My Friday Long Run

Ty has been leaving for work by 5:30 every morning. I'd like to run in the mornings before he leaves for work but I consider any time before 5:00 a miserable time to wake up. I wanted to get in an 8 mile long run on Friday. I had run my last 8 mile run with the double stroller but the forecast for this past Friday showed it being in the 90's already by 9 am. I figured by the time I got the kids fed and out the door for a run it would be hot enough they would be uncomfortably hot in the stroller for such a long run. So I talked Ty into going in to work at 7 rather than 6 which would mean he would leave the house at 6:30 rather than 5:30 and I could wake up at 5 am instead of 4 am! Elise woke up at 4 am that morning and couldn't get back to sleep so I went in to rock her. By the time I left her room, I figured might as well go for my run now, so I changed Ty's alarm to 30 minutes earlier and headed out for my run at 4:30 am.

Heading out for my run wearing my light up shoelaces mom got me for Christmas. They made the run more fun and safer too!

Funny side note:
When I was getting dressed to run Ty seemed awake so I told him what had happened and that I was going to go ahead and head out for my run. We had a full on conversation and I told him to go ahead and change his alarm. He started snoring again immediately after our conservation which alerted me that he most likely had been talking to me in his sleep. I never would have known that he was having conversations with me in his sleep (that actually make sense) if it hadn't been for him writing Elise's birth story from his perspective. In it he said I didn't wake him up to tell him I was in labor until 6 am. I had actually woken him up at 4 am. After I told him I was in labor and we had a short conversation about how far apart my contractions were and how long they were lasting he immediately started snoring. It wasn't until I read his version of the birth story and then talked to him afterward that I realized he had no idea we had talked at 4 that morning! So now I know if he starts snoring again immediately after talking to me, he wasn't actually awake!

I ran my 8 miles much faster than I had anticipated, finishing in an average of 8:06 pace with my final mile at 7:37. I was pleased with it as only my 2nd long run of the summer and with a slow first mile. It always takes me a while to get warmed up and down to pace that first mile. When I got home I ate a blueberry muffin, showered, and then went back to bed around 6:15. I figured I would get about a 30 minute nap and if I was lucky maybe both kids would sleep in and I could get a longer nap. Between Carter not being able to fall asleep the night before and Elise waking at 4 am I had only gotten 5 and a half hours of sleep and I prefer at least 7 hours. I lucked out as both kids slept until 8 am so I ended up getting almost an extra 2 hours of sleep! I was so glad I had gone ahead and gone out for my run. With both kids sleeping until 8 we would have gotten out for a run so late and the temperature was over 100 degrees on Friday!

During my run I ran past a billboard for McDonald's breakfast with a bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit on it. It made me want one so bad so when I got home I pulled out a visa gift card I had been hoarding since my birthday, almost a year ago. I knew it had just a little bit left on it and it turned out to be just enough to treat the kids and myself to breakfast with just a few cents leftover. Carter enjoyed his hot cakes, Elise ate some breakfast burrito, and I annihilated my bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit along with a coffee which I forgot to order decaf so I was a bit wired that morning! I asked Carter what he wanted to do that day and he said, "Go to the zoo!" As we pulled in there was a sign that said it was closed. The zoo is closed 2 days each year, Christmas and the 2nd Friday in June. I've always been afraid I would accidentally try to go to the zoo on that Friday in June and, low and behold, 3 years into having a membership I did! We went to the aquarium instead and I laughed so hard when a girl standing by Carter said,"It smells like pancakes and syrup over here!" Yep, that would be my son! It was a freakin awesome day! Maybe I need to start more of my days at 4 am, nope just kidding, probably never again!

The kids ready to head into the aquarium.