And so it begins!

First long run to prepare for Boston this morning.  16 miles.  I haven't run that far since the White Rock Marathon at the beginning of December.  Crazy!

It wasn't technically the first long run, we've already had a week of 12, then a week of 14 (which I skipped b/c the group run was cancelled for ice/snow and I was sick), then another week of 12, so it was a big jump up for me to go to 16.  Technically, too big a jump.  Long runs should increase by 10% per week, but I think that applies more to beginners and higher mileage.  Otherwise, even going 12 to 14 would be too far, since 10% would be 1.2 miles.  I think lots of programs step up about 2 miles per week, which is reasonable. 

It's very different to run based on heart rate, when I've been pace-based for so many years.  It was definitely slower than I expected trying to keep my heart rate in zone 1.  But it was fun, it was a good group once we got settled in. 

I tried to paste the elevation chart, which might explain a second reason for a slower pace (because of climbing heart rate) on the second half, but it didn't work.  About 200 feet down over 8 miles, then back up the 200 feet.  Technically the garmin says it was 276 feet, but the chart looks really cool because it's like a huge slope down, then a huge slope up.  Until you look at the numbers and see it's only about 200 feet of difference total.  Big hills for those of us in flat Dallas! 

But the best part about today's run:  when we were about 3 minutes away from being down, I honestly felt like I could run another 10 miles.  Woot!

I know this feeling will fade.  As it gets closer to the race, there will be days that we run 20 miles and I feel like there is no way I could go another 6.  But today was all easy, the weather was good, I ate well last night, and I felt great.  10 more miles might have eventually gotten ugly, but it seemed like I had at least a few more steady miles in the tank, and that's nice.  I love it!! 

This has been a fun weekend.  A night on the town was in order on Fri night.  This running/drinking club I'm in had an outing, so I went along since hubby was still out of town and I didn't have other plans.  We went to this place called Pete's Dueling Piano Bar.  They have them in other cities now (Vegas I think), but I think it's originally an Austin bar.  I went for the first time a few years ago in Austin for a friend's bachelorette, and based on Fri night, I don't go to the Dallas location nearly enough!

It's a bar with 2 pianos and they get everyone to sing and play games.  I didn't drink very much.  Maybe one mixed drink (well, it was a double, but it was only one glass!), a couple shots, and a beer.  But that was all over the course of about 5 hours.  But by about 9:00, I was on my feet the entire time, belting out the tunes (and I do NOT sing well), and dancing.  It was such a fun night, though my husband did not appreciate the several semi-drunk dials. 

I really liked all the people who were there.  One couple I know fairly well but don't get to socialize with enough, and a few people I see every so often at races or at this group's events (and am regularly in touch with on fb), and several new people, but I mostly talked to those I already knew.  A vast majority of the group is unmarried, which I guess makes sense since I'm sure it could be quite a good hook-up pool if you were looking, and since they're all runners, everyone seems super-cool and nice. 

Saturday morning I slept in and decided to take an off day.  Volunteered at the running store to help with people picking up packets for the race today, then went to the airport to get my husband! 

We ran a few errands (including getting measured for the suit he has to buy for my baby bro's wedding that we're in this summer!), and went out for frozen yogurt with one of his former coworkers and his family. 

Then we had our neighbors over for dinner Sat night while I did my carb-loading for this morning's 16 miles.  There is one very exciting development on that front (related to our neighbors and our vacation) that I'll have to write about later this week when things get a little more certain.  And I'll post later this week about some more wedding stuff. 

One funny thing.  While we were out with hubby's former co-worker, we were saying we had to get going so we'd be home in time to make dinner.  Hubby mentioned our last meal debacle cooking for them -- he stalled in going to the grocery store, so by the time he got home, I had to throw squash straight into the oven and it was slightly undercooked when dinner was served.  Dude, I was irritated with my husband!  But he and I took the most undercooked ones and gave our neighbors the ones that seemed a bit better, and the rest of the meal was really good, so it was fine.  Hubby's friend and his wife laughed about that.  And then I mentioned the time we cooked for just her, pasta with red sauce.  But instead of using crushed tomatoes, I used tomato puree, oh it was bad.  Hubby's friend's wife was like, you made pasta for someone from Italy??!!  Haha!  Yes, the meal was no doubt doomed!

But they come over a lot for simple pasta dinners on Sat nights before my long runs.  Fun to have the company, though we need to be better about speaking Italian during the meal.