Merry Gingermas!

One of my favorite run bloggers is the Ginger Runner. If you aren't familiar with him, you should definitely check out his website and product reviews. He also has some amazing videos that he's been creating recently, the latest featuring his fiancee MileLongLegs in her first ultra run called "Altering Expectations".

He's been doing several challenges for his fans to do during the holidays. One was a scavenger hunt, and I LOVE SCAVENGER HUNTS. Another was to post a "gingermas" themed photo on instagram, tagged with #MerryGingermas. Go check them out. Thank goodness I have a patient boyfriend, and some patient dogs. They aren't that patient, they just want treats. The dogs, that is.

The joke here is that we tried to dress like the Ginger Runner, and Mile Long Legs. Granted, she's a model with this super long gorgeous hair, and I am not. Nor do I have mile long legs. What I DO have is a neon backwards hat, sunglasses and CEP socks, while he has his beloved Salomon vest (that Jon also LOVES), and they both love beer. His motto is "TRAIN. RACE. BEER."

Saturday I had a long run scheduled, so the scavenger hunt worked out perfectly. My friend Brian joined me, and together we jogged at my slow and steady pace to find the items. There were 9 items total, and we would also get more points for each mile we do so I ran 14 miles. If you're really curious about knowing details and think you can squeeze out a run before midnight, then go for it. Here's the link.

Yep this was in a cop's front  yard. Racing a reindeer.

The Nativity Scene we found first. 

The run was actually very frustrating for me. I think the excitement of the scavenger hunt made my heart rate unusually high, and the quick starts and complete stops every 5 minutes were also exhausting. I was getting slower with each mile, and I was also frustrated to hold my friend back. This is one of the major reasons why it sucks doing MAF training.

We found most of the items, except the "Real Santa".  I don't know if I should break it to the Ginger Runner that the guy doesn't exist, but whatever. It was fun despite the slow pace and tired legs. Oh and we managed to write GR in some soggy baseball field in mile 3. My shoes were completely soaked for another 7. My "G" is a little messed up, but look how nice that "R" is!

This morning I went out again and my legs instantly were not feeling it. They were tired from yesterday, but I managed to get them out for a slow 10 miles. I came home pretty frustrated again, but I should also learn to expect it since I am building up my mileage. I hit 44 miles (including my 1 mile walk/run warmups) this week, which is pretty hefty considering that when I was training for my marathon my biggest week was 49 miles. I have to say, I'm pretty impressed that I am still going so strong.

If you need something to listen to on your long runs, I highly recommend Amy Poehler's audiobook "Yes Please". It is hilarious! I don't know if you've ever listened to comedy while running, but it's one of my favorite things ever. There's nothing better than laughing AND running combined.

Another week over, we are 1/3rd through our training plan. Here's hoping that my legs come back stronger after tomorrow's rest day. Merry Gingermas everyone!