Sweet Sixteen

I was up with the birds this morning for a 16 mile run with my running group, the LA Leggers. This was a bit of a nerve racking one, as it was a) my first long run since the Long Beach marathon and b) my first long run with my new, faster group.

Loaded up on breakfast in the dark before heading out to prevent 10 mile rumbly belly. Round one was my usual cereal fruity potion:

Followed by an Arnolds sandwich thin, slathered in my two favorite guys:

To my complete surprise, the 16 mile run went very smoothly. It felt wonderful to run at a challenging pace and watch the miles melt away - I've been running below my natural pace now for a few months, and always felt cooped up and sluggish. We averaged around a 9:30 mile pace with fewer walk breaks, and it was one of my most pleasant long runs. I packed a Clif bar for extra energy on the run, but didn't even need to break into it (although I did snag an Oreo and a couple of orange slices from our volunteer water stations on the way)

Looking at your completed distance on the Garmin is the best. I'll never get tired of it.

A 16 mile run really makes you appreciate your recovery meal. I snagged a delicious bagel half from the LA Leggers HQ for the walk home, and decided to stick with the almond butter and jelly theme for round II.

Add a banana, and you have Joe's new favorite breakfast - the waffle sandwich. Yum!

For the rest of the day, couch, it's just you and me. Get ready for some hardcore lounging.