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15 Miles and an Arctic Evening

Good news! The shoes worked out fine and I ran my longest run to date--15 miles! Time was 2 hours, 25 minutes, so the pace worked out to 9:39 overall. Once again, it was on the treadmill, so I kept it at an incline of 1% most of the time, upping it every once in a while to break up the monotony. I definitely get some strange looks staying on the treadmill that long, though. Once I was cooling down, an older man asked me, "Sh*t woman, where you runnin' to, Wal-Mart?" 
I'm not sure what the correct response is to this, for multiple reasons. 
1) Wal-mart is actually really close, maybe a mile from the gym. 
2) Why on earth would it seem like I was running to Wal-Mart?
3) I'm on a treadmill. It's obvious I'm not going ANYWHERE.

Here is my creepy smile before the run:


And the exhausted, "take the freaking picture for my blog" look afterwards:


I was actually really feeling it in my legs after this run, so I decided to become a real grown-up runner and attempt an ice bath. Um, you guys, these are cold. I knew in my head that placing my body in ice water not going to pleasant, but I couldn't believe JUST how freezing it was. I'll give you the pictures (don't worry, those are bathing suit bottoms, I promise!) but the audio you'll have to imagine. Lots of shrieks and near-tears. 

Getting in was NOT easy to do. 
Staying in wasn't much easier.
This seriously better help. I would rather head to the gym and run those 15 miles again than go through another 10 minutes in a tub of ice. 

Have you tried an ice bath? What's your schedule for recovery after a long run?
This was my first! After running today I stretched, ate, took an ice bath, then showered and foam rolled later. 

What's the strangest/funniest thing someone has said to you while at the gym or out running?
Today's comment was bizarre, but I can't think of any strange things now! I've heard "Run, Forrest, run!" more times than I would like to think about though. 



Comments

  1. LOL! I would have loved to see the mans face while he asked you that! No way am I trying an ice bath, you go girl!

    Megan
    mommyminded.blogspot.com

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  2. ice baths are my #1 recovery tool. ALWAYS. seriously. i hate them as much as anyone while i'm sitting there with the ice swirling around my legs. but the change in my range of motion from before always reminds me why i do it.

    so, as soon as i get home from a long run i start the cold water in the tub. then i put some water on to boil. i also usually try to heat up some left over pasta or something. i make hot chocolate/recovery drink by adding some chocolate protein mix to the boiling water. i throw on a sweatshirt and sometimes even my down jacket. pour the 20 lbs of ice into the tub before i hop in. i make sure to have my computer propped up on the toilet so that i can watch a friends dvd (20 min, perfect for an ice bath). and i start the timer on my phone so that i will be sure to stay in for all 20 minutes. if i get really desperate to be distracted i'll start texting people.

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  3. I laughed so hard at the old man's comment...I was laughing so hard,my hubby wanted to know what was so funny. :)

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  4. That comment from the man was hilarious! Um, if I was going to run 15 miles, I certainly would not head to Wal Mart. I'd at least want to end up at someplace fun!

    I do ice baths after long runs. My first one was terrible. I screamed so loud my husband could hear me in the garage! I've gotten better at it now. What I do is strip down and put on a dry tank top, long sleeved shirt AND sweatshirt! Then I get in and run cold water into the tub. When the water is covering my legs, I have my husband pour in all the ice from the freezer. Then I set my timer for 15 minutes. I watch an episode of Weeds on my phone while I suffer!

    Then I get out, wrap up in several layers of clothes, and pass out in bed from cold and exhaustion!

    I honestly don't know if the ice baths really work, but if they are that miserable, they've got to be doing something!

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  5. ohhhh I am way too scared to try an ice bath! you are so brave! and 15 miles on the TM is amazing!! I am so over the TM after usually an hour...my longest TM session to date though was 12 miles. luckily my friends were there...not sure I would have made it on my own.

    this is not funny...really just random: but this guy at the gym once yelled at me because I took some other guys bench who then proceeded to take his bench. ummmm they were not standing anywhere near the benches and there were OTHER benches. people get so random at the gym sometimes!

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  6. Wow. You go girl with that long distance! i don't think that I have the drive or the commitment to do such a long run. I'm more of a gym rat than a runner. But kudos to you for having such a passion

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  7. Hey Vanessa,

    I've been running for over 25 years and have not jumped in an ice bath. I give you credit for doing it though.
    That second picture looks like you just took a bite from a lemon.

    BTW, with the weather getting better, I highly recommend you do some outside running. I think you'll enjoy it more and it's generally better for conditioning in my opinion. Good job with your pace though, especially with that incline.

    If you get a chance, stop by my blog and say hello.

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  8. This wasn't at the gym, but at work once while I was walking out of the parking garage pushing my bike and had my helmet on, the president of the company asked me "going for a bike ride?" I wanted very badly to say, "no, why do you ask?", but just said "yep" and then LMAO the whole ride.

    As for ice baths, I only do them when run close to 2 hours. I don't really mind them to much, but only stay in for 10 minutes.

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  9. hahah, what's up with that guy??? :) i tried an ice bath once, but didn't put much ice in. i dunno, i didn't like it. do you get sore after your long runs? i'm usually pretty sore for the first few hours after, but i don't do anything special to recover and i'm always fine after the first few hours... i worry it's gonna come back to haunt me lol

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  10. That's too funny about that guy! You should have said something snappy, like "I'm running for all of people in Walmart who need to exercise!"

