An Unexpected Running Buddy

Posted on September 10th, 2011 by peanutbutterfingers

I know this may sound asinine, but my favorite part of half marathon training is the long runs. Each one feels like a mini accomplishment and I love pushing myself to run a little farther than I thought I could.

Around 7:30 a.m., Ryan, Sadie and I set out for a family fun run to tackle the seven miles on our half marathon training plan.

Right from the beginning Ryan and I said we felt much better running this week than we did last week. Hopefully we’re getting in the groove!

About two miles into our run, we gained another running buddy.

black lab

(Source)

A black lab! The dog was big and sturdy and at first it just looked at us from a distance.

As we kept running (we run in and out of cul-de-sacs so we passed the area of the road where he was walking a few times), his interest increased and he started jogging slowing behind us.

We were a little apprehensive (he was a big boy!) but we could quickly tell that he was super friendly and just wanted to say hi. We pet him and let him sniff Sadie (she rolled over like the little pansy that she is) and soon enough he was part of our running pack.

His owners were nowhere in sight and when we first saw him it looked like he was wandering around aimlessly. We tried to find tags on the big boy, but we just saw what looked like the collar to an electric fence (that clearly failed miserably).

We didn’t really know what to do and were hoping he’d just wander off and find his way home.

He ran behind and beside us for a good two miles, in and out of cul-de-sacs in our neighborhood.

Eventually we ran down one long cul-de-sac and he started running enthusiastically. He ran ahead and sprinted up the driveway and into the garage at the end of the cul-de-sac. He found his home!

With our original running pack remaining, we finished the seven miles we set out to complete.

oatmeal 009

Right when we arrived home, Ryan and I dove into our freezing cold pool!

It felt so good but I didn’t last long in the chilly water.

Breakfast

The best part of a long run? Refueling, of course! 

Last night I prepped a bowl of overnight oats to enjoy and scarfed that down in no time.

oatmeal 008

Last night I combined:

  • 1 c. Greek yogurt
  • 1/2 c. old fashioned oats
  • 1/4 c. almond milk
  • 1 tbsp. cocoa powder
  • 2 tsp. brown sugar

I let it soak in the fridge overnight and in the morning I had a bowl of thick and creamy overnight oats!

oatmeal 007

It was good, but I found myself hungry less than an hour later and made myself another bowl of hot oats with cinnamon protein powder and honey for sweetness.

oatmeal 014

oatmeal 012

Double the oats = Double the fun

Off to enjoy my Saturday!

Filed under: Breakfast

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68 Responses to “An Unexpected Running Buddy”

  1. 1
    Ashley @ My Food 'N' Fitness Diaries, on September 10th, 2011 at 9:56 am Said:

    Great job on conquering 7 miles! I’m glad the lab found his home…he was pretty far away it sounds like!

      

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  2. 2
    Lauren @ What Lauren Likes, on September 10th, 2011 at 10:03 am Said:

    Nothing like double oats! Defs = double fun :)

      

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  3. 3
    KaraHadley, on September 10th, 2011 at 10:04 am Said:

    I think I would have been so scared when the lab started running. Glad he turned out the be a friend.
    Oh, and electric fences never work. My dog always ran straight through them.

      

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  4. 4
    Aine @ Something to Chew Over, on September 10th, 2011 at 10:05 am Said:

    Yum I love coming home after a run to overnight oats!

    I love dogs but that one is kinda scary looking!

      

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  5. 5
    christina cadden, on September 10th, 2011 at 10:11 am Said:

    I love labs! Your oats look good!

      

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  6. 6
    Brittany @ Itty Bits of Balance, on September 10th, 2011 at 10:21 am Said:

    Oh I am TOTALLY guilty of having 2 breakfasts quite often :D Have a good Saturday!

