When we awoke around 6:45 a.m., Ryan rolled over in bed and grabbed his phone to check the weather.
“Fifty five degrees!” he said.
Woo! Finally some cool running weather!
Ryan, Sadie and I headed out to tackle the 11-mile run on our half marathon training plan a little after 7 a.m.
When I went to select a workout playlist for our run, about three words of a Bob Seger song came out before my iPod went dead.
I am the kind of runner who relies greatly on music to keep me motivated and my feet trucking along. I didn’t want to wait for my iPod to charge, so I threw it in our mailbox and we took off.
Oddly enough, from a mental standpoint, this was the best I’ve felt on a long run. I’m sure the cooler temperatures had a lot to do with that, but I also enjoyed the rhythm of our breathing and footsteps and chatted a lot with Ryan.
That boy helps put everything into perspective like no one else can and I am so glad he’s training for this race with me.
During our run, I ate Gu Chomps at miles 4.5 and 7.5 and they gave me the extra boost I needed to power through the remainder of our run.
Though our average pace per mile was slower that our other long runs, when we finished, I felt like I could’ve kept going and completed a full half marathon without hesitation this week. It was a great feeling!
Breakfast
For some reason I wasn’t hungry at all after our run this morning. My appetite was off yesterday as well and I’m still waiting for it to come back with a bang.
Since I obviously knew I needed to eat something, I ate a banana and a spoonful of peanut butter while making myself an egg sandwich.
I used dippy eggs in the sandwich, which was a good idea… in theory.
It was quite messy to eat!
But yolk-soaked bites make the mess totally worth it.
Plus, Sadie loves licking the plate after I eat dippy eggs about 5,000 times more than when I just eat scrambled or fried eggs. More delicious licks!
And now I must go find something to wear for today’s baby shower!
Hope you guys have a wonderful and relaxing weekend. 
P.S. Ryan has a question for you runners out there. Have any of you tried running in those toe socks (not shoes)?
He’s very interested in them but doesn’t want to buy a pair without hearing about someone’s first-hand experience. Thanks in advance for your input!
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I need an iPod too in order to run!! It just helps with the pacing and pumping you up.
Even though it’s like 80 degrees in LA, I think I’m gonna run for little bit. I need to get some energy out!
I have several pairs of toe socks (injinji) and wear them on all my runs. For some reason this past summer I had problems with blisters between my toes, and I don’t have that problem anymore. So I’d recommend toe socks if blisters are a problem, but I don’t think they really make much of a difference otherwise.
Wow-nice job on the run without an ipod! That is a great feeling to just enjoy nature and have a good time just running-plain and simple 🙂
I always love dippy eggs too but they definitely are really messy to eat. My sister’s dog LOVES licking my dippy egg plate too though, haha.
I’ve never tried those socks but I’m definitely curious to see what others day!
Congrats on the run! I’ve only run without music a couple of times, and it is so very mental for me.. I normally rely heavily on music as well, because even though I love to run, I still need something to keep the time ticking/distract me.
Haha that sandwich looks messy but very delicious! I’m glad sadie appreciated it!
I have wanted to try chomps on my long runs for awhile now. Do you need to drink some water after eating them? Just wondering because I can’t really handle eating and drinking near the same time while running.
I wonder if I would get my feet in my running shoes with those socks!
The dog looks great ,)
I wear those socks a lot of the time when I run and love them. I usually get blisters on a couple toes on my left foot for some reason, but since wearing these, it prevents that completely. My toes are close together than they should be so I have been trying to find something that works and these socks do it!!!! Its a little weird feeling at first, but you get used to it and so worth it.
That dippy egg sandwich looks FABULOUS! Messy or not, MMmmmm!! I am LOVING the cooler weather as well!! Fall is finally here! (:
I LOVE those socks! I’ve been running in them for a year and I’ve had zero blisters since. I never wear anything else.
That’s so nice that you guys are able to run together! How fun. None of my animals are that active. I wish they were, though!
I always find it weird when I end up not being hungry after my workouts. But, that usually changes after I’ve started eating!
I totally suggest buying injinji socks… they are great for blisters and you can use them in summer or winter… I love them when I run . I’m a triathlete and hate not be able to use them because of timing…
I have a pair of them. I think it depends on your foot width and the shoe. I just ran a full in normal socks (not toe socks) and didnt end up with any blisters.
I sometimes feel like my toes are cramped with the toe socks on…so make sure the toe box on the shoe is wide enough. I would imagine that if blisters are a problem, they will help.
Be prepared to play with them before race day-they take a little getting use to!
Totally had the same breakfast. Okay, maybe not, but it was in a croissant. Though I prefer croissants filled rather than sandwiches.
Ryan should try swiftwick socks. I wear them during all my runs and I have not gotten a single blister since I started wearing them.
I love Injinji socks, but WITH shoes. I wear them with my Vff’s. I dont think they would last without shoes. They are knd of flimsy, and at their price point, I personally wouldnt do it. If he wants the barefoot experience, why not try water shoes or regular socks, no shoes? Just my 2cents.
My friend Morgan’s fiance runs in those toe shoes and loves it. I don’t know about the socks, but I have heard that those shoes are actually better for you than regular shoes, if you’re not going a long distance. I don’t know how true that is though :).
Injinji’s are my husband’s ONLY running sock.
I used to wear ONLY them and then discovered Wright socks which are dual layered. I prefer Wright’s over Injinji but prefer Injinji over everything else
I have NEVER gotten a blister wearing either of these two sock brands.
I wear them with my regular running shoes – not my VFF
Yay for cooler running weather! It is amazing how much weather can impact your feelings on a run!
I asked my physical therapist about the toe shoes one time. He said that they are fine for running on “natural surfaces” (sand, hikes, dirt, etc., but they really shouldn’t be worn to run on concrete. Hope this helps!
Yep! I loooove injinji toe socks!!! Nooooooooo blisters!!!! Or hot spots.
I love running in the Injinji toe socks! 🙂 They help prevent blisters so well!
Julie,
I’ve read before that you don’t eat during a workout because it causes you to cramp. What about during your half marathon training for runs that lasted longer than an hour? I, like you, am a earlier morning exerciser and always eat when I return from my workout. Usually it is no problem. However, last week I had a training run of 6 miles, and ran for an hour and 8 minutes. Once I hit the hour mark, my energy levels felt depleted. However, I also tend to cramp if I eat before I work out. What do you suggest?
Katherine
i ALWAYS fuel during a long run. when i was training for a half marathon, i’d take gu chomps with me on the run to eat as needed.