    I haven't had the courage to do an ice bath yet, plus my mileage is waaay too low for that. I'm impressed you still manage to look cute even while freezing!

    I haven't had anyone say anything funny to me yet but I did have one older man say, "Good job! Keep it up!" at just the right time during one of my runs. It was the most uplifting thing!

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  11. Wow you are braver than me! I would be way too chicken to try an ice bath. I don't even like it when the water in the shower is luke warm.

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  12. I've done a couple of ice baths and am planning on doing one today after my 8 miler. They suck, but leaving my socks on helps so much!
    I've never gotten any odd comments while I was running... I think since I'm usually working out harder than most men at the gym they are just too intimidated to say anything.
    That's what I tell myself, anyway. :)

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  13. You're amazing - great job on your 15 miler! How funny...that guy is weird. Ouch!! Taking an ice bath sounds incredibly painful!

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  14. You're a brave, brave lady! I could never do that... I'm always cold as it is!!

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  15. That is hilarious about what the women said to you! I don't have a bath tub!! So annoying right?! So I don't know if what I do is even worse. I attempt an ice shower! Yeah, freezing head to toe. I know it has to do something for me because otherwise not so many people would swear by it. Way to go with the ice bath!
    Sarah

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  16. What a bizarre comment. Wal-mart??
    Great job on the mill though-that is mental toughness for sure!
    Here's a post I did on ice baths:
    http://teamarcia-runningmouth.blogspot.com/2010/02/kinder-gentler-ice-bath.html

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  17. i absolutely love your before and after running pic! so funny! and you are such a trooper for taking an ice bath, its on my to do list one of these days if i ever get the courage.

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  18. Guess I should have read this post first before I asked you how your run went!

    Nice work on the run = bonus points for doing it all on the treadmill! I think the furthest I have gone on the TM is 10 miles.

    I should probably have the husband pick up some ice today so I can indulge in an ice bath after my 20 milers...

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  19. haha i died reading about what that guy said! Too funny. People that don't run definitely think people who run on treadmills for crazy distances are crazy! I love the weird looks and stares though.

    Nice job on the ice bath! I have only done that once and it was sooo cold and painful however I did feel like it helped so I should probably suck it up and do it again after long runs and races! Congrats on the long run too! Nice job!!!!!!

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  20. 1) your legs look amazng in the bathtub pictures. Awesome muscle tone!
    2) Nice work on the run. That is awesome!!! I'm scared to move to 7 miles this weekend. ;-)
    3) Never done an ice bath - see above. Still working on adding mileage.
    4)I turn super red when I run. No matter what. I've had personal trainers come over 4-5 times (different days) to "make sure I'm okay" while I'm running. Talk about a confidence boost that I look like I'm about to collapse on the treadmill.

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  21. I have a treadmill at home, but once I ran ten at the gym and all these people were staring. I probably looked to gross to talk to though.

    For me after a long run it's:stretch, ice bath with a protein shake (if you read a book in the bath, it's easier to take your mind off how cold you are), and compression sleeves

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  22. AH haha I ran 10 miles the other day and considered an ice bath but I don't think I can stand the pain! That looks awful. You're awesome, what an amazing run!

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  23. Oh man, I hate ice baths. They suck!! But they help. I've just been doing plain cold water...sometimes I add ice, but that is just insane. Good job on your 15!! and all on a treadmill! GOtta love the comments you get after doing that.

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  24. Great job on the run. I don't think I've ever spent more then an hour on the treadmill. Never tried an ice bath either. With training for my fist marathon starting in a week (YIKES!) I'm sure I will be trying it soon!

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  25. Great job girll!! I have never got an iced bath, but I can only imagine what it would feel like! haha byyour face ;)

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  26. Love that you gave us a pic of your miserable ice bath. Yeah, I've been dreading that too. Luckily I'm still not training for the half. I hate being cold more than anything.

    Nice job on your run! People are goofs...

    runningtobeskinny.com

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  27. woman.
    you.
    rock.
    YAY on the 15!!

    YAY for icing. I always bring my phone in a text/tweet the 15 minutes away. ;)

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  28. I agree, ice baths are painful, but they sure do work!

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  29. I have never and will never take an ice bath. They terrify me.

    The strangest (meanest) thing someone said to me while running outside was "Stop running! Go eat some food!" :(

    Little do they know...

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  30. The first ice bath is always an experience! But they do work wonders for recovery. (BTW - I found that it is significantly easier to get into an empty tub, then start filling with cold water, then adding the ice. Less of a shock that way)

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  31. New Follower here!

    You poor thing! I'm too scared to try the ice bath.

    The funniest thing ever said to me outside was not involving me running or exercising. I was walking on campus and this guy shouts, "Juicy!" I didn't know whether to take that as an insult or a compliment!

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  32. New follower, too! Love the blog!

    LMAO at the guy's comment... Only in the South! I lived in NC for two years and heard a lot of stuff like that!

    I hate ice baths but love what they do. I'll second everyone's comments above- dress warm up top, bring something hot to eat/drink and distract yourself with music, movies, phone, etc! Great run!

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  33. I'm such a weenie. I have yet to try an ice bath. Obviously they must be beneficial or all of you crazy girls wouldn't try them so often!

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