      

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  7. 7
    Cait's Plate, on September 10th, 2011 at 10:26 am Said:

    I LOVE ending hot runs with a jump in the pool! What a great way to kick off the weekend :)

      

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  8. 8
    alex, on September 10th, 2011 at 10:28 am Said:

    That dog is GORGEOUS! I haven’t seen a lab that pretty in a while! Congrats on the 7 miler!

      

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  9. 9
    Maria@La_Piattini, on September 10th, 2011 at 10:29 am Said:

    Good job with your run! Pretty lab- I’m glad he found his home :)

      

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  10. 10
    Gina @ Running to the Kitchen, on September 10th, 2011 at 10:29 am Said:

    Aww, that’s super cute that he joined you for a little morning run :) Glad he found his home in the end. Nice job on the 7 miles. I agree with you, long runs are my favorite part of 1/2 training too. All the little ones during the week seem like “work” but the long run always feels like a big accomplishment.

      

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    peanutbutterfingers Reply:
    September 10th, 2011 at 2:58 pm

    exactly! the mid-week ones start to feel like a pain!

      

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  11. 11
    Sweet and Savvy, on September 10th, 2011 at 10:31 am Said:

    Glad the lab found his home!! Both those oats look delicious! :)

      

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  12. 12
    Jess @ Jess Go Bananas, on September 10th, 2011 at 10:33 am Said:

    I love a story with a happy ending :) Overnight Oats are the best after a long run because of how cold they are :)

      

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  13. 13
    Bess @ Bess Be Fit, on September 10th, 2011 at 10:36 am Said:

    Love that doggy!! He looks like Maverick but I think Mav might be a little taller….glad he was friendly and you enjoyed your running buddy…jumping in the pool after sounds amazing!

      

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  14. 14
    Erica @ For the Sake of Cake, on September 10th, 2011 at 10:36 am Said:

    Labs are super friendly! My husband’s family & has one & he is so energetic, but just wants to love everyone! I’m glad he found his home. :-)

      

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  15. 15
    Kristen @ notsodomesticated, on September 10th, 2011 at 10:37 am Said:

    I’ve had dogs want to follow me, and I’m always worried that they won’t find their way home! :P I’m glad that this dog did!!! :)

      

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  16. 16
    Bethany @ Accidental Intentions, on September 10th, 2011 at 10:41 am Said:

    I once picked up an unexpected black lab running buddy, too! It was years ago and she was…well, I mean, she wasn’t a puppy anymore, but she was still pretty young. She followed me home for a mile (drove my dog INSANE, being the jealous creature that he is), but thankfully she had a collar with her phone number on it, so I was able to return her to her rightful owner. I actually ran past her house a few months ago and saw her in the yard…made me smile :) She didn’t follow me that time, though ;)

      

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    peanutbutterfingers Reply:
    September 10th, 2011 at 2:59 pm

    aw! i hope we see our running buddy again. he was a sweetheart!

      

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  17. 17
    Hilliary @ Happily Ever Healthy, on September 10th, 2011 at 10:53 am Said:

    Congrats on conquering the run! Such a great way to start a morning! Have a fabulous Saturday!

      

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  18. 18
    Sara @ The Foodie Diaries, on September 10th, 2011 at 10:55 am Said:

    This reminds me of when my sister and I were younger we used to vacation in North Carolina. My parents would rent a house and we’d stay there for a week while hiking and exploring the different cities in the area. One vacation we stayed at a house and there was this dog that just wandered around the property. Sadly, he had no collar or tags, but he was SO friendly. My sister and I would wake up every morning and run outside and play with “Rocket” (we named him so of course we became attached). By the end of the week we cried when we had to leave him!

      

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  19. 19
    Corrie Anne, on September 10th, 2011 at 11:05 am Said:

    I love pupppies!!!!!!!! Great run! :)

      

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  20. 20
    Hope, on September 10th, 2011 at 11:10 am Said:

    Great job with the run! So cute that the dog was running with you and thankfully he was friendly! Glad that he found his way home.

    Oats look yummy! :) Have a great Saturday!

