Yesterday was a successful long run day. We have picked back up on our marathon/half marathon training because the hubby and I know we want to sign up for another marathon; we just are not sure when and where. In addition to putting off our 10 miler and researching all the marathons happening over the next few months, we made the trek to our nearest Road Runner Sports to exchange my cozy house slippers for a different size. While we were there, we ordered a brand new pair of long run kicks for my husband and a big box of chews for long run fuel. I managed to not buy ANOTHER new pair of shoes for myself since I just got some for Christmas. The Road Runner in Sandy Springs is great. It has a wide selection of running and recovery shoes, but their clothing selection is really limited to their brand only, which is R-gear. I would have liked to see a variety of brands like Nike and Brooks, but it was still well worth the trip across town.

We waited to do our long run later in the day to take advantage of the slightly warmer temps. We didn’t get started until around 4, meaning we had to run a couple miles in the dark. On the bright side, it was our longest long run since before Space Coast Marathon in November, so it felt good to be logging some double-digit miles finally. We both had feelings of nostalgia as our run took us back to the trailhead of the Silver Comet, which was where all of our long runs USED to start. This time, it was close to our midway point. Within only a couple of minutes of turning around and heading back home, I unfortunately broke the crown off my tooth while biting down on a very cold, hardened fruit chew. So we ran the 5 miles back home with my toothless crown tucked into my husband’s hydration pack. Since I wasn’t sure what all was exposed, I refused to eat or drink anything for the rest of the run in fear that the cold water from my water bottle would send shooting pain through my mouth. Thankfully when I got home, I was able to drink and eat with no problem. Other than my little mishap, the run went by really quickly and we made good time. I don’t normally worry too much about the numbers, but I can’t help but look back at all the 10 milers from last year and the year before and see the gradual improvement in pace. The best part is that even though I am running faster, running still feels good and natural. I am not pushing myself to the point where it hurts, but I’m not slacking off either. The data is helpful in putting everything in perspective, but I still rely heavily on how my body feels, and I think I always will. Today I don’t feel the normal long run stiffness, but that could be because I stretched out my muscles really well with the TRX straps afterward. Who knew those things were made for more than just hanging upside down in a plank??

I got the crown put back in place this morning, so I can now put all that behind me and focus on figuring out which marathon to sign up for in spring/summer! I think we have narrowed it down to either the Flying Pig in Cincinnati (thanks to a nice ad I came across in Runner’s World) or the Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon in Louisville, both of which are a week apart in late April/early May. Perfect long run weather and a perfect reward post-busy season (I work in tax).