Shake, Shake, Shake Senora…all the way to sixteen miles!

I have Pitbull to thank for getting me through my run today. Shake Senora — which was the song my sister and I listened to non-stop during our vacay to Punta Cana last summer — came on during the last mile of today’s run and helped me push through. Hey, whatever works!

I decided to get my long run in this afternoon since this weekend is already quite busy! It’s opening weekend at my church’s new location, so I plan to be there as much as possible. We had an open house last evening followed by a mini rally to get pumped up for this weekend, and it was amazing! Here was our band rocking it on on our brand new stage…

In addition to opening weekend, I’m all signed up to run the ShamRock ‘n’ Roll 5K with my running group on Saturday morning!

Unfortunately, the weather looks really awful (they’re calling for a combination of rain and snow), but I’m still hoping to achieve my 2013 goal of a sub-24 minute PR!

I’m also hoping to get in a dinner & fro-yo date with my friend Alyssa and a trip to Trader Joe’s! I need some more almond flour, almond butter, and almond milk stat… #cleaneatingproblems

So, since I’ve got a busy weekend ahead of me, I decided to take time this afternoon to get in my long run. I had originally intended to do it outside, but after checking the weather this morning, I threw in another set of clothes in my bag in case I decided to do my run inside.

I ran out over my lunch break, and it was incredibly windy and almost bitterly cold — so inside it was! I’ve never done more than seven miles on the treadmill, so I wasn’t quite sure how it would go, but decided to give it a shot.

The treadmills at my gym only let you go for 60 minutes, so I decided I’d split my run in to three parts — two seven milers and one two miler. I don’t have an exact time since the time restarted, but I finished in about 2:16, and kept a steady pace between 8:34 and 8:17.

After the first seven miles, I took a break, ate one gel (still not a fan), took a quick bathroom break, and came back for another seven miles. Although these were definitely harder than the first seven, I still felt pretty good. I did a quick stretch, refilled my water, and jumped (okay, more like hobbled at this point) back on to the ‘mill for another two miles. Done!

I came home, took a quick shower, and made a nice recovery dinner…

A steamed sweet potato topped with two cooked egg whites and a side of grilled asparagus — so good!

I’m currently on my couch where I’ve been since I sat down for dinner. I am very tight, so my big goal for the evening is to watch Grey’s Anatomy and fold a load of laundry…although I’m not making any promises.

Have a great Friday!