      

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  21. 21
    Margo @ Peanut Butter Trees, on September 10th, 2011 at 11:33 am Said:

    i love the feeling of accomplishment after a long run too! so good.

      

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  22. 22
    Lindsey, on September 10th, 2011 at 11:37 am Said:

    That picture reminds me of the black lab we had growing up. He was a big boy! 140 lbs. We rode him like a pony! My parents have another black lab now. He’s not as big and little bit feminine but we love him anyway! I’m glad he found his home!

      

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    peanutbutterfingers Reply:
    September 10th, 2011 at 3:00 pm

    ha! that made me laugh out loud. :) i love big dogs!

      

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  23. 23
    Leanne (Bride to Mrs.), on September 10th, 2011 at 11:41 am Said:

    Great job on conquering the 7 miles with your running pack!

      

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  24. 24
    Annette @ EnjoyYourHealthyLife, on September 10th, 2011 at 11:45 am Said:

    I love double the oats days!

    And congrats on gettin’ the 7 miler done nicely on a Saturday morn :)

      

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  25. 25
    Jessica @ Sushi and Sit-Ups, on September 10th, 2011 at 11:47 am Said:

    So glad the lab found his home! And congrats on your long run!

      

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  26. 26
    Catherine 'T', on September 10th, 2011 at 11:48 am Said:

    You brought him on home! Aww…running has soooooo many benefits!!!!!!

      

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  27. 27
    Kelli, on September 10th, 2011 at 11:55 am Said:

    Awww thank god he found his home!!

      

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  28. 28
    Nikki, on September 10th, 2011 at 11:55 am Said:

    Cinnamon Protein powder? or Cinnamon and protein powder? I immediately had radars for that and kept thinking, Oooh,… that would be good with pumpkin!!

    If it’s indeed cinnamon protein powder a source would be great!! :) If not, oops!

    BTW great run, and run recap!!

      

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    peanutbutterfingers Reply:
    September 10th, 2011 at 11:56 am

    Cinnamon protein pwdr! It’s made by All the Whey but I’ve had it forever and think it may be discontinued. :(

      

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    Hillary Reply:
    September 10th, 2011 at 12:12 pm

    I was going to ask the same thing! I definitely need to be on the lookout for that!

      

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    elyse Reply:
    September 10th, 2011 at 4:28 pm

    same. i would love to try that. i usually add cinnamon to my vanilla protein shake, but cinnamon protein powder would be great.

      

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  29. 29
    Nicole, on September 10th, 2011 at 11:56 am Said:

    Sounds like you helped him find his way! Electric fences don’t work wtih dogs that are motivated by chasing something. They will break the fence every time. And then they learn that it only hurts for a second.

    The Kidless Kronicles
    Wag More, Bark….

      

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  30. 30
    Giulia @ Tutupa's Lab, on September 10th, 2011 at 12:15 pm Said:

    i love to swim after a run! my sister and I used to do that last year when on vacation in the Boston area and it was without a doubt the best way to start a day :)

      

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  31. 31
    Sarah K. @ The Pajama Chef, on September 10th, 2011 at 12:22 pm Said:

    glad the lab was a friend! :)

      

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  32. 32
    Kim @ Eat, Live, and Blog, on September 10th, 2011 at 12:23 pm Said:

    I think I would’ve been so scared if a dog started running towards me. Great job running that 7 miles! :)

      

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  33. 33
    Allison, on September 10th, 2011 at 12:40 pm Said:

    oh i SO agree with you!!!! i love love loooove long runs b/c they make me feel so accomplished afterwards! yesterday i tackled 17mi and now i’m reaping the benefits by relaxing all weekend long :) Can you believe Savannah RNR is in only about 7 weeks?? or is it 6, now?!! Either way, it’ll be here soon!

      

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    peanutbutterfingers Reply:
    September 10th, 2011 at 3:01 pm

    oh gosh i know!! can’t wait!!!

