. Or the front window.
And I needed to get in a long run at some point today or tomorrow. I figured since I had all day off school, I might as well do it today. But, with the conditions, it meant one thing: TREADMILL!
Now, I have run 14 miles on a treadmill before, and it wasn't death. After about 12 miles though, I was definitely ready to get off. So today would be an interesting task.
I got up around 7am to get some breakfast in my belly. (Last week's long run, I only ate a half a Clif bar before the run. Not the smartest idea. And no mid-run fueling. I didn't have a clue!)
I also bought some Clif Shot Blocks this week when I picked up my foam roller at the sporting goods store. I figured I'd give them a "shot" (haha)! I have had pretty bad experiences with stomach cramps and digestive issues while I run... ask anyone who's gone on a run longer than 8 miles with me. So the thought of actually eating something while I run seemed like it would only produce disastrous results.
So what does a girl do while she's strapped to a rotating gerbil wheel for 2.5 hours?
1. Enjoy some quality time with the TV. Usually I don't watch a lot of TV. However, this week, since I've only been at work 1.5 days, I've watched a bit more than usual. Today I watched "I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant." (insane!) Followed by Rachael Ray's talk show (love it!) and The View (don't love it so much. Those ladies are nutso.)
2. Practice my mental math. I'm a numbers person (hello, math teacher!) so I constantly figure out how many minutes I've run, what my pace is, if I continue this pace, how long will it take me to finish, etc... This might drive some people crazy but it keeps me content.
3. Look forward to my next Shot Block snack. I got the strawberry flavor, and these things are like fruit snacks on steroids! Delicious! They gave me a little tummy trouble, but not so much that I had to stop running. I ate one after 1-hr of running, then 1.5-hrs, then 2-hrs. Not sure if that's how you're supposed to do it, but it worked for me!
4. Debate with myself which treat I want to make this afternoon to reward myself, these Cake Batter Rice Krispy Treats or these Better Than Crack Brownies. Should I take a vote? My heart is leaning towards the second choice. Brownies, topped with a Chocolate-PB Rice Krispy layer? Who could pass that up? (Besides all my students out there who "don't like chocolate" when I am a super-awesome teacher and give them candy. Why would I buy anything besides chocolate?)
5. Obsessively wipe my sweat with a little towel that my gym so graciously provides for us. Try to remind myself that sweating feels good! And try to envision that I am sweating because I am running along the beach in the middle of the summer, not because I am running inside while staring at 16 million snow banks out in the parking lot.
6. Try to decide where my Business Man will be taking me to dinner tonight. This one didn't take long. Beer Barrel for some delicious, protein-filled, carbalicious, and nutritious pizza! (Just ignore the six layers of cheese and grease. :-P)
7. Ponder if Diet Mountain Dew could be a good mid-run beverage choice. I mean, it kinda of looks like lemon-lime Gatorade, so shouldn't it have the same effects? (No worries, I saved my Dew-drinking for after the run. After drinking 2 humongous glasses of water as well. No need to worry about hydration here!)
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| The next Gatorade? |
All in all, 18 miles = SUCCESS! (We'll see how I feel tomorrow... bwa ha ha...)
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| Treadmills are great, but nothing could ever replace a run with one of these ladies. |
Comments
We just got done deep cleaning the house, so John's on the treadmill now, and then it's my turn. I haven't been on in over 2 weeks, so this ought to be interesting. If I can get a 5K out of myself, I'll be happy!
Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. Hurray! :)
Don't push it too hard if it's been 2 weeks! You don't wanna get hurt.
I didn't realize we'd be seeing each other 4 day sin a row! It shall be fun. :-) Can't wait!
Also, I do math in my head while I run on the treadmill too! I am always trying to divide and hour by my pace and whatnot...makes the miles go a little quicker at least.