Well, let’s just add this morning’s run to the caravan of strugglebus runs that have made up this year’s marathon training.
I had 12 miles scheduled, and I ran around the southern tip of Manhattan. It was a gorgeous morning, and when I left around 7, there was hardly anyone out.
I fell on Friday and my legs were still a little beat up from my spill. I started off and hoped and prayed that they’d loosen up. I got down to the South Street Seaport area around mile 5.5…and the wheels fell off. I got to 6 miles, looked at my iSmoothRun app and got really frustrated with my pace. I’d been running at no faster than a 10:15-10:20 pace, nearly a minute slower than my long runs last year. WTF?
I was so tempted to bag it all. The run. The marathon. But I’m stubborn, and I wasn’t giving up the run or the race, so on I went after sending out a tweet to hold myself accountable.
FINE. I continued on and tried really hard to get out of my head, but I had trouble doing so. Eventually, I settled for appreciating the weather and being happy that I was almost done.
And that it was beach time!
And taco time. My friend Leticia and I talk about tacos a lot, and I’d never actually tried the tacos at Rockaway Taco before. (There is both a stand on the beach and a shack a few blocks away; the shack is the better one.)
I also hadn’t been to Rockaway since Hurricane Sandy. There’s still a lot of work to be done out there, but they also had some before and after pictures, and it’s come a long way since the storm. Rockaway is such a great beach because you can take the subway out there, and it’s free to get on the beach, so I was glad to see all the work that had gone into getting it ready again.
I’m also glad that Rockaway Taco was just fine.
THE GUAC ROOM. PLEASE FORWARD ALL OF MY MAIL HERE.
I had one chorizo taco and one fish taco, and then I laid on the beach and died of happiness.
What’s your favorite: post-run food? Taco? Beach?
I love tacos and the beach. Sounds like a fantastic way to rest and refuel after a long run!
@Jessica @ FromtheKitchentotheRoad: It was 🙂 All long runs should end like this! I took no less than 2 naps on the beach.
Banana chobani w fresh strawberries mixed in. I’m very fancy post run. Oh and also coffee. Then a nap.
@Liz: Does Matthew make the coffee?
@Theodora: No, he is useless in the kitchen, which is why I invested in a Keurig. COFFEE FOR ONE IN A FLASH!
I’m so glad that Rockaway Taco is up and running! I was there (at the shack) right after Sandy helping out and it was just devastating.
Post long run (10+ miles) = something delicious like an egg bagel sandwich plus fruit
There is nothing I crave more after a long run than a big smoothie. But, after that I want all the salt which means fish tacos would be perfect! Can you air ship those here right now? Thanks! 🙂
My runs have been rather icky lately as well. My long run this weekend included but I hung in there just like you. Don’t you feel so proud when you don’t give up on what you set out to do? My post run cravings are always sweet like yogurt, fruit, peanut butter, oatmeal, Red Mango…but those tacos look yum!
Yes! During the run, I couldn’t stop beating myself up for my pace, but as soon as I was done, I was so so happy. Not just because it meant beach time 🙂 Ooh, I NEVER crave sweet after run. Always, always salty. Probably from losing salt while running.
If you don’t go away for Labor Day, there is a half marathon at Rockaway Beach that looks like a lot of fun. I did the full marathon there last year and had a blast!
Oooh looks like there’s free brunch after too!
Don’t worry about your pace! I took a NASTY spill on weds, so I feel your pain, literally! Glad you got it done, tacos are always worth it!!
OUCH. I just clicked over to your blog and saw your road rash. OUCH. Mine was kinda rough but not nearly that bad.
I don’t eat much dairy, but after a long run I sometimes crave an egg and cheese bagel. Also, I took a nasty spill in the most embarrassing sort of way — it happens to the best of us!
My body is never happy after a long run — I normally just want carbonation. What I dream about the entire run is what I’m going to have for dinner later in the evening. Oh and beer. Wine and beer are a must post long run.
Carbonation? Interesting. That always sounds awful to me after a long run 🙂 It’s funny, before I started running, I had a former boss who ran marathons. She would talk about thinking the entire time on her long runs about what she was going to eat afterwards, and I thought that was hilarious. And…now I get it.
I know…I’m weird. But really there is nothing I want more after a run than an ice cold Diet Coke. Even if it does burn the heck out of my throat. Then…it’s all about the food.
Tacos on the beach? Sounds amazing!
Interesting – I never think about food even on longer runs. I usually have to choke down something (Gu, etc) during runs over an hour but I never want to. In fact, running in NYC last month was the worst because the smell from all the food trucks made me want to puke!