      

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  34. 34
    Katie @ Peace Love and Oats, on September 10th, 2011 at 12:41 pm Said:

    I could probably eat 10 bowls of oats… lol too many flavors to choose from! And awesome 7 mile run!

      

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  35. 35
    Soleil Doux @ Soleil Doux Blog, on September 10th, 2011 at 1:08 pm Said:

    Awww, your little running “pack” is so adorable!

    Definitely good for personal safety to be running with a couple of canine bodyguards, too. :)

      

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  36. 36
    Brooke, on September 10th, 2011 at 1:12 pm Said:

    When I got out of a 12.5 hour shift at work last night, I had 4 missed calls and 2 voicemails. Apparently, the propane delivery man left our fence gate open and our dogs got out. I had 2 messages that “my dog” was in a some random back yard pretty far from our house. I flew home and found both of our dogs back at home in their crate (we have a doggie door)….I’m glad that dog found his way back home!!!!!

      

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    peanutbutterfingers Reply:
    September 10th, 2011 at 3:01 pm

    aw!! so glad your dogs were okay!

      

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  37. 37
    Amanda, on September 10th, 2011 at 1:18 pm Said:

    Just a little FYI – not sure if it was an Invisible fence collar, but I know for sure those have numbers on them when you unscrew the electric part and you can call the company and they are registered and have the dog’s info. I’m assuming other companies have similar numbers somewhere hidden on the collars as well.

    I work at a vet clinic and a guy brought a dog in that just had an invisible fence collar. After I found no microchip, he called the fence company and they were able to tell him the dog’s name and the owner’s phone number. :)

      

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    peanutbutterfingers Reply:
    September 10th, 2011 at 3:01 pm

    oh that’s so good to know! we were really worried.

      

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  38. 38
    Lindsay@bikingbeforebed, on September 10th, 2011 at 1:24 pm Said:

    I need a running buddy like that! Or maybe even a little running pack! I am thinking of adopting a cat… but I doubt she would make it seven miles.

      

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  39. 39
    Katyk, on September 10th, 2011 at 2:11 pm Said:

    Hey! I know you said that protein powder has been discontinued, but can you recommend any others? Brands, flavors, anything!! I need new flavors!! I am way burned out on the blah chocolate and vanilla…

      

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    peanutbutterfingers Reply:
    September 10th, 2011 at 3:02 pm

    optimum nutrition gold standard whey is really good! i like extreme milk chocolate.

      

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  40. 40
    Shannon, on September 10th, 2011 at 2:23 pm Said:

    Congrats on the 7 miles this morning! :)
    Your oats look delish!

      

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  41. 41
    Khushboo, on September 10th, 2011 at 2:26 pm Said:

    2 breakfasts- now that’s my girl :)

      

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  42. 42
    Jordan, on September 10th, 2011 at 2:49 pm Said:

    what a beautiful lab! how fun to have an extra running buddy :)

      

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  43. 43
    chelsea, on September 10th, 2011 at 3:36 pm Said:

    I carry dog food and a leash in my car in case I find dogs that have lost their home lol :)

      

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  44. 44
    Lauren, on September 10th, 2011 at 3:38 pm Said:

    You know why I love reading your blog?
    Yesterday I ate a 1/2 cup of oats and peanut butter… I was hungry 30 minutes later and wanted another bowl.
    Instead of making myself a bowl, I contemplated why I was still hungry, got mad at myself, and then gorged on bean salad leaving myself feeling defeated and gross.

    From now on, I’m just making another bowl of oats. You know why? Because it’s okay… And I love the fact you wrote about having two bowls because, well, it just helps me know what I think is abnormal is normal during this journey in my life.

    I’m glad you enjoyed your long run, Julie! Keep at it, girl!

      

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  45. 45
    Lily, on September 10th, 2011 at 4:23 pm Said:

    I’ve been thinking about buying a heart rate/distance/time/calorie monitor thingy–you always post the pictures of yours (a Forerunner 305?) do you like it? Do any other runners/exercisers have ‘exercise monitor’ thingies that they really like? I am going to start training for some distance running races and I currently take classes (afro belly boogie!) that I would love to know how far I have gone and/or how many calories I have blasted.

