I know this may sound asinine, but my favorite part of half marathon training is the long runs. Each one feels like a mini accomplishment and I love pushing myself to run a little farther than I thought I could.
Around 7:30 a.m., Ryan, Sadie and I set out for a family fun run to tackle the seven miles on our half marathon training plan.
Right from the beginning Ryan and I said we felt much better running this week than we did last week. Hopefully we’re getting in the groove!
About two miles into our run, we gained another running buddy.
(Source)
A black lab! The dog was big and sturdy and at first it just looked at us from a distance.
As we kept running (we run in and out of cul-de-sacs so we passed the area of the road where he was walking a few times), his interest increased and he started jogging slowing behind us.
We were a little apprehensive (he was a big boy!) but we could quickly tell that he was super friendly and just wanted to say hi. We pet him and let him sniff Sadie (she rolled over like the little pansy that she is) and soon enough he was part of our running pack.
His owners were nowhere in sight and when we first saw him it looked like he was wandering around aimlessly. We tried to find tags on the big boy, but we just saw what looked like the collar to an electric fence (that clearly failed miserably).
We didn’t really know what to do and were hoping he’d just wander off and find his way home.
He ran behind and beside us for a good two miles, in and out of cul-de-sacs in our neighborhood.
Eventually we ran down one long cul-de-sac and he started running enthusiastically. He ran ahead and sprinted up the driveway and into the garage at the end of the cul-de-sac. He found his home!
With our original running pack remaining, we finished the seven miles we set out to complete.
Right when we arrived home, Ryan and I dove into our freezing cold pool!
It felt so good but I didn’t last long in the chilly water.
Breakfast
The best part of a long run? Refueling, of course!
Last night I prepped a bowl of overnight oats to enjoy and scarfed that down in no time.
Last night I combined:
- 1 c. Greek yogurt
- 1/2 c. old fashioned oats
- 1/4 c. almond milk
- 1 tbsp. cocoa powder
- 2 tsp. brown sugar
I let it soak in the fridge overnight and in the morning I had a bowl of thick and creamy overnight oats!
It was good, but I found myself hungry less than an hour later and made myself another bowl of hot oats with cinnamon protein powder and honey for sweetness.
Double the oats = Double the fun
Off to enjoy my Saturday!
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Great job on conquering 7 miles! I’m glad the lab found his home…he was pretty far away it sounds like!
Nothing like double oats! Defs = double fun 🙂
I think I would have been so scared when the lab started running. Glad he turned out the be a friend.
Oh, and electric fences never work. My dog always ran straight through them.
Yum I love coming home after a run to overnight oats!
I love dogs but that one is kinda scary looking!
I love labs! Your oats look good!
Oh I am TOTALLY guilty of having 2 breakfasts quite often 😀 Have a good Saturday!
I LOVE ending hot runs with a jump in the pool! What a great way to kick off the weekend 🙂
That dog is GORGEOUS! I haven’t seen a lab that pretty in a while! Congrats on the 7 miler!
Good job with your run! Pretty lab- I’m glad he found his home 🙂
Aww, that’s super cute that he joined you for a little morning run 🙂 Glad he found his home in the end. Nice job on the 7 miles. I agree with you, long runs are my favorite part of 1/2 training too. All the little ones during the week seem like “work” but the long run always feels like a big accomplishment.
exactly! the mid-week ones start to feel like a pain!
Glad the lab found his home!! Both those oats look delicious! 🙂
I love a story with a happy ending 🙂 Overnight Oats are the best after a long run because of how cold they are 🙂
Labs are super friendly! My husband’s family & has one & he is so energetic, but just wants to love everyone! I’m glad he found his home. 🙂
Love that doggy!! He looks like Maverick but I think Mav might be a little taller….glad he was friendly and you enjoyed your running buddy…jumping in the pool after sounds amazing!
I’ve had dogs want to follow me, and I’m always worried that they won’t find their way home! 😛 I’m glad that this dog did!!! 🙂
I once picked up an unexpected black lab running buddy, too! It was years ago and she was…well, I mean, she wasn’t a puppy anymore, but she was still pretty young. She followed me home for a mile (drove my dog INSANE, being the jealous creature that he is), but thankfully she had a collar with her phone number on it, so I was able to return her to her rightful owner. I actually ran past her house a few months ago and saw her in the yard…made me smile 🙂 She didn’t follow me that time, though 😉
aw! i hope we see our running buddy again. he was a sweetheart!
Congrats on conquering the run! Such a great way to start a morning! Have a fabulous Saturday!
This reminds me of when my sister and I were younger we used to vacation in North Carolina. My parents would rent a house and we’d stay there for a week while hiking and exploring the different cities in the area. One vacation we stayed at a house and there was this dog that just wandered around the property. Sadly, he had no collar or tags, but he was SO friendly. My sister and I would wake up every morning and run outside and play with “Rocket” (we named him so of course we became attached). By the end of the week we cried when we had to leave him!
I love pupppies!!!!!!!! Great run! 🙂
Great job with the run! So cute that the dog was running with you and thankfully he was friendly! Glad that he found his way home.
Oats look yummy! 🙂 Have a great Saturday!
i love the feeling of accomplishment after a long run too! so good.
That picture reminds me of the black lab we had growing up. He was a big boy! 140 lbs. We rode him like a pony! My parents have another black lab now. He’s not as big and little bit feminine but we love him anyway! I’m glad he found his home!
ha! that made me laugh out loud. 🙂 i love big dogs!
