Our first 11.5-miler prior to the Rock-n-Roll Half!

There's Ginger, almost to water!

• Starting time: 6:30 am.
• Starting temp: 53 degrees F.
• Finishing temp: around 60.
• What I wore:  capri running tights and a cotton/poly t-shirt.
• Route: Coffee Pot Bayou north through Shore Acres, Snell Isle and loop down through waterfront parks.

This was, in my opinion, the perfect weather for a long run.  I started cool and stayed comfortable.

Of course, it helps that we were running the slowest pace ever.  Seriously.

I made the mistake of doing round 2 of my new weight training program on Friday evening, accompanied by a 30-minute hardcore session on the elliptical.  Bad move.  I was sore and creaky and by mile 3 of this run, my legs started feeling fatigued.

Now, you might think that it was me who set the slow pace – but alas, Ginger was feeling a bit slow today too.  So, thankfully, we both wanted to take it easy and did.

We did our “north” route which take us a couple miles north from the park where we start, then down 4 miles through some of St. Petersburg’s most beautiful neighborhoods, Shore Acres, Venetian Isles and Snell Isle.  Unfortunately, the huge houses block our sunrise view but they’re gorgeous houses and it’s really the only way to get 12 miles on the route.

Around mile 7, we cross back into the waterfront parks and are rewarded with the most breathtaking views.  Low tide means birds are wading in the shallows, dogs are bounding across sandbars and people are out in droves because it’s a postcard kinda day.

And here we are: 8 miles in stopping at the water fountain.  In our matching Newton’s.

Dorks. (Or, as we like to say, samesies!)

And while I’m having so much fun shooting pics with my camera, I hit the END WORKOUT button on my Nike+ app.  FAIL.

I’m such a ridiculous Type-A runner that I need accurate running logs or I will go crazy.  It’s making me nuts.  Of course, I know I can manually enter the workout in DailyMile, but then this inaccurate workout keeps showing up in my Nike+ import feed.

And how do I post about it on Facebook?  You know, the important questions of life!

I restarted Nike+ for the second leg of the run, another 3.5 miles that went far easier and faster than the first 8.

The run ended strong, but for the rest of the day my foot has been killing me and I can literally feel my muscles tightening up in revolt against the prior day’s weight training.

Luckily, I had the luxury of time to go to the Saturday Morning Market and get myself a green smoothie for recovery fuel – an amazing blended concoction of avocado, kale, pineapple,, cucumbers, lemon, ginger and honey.  That smoothie is the best recovery drink I’ve ever had and I felt re-energized immediately.

Next week: 12er at the same place.