      

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  46. 46
    Jess@atasteofconfidence, on September 10th, 2011 at 5:44 pm Said:

    HOw cute. Good thing he was a nice guy!!

      

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  47. 47
    beth, on September 10th, 2011 at 6:52 pm Said:

    congrats on 7 miles! i did 10 miles myself this morning an d was pleasantly surprised at how easy it felt! those 5am 5 milers ARE harder…crazy isn’t it? and i had oats wtih dark chocolate almond spread mixed in afterwards!

      

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  48. 48
    Holly, on September 10th, 2011 at 7:32 pm Said:

    Kudos on your 7 miles! And with your husband. That must be amazing. I wish my husband was into running but I’m not going to force him.
    And I must say, I am so impressed with your intuitive eating. You were hungry, so you ate another bowl. You have no idea how ‘normal’ that is but is so hard for some people..including me. I love your blog and how intuitively you eat. It really is inspriing.

      

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  49. 49
    Heather Yourex, on September 10th, 2011 at 11:37 pm Said:

    Too funny! I was walking my two yellow labs today and suddenly a black lab came wandering up to us too! He only stayed with us for a block when his owner came driving around the corner looking for him!

    You’re such a speedy runner (or I’m just slow) it takes me that long to run 5 miles! Time for some speed training hey?

      

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  50. 50
    Rosa - Fitness, Food, Fulfilled, on September 11th, 2011 at 12:53 am Said:

    Oatmeal is totally my favorite way to refuel. It’s always so filling and I feel like I’m eating dessert for breakfast. Good luck with the half marathon training!

      

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  51. 51
    Shaya (Eye Girl Eats), on September 11th, 2011 at 1:59 am Said:

    Haha love that you ran him to his home– what a goober :)

    Great job on your run!!

      

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  52. 52
    Kennyo, on September 11th, 2011 at 6:38 pm Said:

    i laughed when you said the lad had the electric collar, the power must have been out, I have a great yummy recipe for homemade Larabars you should try for before your run,, I’m going to try that overnight oatmeal.
    http://www.losetheshoes.net/2011/09/homdemade-larabars-recipe.html

      

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  53. 53
    Ashleigh P., on September 11th, 2011 at 9:46 pm Said:

    I have had that happen to me before!! There was a Jack Russell Terrier loose in our neighborhood and he ran about 2 miles with me. It was kind of nice since I was alone :)

      

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  54. 54
    Katherina @ Zephyr Runs, on September 12th, 2011 at 8:57 am Said:

    I didn’t know anyone else used cinnamon protein powder! I blend my own so it’s whatever I want it to be, but the cinnamon one is really great!! I love that your pack was temporarily increased by one, such a handsome pup <3

      

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  55. 55
    Laura @ Unchartered 20s, on September 12th, 2011 at 11:47 am Said:

    Wow Congrats on 7 miles!! :) Those oats look delicious!

      

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  56. 56
    Ali @ Ali Runs, on September 14th, 2011 at 8:26 am Said:

    Congrats on the 7 miles!! There is a dog in my neighborhood that is so friendly and loves following me when I run by. One time he followed me all the way home and I had to drive him back to his address, when we got there the owner told me that if it ever happened again just say, “Go home Radar” and he would turn around and go home. Pretty cool :)

      

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  57. 57
    Sarah, on September 25th, 2011 at 8:44 am Said:

    I feel the same way about long runs! I LOVE THEM and how they make me feel! I may struggle with my shorter runs all weeek but after I do my long run i’m happy :) Im running a half marathon NEXT SUNDAY and yesterday I ran 12 miles!

      

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  58. 58
    Plus Ones | Peanut Butter Fingers, on February 9th, 2012 at 10:18 am Said:

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