Great job on conquering the 7 miles with your running pack!
I love double the oats days!
And congrats on gettin’ the 7 miler done nicely on a Saturday morn 🙂
So glad the lab found his home! And congrats on your long run!
You brought him on home! Aww…running has soooooo many benefits!!!!!!
Awww thank god he found his home!!
Cinnamon Protein powder? or Cinnamon and protein powder? I immediately had radars for that and kept thinking, Oooh,… that would be good with pumpkin!!
If it’s indeed cinnamon protein powder a source would be great!! 🙂 If not, oops!
BTW great run, and run recap!!
Cinnamon protein pwdr! It’s made by All the Whey but I’ve had it forever and think it may be discontinued. 🙁
I was going to ask the same thing! I definitely need to be on the lookout for that!
same. i would love to try that. i usually add cinnamon to my vanilla protein shake, but cinnamon protein powder would be great.
Sounds like you helped him find his way! Electric fences don’t work wtih dogs that are motivated by chasing something. They will break the fence every time. And then they learn that it only hurts for a second.
The Kidless Kronicles
Wag More, Bark….
i love to swim after a run! my sister and I used to do that last year when on vacation in the Boston area and it was without a doubt the best way to start a day 🙂
glad the lab was a friend! 🙂
I think I would’ve been so scared if a dog started running towards me. Great job running that 7 miles! 🙂
oh i SO agree with you!!!! i love love loooove long runs b/c they make me feel so accomplished afterwards! yesterday i tackled 17mi and now i’m reaping the benefits by relaxing all weekend long 🙂 Can you believe Savannah RNR is in only about 7 weeks?? or is it 6, now?!! Either way, it’ll be here soon!
oh gosh i know!! can’t wait!!!
I could probably eat 10 bowls of oats… lol too many flavors to choose from! And awesome 7 mile run!
Awww, your little running “pack” is so adorable!
Definitely good for personal safety to be running with a couple of canine bodyguards, too. 🙂
When I got out of a 12.5 hour shift at work last night, I had 4 missed calls and 2 voicemails. Apparently, the propane delivery man left our fence gate open and our dogs got out. I had 2 messages that “my dog” was in a some random back yard pretty far from our house. I flew home and found both of our dogs back at home in their crate (we have a doggie door)….I’m glad that dog found his way back home!!!!!
aw!! so glad your dogs were okay!
Just a little FYI – not sure if it was an Invisible fence collar, but I know for sure those have numbers on them when you unscrew the electric part and you can call the company and they are registered and have the dog’s info. I’m assuming other companies have similar numbers somewhere hidden on the collars as well.
I work at a vet clinic and a guy brought a dog in that just had an invisible fence collar. After I found no microchip, he called the fence company and they were able to tell him the dog’s name and the owner’s phone number. 🙂
oh that’s so good to know! we were really worried.
I need a running buddy like that! Or maybe even a little running pack! I am thinking of adopting a cat… but I doubt she would make it seven miles.
Hey! I know you said that protein powder has been discontinued, but can you recommend any others? Brands, flavors, anything!! I need new flavors!! I am way burned out on the blah chocolate and vanilla…
optimum nutrition gold standard whey is really good! i like extreme milk chocolate.
Congrats on the 7 miles this morning! 🙂
Your oats look delish!
2 breakfasts- now that’s my girl 🙂
what a beautiful lab! how fun to have an extra running buddy 🙂
I carry dog food and a leash in my car in case I find dogs that have lost their home lol 🙂
You know why I love reading your blog?
Yesterday I ate a 1/2 cup of oats and peanut butter… I was hungry 30 minutes later and wanted another bowl.
Instead of making myself a bowl, I contemplated why I was still hungry, got mad at myself, and then gorged on bean salad leaving myself feeling defeated and gross.
From now on, I’m just making another bowl of oats. You know why? Because it’s okay… And I love the fact you wrote about having two bowls because, well, it just helps me know what I think is abnormal is normal during this journey in my life.
I’m glad you enjoyed your long run, Julie! Keep at it, girl!
I’ve been thinking about buying a heart rate/distance/time/calorie monitor thingy–you always post the pictures of yours (a Forerunner 305?) do you like it? Do any other runners/exercisers have ‘exercise monitor’ thingies that they really like? I am going to start training for some distance running races and I currently take classes (afro belly boogie!) that I would love to know how far I have gone and/or how many calories I have blasted.
HOw cute. Good thing he was a nice guy!!
congrats on 7 miles! i did 10 miles myself this morning an d was pleasantly surprised at how easy it felt! those 5am 5 milers ARE harder…crazy isn’t it? and i had oats wtih dark chocolate almond spread mixed in afterwards!
Kudos on your 7 miles! And with your husband. That must be amazing. I wish my husband was into running but I’m not going to force him.
And I must say, I am so impressed with your intuitive eating. You were hungry, so you ate another bowl. You have no idea how ‘normal’ that is but is so hard for some people..including me. I love your blog and how intuitively you eat. It really is inspriing.
Too funny! I was walking my two yellow labs today and suddenly a black lab came wandering up to us too! He only stayed with us for a block when his owner came driving around the corner looking for him!
You’re such a speedy runner (or I’m just slow) it takes me that long to run 5 miles! Time for some speed training hey?
Oatmeal is totally my favorite way to refuel. It’s always so filling and I feel like I’m eating dessert for breakfast. Good luck with the half marathon training!